(Which 'World' Do You Live in?)

by Cameron Paine

Pt 1

"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Hebrews 2:10)

In the Olympics the different athletes go to different areas of the grounds to compete. The skaters are found in the skating rink, not on the ski slopes; the high jumpers are not found in the skating rinks. Each competes in his or her own kind of arena. In the same way the believer and the unbeliever spend their lives on earth in a particular arena or 'world' where different laws or rules are in effect. If life is described as a journey or pilgrimage we would say the journey believers are on is not the same as the journey unbelievers are on. The object or goal of each is as different as skater's objective and high jumpers objective are different. The difference is even greater than that. 

That there are different arenas or 'worlds' in which believers and unbelievers live is what this meditation tries to show.

That there are different 'worlds' or arenas or kingdoms in which different people live is brought out in the Bible in many different statements. It is this truth, it is this reality that underlies and 'explains' much behavior of believers that seems ridiculous, absurd, incomprehensible to the people 'of this world'. It is this platform of truth out of which many other truths grow.

The Bible often speaks in terms of contrasts--'before and after', 'then and now'. The Bible often speaks of the condition or circumstances people were once in and the condition or circumstances they are now in. The apostle Peter addresses people who are now believers, that is, people who have been called out darkness into God's wonderful light, people who have been shown mercy, saying, "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10) The apostle Paul speaks to the same kind of people--believers--people who were once in one condition and now are in another condition. He says, "All of us (believers) also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:3-5)

Jesus spoke about the different 'worlds' or kingdoms in which believers and non-believers live. He pointed out that the reason unbelievers have a hostile reaction to the message and even to the presence of believers is because believers belong to a different 'world'. He said to his disciples "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19) In Jesus' own prayer to the Father in heaven he said this again, "I have given them (his disciples) your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17:14-16)

This world is not our permanent home or our permanent base of operations. This theme crops up over and over again in the Bible. In the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews believers are told, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." (Hebrews 13:14) The world of unbelievers is not looking for the city that is to come but believers are. Earlier in that book of the Bible many of the actions of well known believers were listed. In conclusion the author said, "All these people (Old Testament believers) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one." (Hebrews 11:13-16; see also 10:34,35; Matthew 6:19-20)

The Bible which is addressed to believers says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)

Different conditions prevail in the 'world' believers have become citizens of. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26)

What the sacrificial death of Christ accomplished is described as a transfer out of one world into another. "For he (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13) The believers addressed in the letter to church at Ephesus are told this: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ( Ephesians 5:8)

The apostle Peter said to the believers living on earth in his day in various parts the world-- "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11; see also Hebrews 11:13 above)

One of the purposes of this meditation is to point out some of the features of the believer's world that reveals its fundamental difference from the world unbelievers live in. The rest of this meditation concentrates on only 4 such features--1) The way 'life' is viewed, 2) What attention is focused upon, 3) The way suffering is viewed, and 4)What is taking place in the course of life.

THE WAY 'LIFE' IS VIEWED --IN THE BELIEVER'S WORLD

One way the difference, the distinctive flavor of the believer's world shows up is in the way 'life' itself is viewed. What difference could be more fundamental?

In the world of unbelievers the accepted view is that the death of the body (which includes the brain) is the end of life. How different is the accepted view in the believer's world! In the 'world' of the Christian this life on earth is recognized as being only a part of 'life' and not even the main part. For the Christian the death of the mortal body is not seen as the end of life, but as the doorway to the main part of life which is spent in eternity

The apostle Paul tells Timothy how to speak to people who are rich in the present world. They are not to put their hope in wealth but in God, to do good deeds-- "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:19)  (Where the NIV (New International Version) uses the phrase 'truly life' other translations speak of 'life indeed', 'real life' 'life that is really life' )

Jesus did not share the belief of the world that death is the end of all experiencing. He said,  "If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire." (Matthew 18:8) Jesus told his disciples, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) He said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."" (John 6:40)

The Gospel assumes the existence of eternal existence. If eternal existence was not a fact the Gospel would be nonsense. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:28-29) In the NIV translation of the New Testament the phrase 'eternal life' appears 42 times. If it were true that 'life' ends when the body dies the sacrificial death of God's Son on the Cross was a waste of time.

As mention above, different conditions prevail in the 'world' believers have become citizens of. What constitutes 'life' is different. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26) The life which is life indeed does not cease when the body dies.

The second feature of the believer's world that reveals how different that world is is 'What attention is focused upon'.

