Love of The World

Excuse sin, compromise with sin; can we do this and be In-Christ?

On this edition of my blog, I am reflecting on a song by Hillsong United, 
“Touch the Sky,” click HERE to see lyrics video.

“…I bought the world and sold my heart
You traded heaven to have me again…”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THIS WORLD

Someone asked if Christianity was illegal, will there be enough evidence to convict you? Good question, and it makes me examine my life! If they check my bank account, will they find evidence of Christianity? If they check my music collection, my social networks, friends I hang out with, books I read, movies I watch, will they find a reason to arrest me?

Fortunately, in America today, Christianity is not illegal, at least not yet. In the book of John, Jesus prophesied that a day would come when those that kill His followers will be thinking they are doing God a service. 

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them…” John 16:2-4

A recent Supreme Court decision has clouded the future of America when it comes to freedom of religion. In the future, if a pastor preaches about the sin of homosexuality, he may find himself, and the church, in a heap of trouble. Homosexuality is still a sin in the Bible, even though the world says different. Disciples of Jesus Christ may be fired from employment and charged with bigotry, hate, and creating a hostile environment just by only preaching, praying, or calling the name of Jesus Christ.

The sad part, what grieves my heart the most, is that people who identify themselves as Christians are empowering and voting for these politicians that make and enforce these policies and laws. These politicians continue to be elected every voting cycle. 

How did we get here? How can we be called Christians and vote for politicians that are anti-Christianity? Maybe we have been deceived and walk not on the light, but in the dark. We are getting conformed to the pattern of this world system. We are following the leaders of the darkness of this world. 

Perhaps we love the world more than the Lord Jesus. The apostle John wrote against this situation, and we should take heed and be doers of the Word of God, not just hearing it on Sundays.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.“ 1 John 2:15-16 NKJV

IN THE WORLD, NOT OF THE WORLD

John was not implying that we, as Christians, should live apart from the world, like some cults are doing today. He was not suggesting we stop watching tv, listening to music, going to movies, dancing, etc. 

John is trying to teach that we should love the Lord more than we love the things of the world. When the things of the world sets us in contradiction to the Word of God, we need to set ourselves apart from them.

John used the word, agapaō, translated love in English. There are four words in the Greek language that are translated “love” in English. Click here to read my blog about love.

The agapaō love is unconditional; it is a binding, sacrificial love. To love the things of the world with this kind of love, is to diminish our love for God. This love of the world sets up an idol in front of God. We are to partake of the world for us to win souls for Christ. We are to be apart from the things of the world that are contrary to God and His Word.

Before Jesus departed to be with the Father, He prayed that we be protected from the evil one, for we are not of the world, but will have a mission on the earth.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:14-17 NKJV

BE SEPARATE

The Holy Bible teaches in Ephesians 2:1-3 that we have three deadly enemies:

• The World
• The Flesh
• The Devil

The world and the devil employ tactics to use our flesh against us.

The world and everything in it, appeals to our senses, to our pride. It wants you to choose between serving the Lord Jesus or serving yourself. Once you yield to the senses, to the flesh, it becomes your master, and the things of God no longer matter to you, they become foolishness in your mind.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God…” Romans 8:5-8 NIV

The world will show you things pleasing to the eyes, things the Word of God says from that, look away. Look at the movies in theaters; it is hard to find a film without explicit sexual content or suitable language. The world says to fill your body with various chemicals to make you feel good and look good. The Word of God says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and needs to be holy. The world tells you to love ourselves and make a life for ourselves, no matter who we must eliminate or step over to get there. The Word of God says to love the Lord with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

John is straight forward here. If we love the things of the world more than the Father, then we must ask ourselves, have we substituted the love of the Father for the love of the world? 

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1

Here John is trying to appeal to us; the world does not know us. The world does not know God. How can we love the world? 

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19

Here John is making a distinction, if you are of the world, then you love the world, and the world loves you. Some of us go along with darkness because we do not like to be hated. But remember this, if we fear hatred from the world, will you risk wrath from God? 

When it comes to the things of the world that are contrary to God, the Bible asks us to separate ourselves from such things, even joining in relationships with unbelievers:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV

BE TRANSFORMED

We have anti-Christian politicians that are in office now, mainly because we, Christians, have empowered them either by ignorance or willingly. What can we do to remedy the situation? 

We, as Christians, are not to convert the world, but to draw individual people to Christ. If the government in which we live is hostile towards the things of God, it becomes almost impossible to win souls for Christ. The devil wants to use the world and the flesh to make the environment hard for us to win souls for Christ. If we do not restrain evil, many souls will be lost. We must do all we can to restrain evil, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are three things we can do from this day forward:

Number One:

Let us not become a CINO, a Christian In Name Only (Yes, I made this term up, forgive me). This type of person is disgusting to our Lord Jesus Christ, read Revelation 3:14-16. Jesus prefers for us to be either hot or cold, for Him, or against Him, but do not identify with Him in name and then not do as He says. We are to live the Bible 24/7, 365 days a year, not only on Sundays. 

Just knowing about God, reading the Bible, talking to others about God, does not make you a Christian. Many have started on the narrow road to salvation, but after falling in love with the world, they embrace the wide path that leads to destruction, the easy, comfortable path.

“for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.” 2 Timothy 4:10

Number two:

Let us restrain the darkness, hold it back, do not get deluded:

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

This world is moving towards the lawless one, the Anti-Christ. We are to restrain the darkness, or the darkness will overcome us. If we lose the love for the Word of God, and do not defend it, we will believe the lie the world will sell us, embrace it, and have pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Number three:

Renew your mind so we can restrain darkness by the power of the Holy Spirit:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV

Like cookie cutters, the world and the devil wants to conform us. The world wants to shape us. The world wants what is contrary to what God has said in His holy Word. It is hard to resist this process of getting shaped. The only way to resist being shaped is to renew our minds, to think differently, to be transformed from what we were to a new creation. For this transformation to take place, we MUST be born again. 

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” John 3:3 NKJV

In closing, I leave you with this message. If we believe we are in Christ, born again, then we need to walk humbly with God and reject the ways of darkness. 

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

In the song at the beginning, the artist sings about touching the sky, when her knees hit the ground. We must pray so that the lost may come to light and find their life in Jesus. When we forsake the world that is contrary to God, get on our knees, and proclaim Jesus as Lord, we do touch heaven!

Abba Father,

I pray you raise an army of believers that will burn for your Word and will go forth to heal this land in the power of the Holy Spirit. I am so tired of darkness parading itself as victorious in America when we know the devil is a defeated foe. Teach us to discern between the light and darkness, and give us courage to stand firm against the forces of darkness in spiritual places. In the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray!

Amen

To God, be the glory! 

If you like the story about finding evidence to prove you are a Christian, consider reading The Price, click here to start reading.

Everything was created By Him, For Him!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-25

Disclaimer

I write this blog as I get inspired by God. Consider this writing as a Bible study. Like the Bereans In Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures to find out whether what I write is so. Always consult with your church ministers about biblical matters. I am also not a professional writer, so there may be some grammar or spelling errors. I try my best to write as efficiently as possible. Your brother, In-Christ, Ricardo