Whereas much of the attention of unbelievers is on making life in this world longer and more 'comfortable', more full of pleasures that is not where, according to God's word, the attention of believers is (or should be).

In the apostle Peter's second letter addressed to believers ("To God's elect, strangers in the world") he tells those living on earth then and us, "But in keeping with his (God's) promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)

What does the Bible says to believers? "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." (2 Corinthians 4:18--5:1)

It is not the present segment of life on earth that Christians should be focusing their attention upon but the eternal inheritance that God bestowed upon them. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2) Believers have been given "a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Believers have been given "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:3-4) "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13; see also vv.1:3-5)

In the book of Hebrews the believing addressees were spoken to in this language--"You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." (Hebrews 10:34)

It is in seeing our present lives on earth as being but a tiny portion of our lives that sets us believers apart. It is this awesome truth about the length of 'life' that underlies the exhortation in the book of Hebrews that says, "So do not throw away your confidence; (which the previous quote revealed) it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36) And what did God promise? The apostle John explains, "And this is what he promised us--even eternal life."   (1 John 2:25) This is where the attention of believers should be focused--on eternal life. In the NIV translation the phrase 'eternal life' appears in the New Testament not 10 times or 20 times but 42 times.

Jesus said, "The man who loves his life (in this world) will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25) In the Sermon on the Mount he said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20)

What should stand out in every believer's thoughts are the events in God's timetable. These events are not affected or altered in any way by the death of our bodies. The apostle Paul said to the believers in Corinth-- "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:7-8)

The apostle Peter said to his hearers or readers, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives  as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." (2 Peter 3:10-12)

In the apostle John's first letter to believers we are reminded of where our hope lies--" Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

What the apostle Paul said in his last letter which he wrote when he knew his task on earth was coming to an end shows where his attention was focused. He wrote, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8; see also 1 Peter 1:4)

This is the third feature which shows how different the believer's world is from that of the unbelievers. Up to now we have looked at 'The way life is viewed' and 'What attention is focused upon'.

Believers know that the segment of life after the death of the body is far more significant than the present. Whatever is to be--whether life after the death of the body is to be a time of blessing or a time of suffering it will be an infinitely longer period of time than the present time in the body. In any case, a consequence of recognizing the fact that this life on earth is only part of 'life' is that believers view their suffering differently. For them the suffering that happens on earth during this microscopic segment of life is necessarily microscopic even though it may be incredibly painful and may be the prelude to immediate death or be a path that leads directly or indirectly to the death of the body at a future time.

However, before looking at the kind of suffering that is unique to the arena in which Christians live let's consider what the different kinds of suffering are. For purposes of discussing suffering in this meditation it is convenient to recognize that there are two kinds of suffering--one which is common to all people and which is unavoidable. (Or, to use a common phrase, which is part of life.)

One kind of suffering is that which permeates all creation since the actions of Adam and Eve brought sin into the world.

The sin which according to the Bible permeates all creation results in many kinds of involuntary suffering. It is like a hereditary infection or disease which runs in the human family or blood line. Examples of this kind of suffering--unavoidable suffering--includes sickness and death. Of course there are levels or degrees of suffering. Everybody has experienced some of them--a head that feels like a cannon ball; a nose that won't allow any breath to get through but at the same time won't quit running; a broken foot which if it touches anything results in an excruciating pain; grief over the death of a loved one--a pet; a child. Who has not or will not experienced the gaping hole in one's life that such an event leaves? Soldiers who have seen pieces of their friends' bodies strewn over the landscape--a sight that they can never forget.... This is a kind of suffering which sin brings upon every human being. This kind of suffering is 'built-in'. This kind of suffering is 'a part of life'. Believers would modify this statement to say--'suffering is a part of this segment of life'.

What does the Bible say? "Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--.... death reigned from the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam." (Romans 5:13-14) Later on in the same book of the Bible the apostle Paul says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. /  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (Romans 8:22;20-21)

While believers experience the kind of suffering which is 'part of life'-the on earth segment of life-they also incur suffering that is a consequence (direct or indirect; immediate or long-delayed) of that believer's deliberate action which leads to unbelievers inflicting suffering on the believer as a retribution.

Many, many, times it is this latter kind of suffering that the Bible speaks of. In this meditation it will be distinguished from the 'part of life' kind suffering by the designation 'Christian suffering'.

'Christian Suffering'

Whereas in the world of unbelievers avoidable suffering is a silly and useless impediment to the good life, in the believer's world suffering is not an impediment to life. In the believer's world suffering is not an intrusion into, or hindrance to, life. On the contrary, under many circumstances it is a badge of honor.

What did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount? "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)

"Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man"--(a title by which Jesus frequently referred to himself) (Luke 6:22)

The apostle Peter was blunt. He said to believers-- "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:13-14; see also James 1:2)

The Bible records the apostles recognizing this truth. "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:41)

Many times the apostle Paul rejoiced in God's blessing--"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." (Colossians 1:24) " I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10) Because the apostle understood the nature of the world of unbelievers he could state as fact that believers would face trials and suffering. In his last letter he said, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,  while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13; see also Acts 14:22; 1 Peter 4:12; 1:6-7)

In the apostle Peter's first letter to believers in the world this is what he said about suffering-- "if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.' When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:20-23)

Suffering on behalf of Christ is not an unplanned misfortune, an unfortunate and unnecessary concurrence of happenings along the believer's journey; It is a privilege. "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him." (Philippians 1:29; see also Romans 8:17; Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 2:21 above) The connection between suffering for Christ and being a co-heir with Christ is not a haphazard or random one-- "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17)

The attitude of believers toward suffering especially the deliberately inflicted kind shows what a different perspective guides the behavior of believers. Again, this is how the apostle Paul expressed it-- "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body." (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)

The way the apostle Paul spoke of suffering shows the connection between what believers experience on earth and what lies ahead--"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. " (Romans 8:18)  In his 2nd letter addressed to the church at Corinth he put this truth this way: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17) In the book of Hebrews believers are told "He [Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Hebrews 11:26)

Is Jesus Christ not the savior and example believers should follow? "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.  When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.'" (1 Peter 2:21-23) Let's follow him. "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 12:4) The Bible says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3)

This is what the Bible says about him--him who is our savior and example--"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation [Jesus Christ] perfect through suffering." (Hebrews 2:10) If to accomplish his mission Christ had to go through suffering is suffering for God something believers, disciples, should look upon as an unnecessary, painful and harm-causing experience that should be avoided whenever possible? That was not the way Jesus Christ looked upon suffering.

What a different view of suffering is an integral part of the believer's world !

        WHICH 'WORLD' DO YOU LIVE IN ?   --    Pt  2           

by Cameron Paine

WHAT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE BELIEVER'S WORLD

One of the purposes of this meditation is to point out some of the features of the believer's world that reveals its fundamental difference from the world unbelievers live in. The categories we looked at previously were  1) The way 'life' is viewed, 2) What attention is focused upon, and 3) The way suffering is viewed. Now we come to the 4th and last grouping of thoughts about the different 'worlds' believers and unbelievers live in. In this last section the focus of the discussion is on the different environments which believers and unbelievers live in while on earth.  

What is taking place in the 'world' of the believer? A journey. It is not the journey from birth to old age. That is one journey we all know about. But, according to God, that is not the most important journey that is taking place in the 'world' that believers live in while on earth. The most important journey that is taking place differs depending upon which 'world' you live in. Whether it is the world of unbelievers or the 'world' of believers.

The Goal Of The Journey Believers Are On Differs From The Goal Of Unbelievers

Whereas in the unbeliever's world the belief is that what should be taking place in the course of life is 'getting ahead' and avoiding as much suffering as possible, in the world in which the believer spends his or her days the object is to become more holy, more conformed to Jesus Christ the Son of God. Progress or advancement in the life of the believer is not measured by 'getting ahead' or becoming more adjusted to this world or by being more successful in dealing with the hindrances to a happy life on earth. Advancement along the road to the goal of total holiness is measured by, or consists of, becoming more holy, becoming more conformed to Jesus Christ which necessarily means becoming less conformed to the sinful world.

It is because of the believer's new status--having been made a citizen of heaven that he/she is to behave in holy ways. He or she now is identified with God. The Bible says to believers "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' " (1 Peter 1:15-16; see also Leviticus 11:44,45)

Another term that describes what it means to be holy is 'blameless or faultless'. It is to this quality of life that believers were called. " For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4) This is is how believers are to walk, to conduct themselves. (Philippians 2:15) It is because the believer knows that one day he will be fully like Jesus Christ that he/she purifies himself/herself now.. "We know that when he (Jesus Christ) appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." (1 John 3:2,3)

This was the objective for which Christ the Son of God shed his blood on the Cross. The Bible says it was Jesus Christ "who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:14;see also Ephesians 5:25-27) In the book of Hebrews believers are told, "when Christ came into the world, he said: ...'here I am, I have come to do your will, O God.' And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10) In verse 14 of the same chapter we read, "by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:14)

It was God's purpose to bring this 'quality of life' into being. It was to further this state of being that the Bible gives instructions to believers regarding how they should conduct themselves. " For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8) "Since we have these promises, dear friends," the apostle Paul says to us, "let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1) "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy." The author of the book of Hebrews goes on to say; "without holiness no one will see the Lord. " (Hebrews 12:14) This is the goal of the believer's life.

The Bible refers to the journey towards increased holiness or increasing conformity to the character of Jesus Christ as sanctification.

The Obstacle On The Believer's Journey Differs From Those Facing Unbelievers.

The impediments that hinder the unbeliever's world from working perfectly are external. They are inanimate. They are phenomena like disease, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment. Those impediments are things or circumstances, not persons. They have no mind or will of their own. They do not oppose anyone. And they are not part of our being. On the other hand, the obstacle that gets in the way of a believer growing in holiness or becoming increasingly like Christ is sin. Sin is part of the believer's being as well as being in other people. This impediment to progress along the believer's journey cannot be handled as obstacles in the way of the good life in the unbeliever's world can be dealt with. Sin in the believer's world cannot be separated from any living human being and be disposed of.

In the world of the unbeliever it is believed that it is the environment that does or should undergo change for this world to be a better place. In the world of the believer it is the believer himself that changes. The situation that believers face is that of being pure (remaining unstained or unspotted by the world) in an impure environment. As long as the believer remains on earth the obligation to remain pure or holy in an impure and unholy environment is a never-ending struggle (Ephesians 6:12)

The Answer To The 'Obstacle' That Believers Face Along Their Journey Differs.

In the world that unbelievers live in as the problems are external so are the solutions to them. In the world of unbelief the way to deal with those obstacles or impediments to the full life is to overcome them, to eliminate them or eradicate them. The obstacles in the unbeliever's world are discrete and, theoretically, can be overcome--one by one. The believer in his journey does not encounter only those mindless inanimate obstacles but also deliberate, purpose-driven opposition. "For our struggle," the Bible says to believers, "is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) This purpose-driven opposition is always present like the air that we need to breathe. Progress along the believer's journey toward increasing holiness is not made by changing the environment. The reduction or removal of external obstacles that spoil the perfection of this world has no affect on the believer's state of holiness; it does not change the believer or make him any more holy, any more conformed to the image of Christ than he was before the external obstacles were removed. In the believer's world holiness is not promoted by getting rid of external problems. What opposes the believer's progress along his journey of becoming more like Christ is the sin in him, not external obstacles, not even the sin around him. Making the environment 'smoother' won't remove the sinful desires and practices that are in him/her. In the believer's world it is the believer himself or herself that must change.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)  In another place in the New Testament the command is this: "So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Romans 13:12-14)

To deal with the 'obstacle' that the believer faces the believer must use the equipment, the armor, that God provides --- "Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12; see also Ephesians  6: 13-14, 16) "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11) And what is the armor that the believer is to use? The word of God--"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17;see also Matthew 4:4)

The different conditions that prevail in the 'world' or arena that believers have been transferred to are shown by the way believers fight for their God. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Growing in holiness and becoming less entangled in the lures of the world is what the journey of the believer is concerned with. (2 Peter 2:20) When does this journey end? How far does this struggle go? "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 12:4) In the believer's 'world' the obstacle of sin which is within the believer as well as in the surrounding territory is never totally overcome. Unlike the external 'obstacles' that the people of the world face and try to reduce or eliminate sin is never completely purged from the believer. In the believer's world his struggle with sin never ends while his body is on earth. The 'answer' to the challenge facing believers is to keep walking, that is, walking according to God's instructions. (Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 1:27; 2 Peter 1:10-11)

In the beginning of this meditation I used an analogy from the Olympics. It is an appropriate illustration to use here. The character of the 'arena' that skaters do their stuff in is not the same as a race track, a basketball court or a boxing ring. In the same way the 'world' of unbelievers does not have the same character as the world of believers has. As the settings in which believers live differ from the setting in which unbelievers live so also does the kind of activity that takes place in those different arenas or settings.

What is going on in the arena or 'world' that believers have been put in? A contest between contestants is like what goes on in a boxing ring. What is going on in the believer's arena or 'world' is a contest between believers and 'persons' who deliberately oppose them. One way the character or flavor of what is going on is revealed is by the terms the Bible uses to describe what is going on. Those terms are 'race', 'struggle', 'fight', 'war'

In the Bible believers are told , "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) The apostle Paul says, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:24) The Bible says to believers in or around Ephesus, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) The Bible says, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 12:4) In the apostle Paul's last letter before his death he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

All the terms 'struggle', 'race', 'fight', 'war' indicate (or used to indicate) the presence of opposing parties. All the terms give the correct impression that effort is required to stand up to willful, purposeful, deliberate opposition. The opposition is not just inanimate obstacles like so many stones in the road of life. In the world that unbelievers live in the obstacles to the good life are such things as disease or poverty or hunger. While things such as  disease, poverty, illiteracy, hunger are obstacles they are not opponents. Disease, poverty illiteracy, hunger, unemployment are things, are 'its'. Like stones in the road, 'its' have no purpose. 'Its' are not willful, friendly or hostile. In the world the believer travels through the opposition the believer faces is purposeful, deliberate and willful. In the Bible believers are told--"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9) "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11)

Another way the distinctive character of what the believer is going through on his journey is brought out by the fact that the journey lies entirely within hostile territory--the world of unbelief. The character of the journey might be compared to that of a traveler traveling through a territory controlled by robbers and bandits. Along the journey the warfare is constant. There is no time or occasion when the opposition (Ephesians 6:12) or its ideas are not closer than the traveler thinks. One truth that this comparison leaves out is that some of the opposition to the believers progress along the path of increasing holiness comes from within, not only from without. (Romans 7:23; 1 Peter 2:11; Colossians 3:5; James 4:1, etc.) The hostile territory that the believer's journey goes through is not now and never will be a godly 'garden' of tranquility and holiness. No amount of 'smoothing', no amount of lessening of obstacles or removing impediments, will ever make the world of unbelievers unhostile or good or holy. Such a transformation of the unholy world is no more possible than human beings turning into non-air-breathing creatures. The hostility of the world will always be there. Unbelievers, on the other hand, will never have to put up with hostility from their own kind.

The Bible tells us about the character of the world to which unbelievers belong. It tells us that the world is unholy. The Bible is very straight forward about the condition of the world. It says, "The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3:22; see also Romans 7:23) The truth about the world of unbelievers is stated bluntly in the book of Romans-- "The mind of sinful man is death, ... the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:6-8; see also Hebrews 11:6)

The condition of those who believe and the condition of the world of unbelievers is incompatible. The incompatibility of the believer's world and the unbeliever's world is permanent. The incompatibility cannot be wiped out, hidden, or disregarded. The Bible puts the question, "What do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  ... What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6:14,15) There is no middle ground between them. There is no place where righteousness can compromise with unrighteousness. What is pure ceases to be pure if it mixes with any impurity. The same way purity and impurity are mutually exclusive so are holiness and unholiness mutually exclusive. Whatever changes can be made on earth won't and can't alter the unholiness of the world.

Part of being unholy comes to expression in the attitude which an unholy world has toward holy standards. The Bible tells us how the unholy world of unbelievers views God's holy standards. The world's attitude toward believers in not one of indifference or grudging toleration. The world's basic (sometimes disguised) reaction to holy people is strongly negative.

The Bible itself illustrated this strong hostile response of the world, this strong response of the unrighteous to the righteous. The illustration and first example of this attitude in history is found in the very first generation after Adam and Eve, in the sons of Adam. "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother (Abel). And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you." (1 John 3:12-13) The Bible talks about the response of the world to the coming of Jesus Christ. "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:19-20)

Jesus said plainly "it (the world) hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. If the world hates you," Jesus said to his disciples, "keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19; see also Matthew 5:11-12) In Jesus' own prayer to the Father in heaven he said this again, "I have given them (his disciples) your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17:14-16)

No, the journey that believers are on goes through a world that is not tolerant or indifferent but is unquestionably and permanently hostile.

The unchangeable condition of the world in which unbelievers currently live --being unholy, sinful, under the control of sin--dictates how believers must relate to it. Believers are not to compromise with the world in any way. They are not to adopt or retain its ways. Progress in holiness requires disassociation from the world which will never be transformed.

The apostle Paul said to believers --"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) Believers are told, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:15-16) And again, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

There is no neutral territory, no middle ground between the unholy world and the holy world. You can't have a foot in each world. The Bible puts it this way--"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

The apostle Paul told believers the facts of life, their life--"You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret." (Ephesians 5:8-12) In another letter the apostle expresses God commands in these words--"So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Romans 13:12-14)

Believers are to recognize the distinction between the two worlds--"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." (2 Corinthians 6:17) "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

Because the environment or territory that the believer's journey goes through is unholy, won't cease to be ungodly, and is hostile one of the challenges facing the believer is to finish the journey which means to live in the world as commanded by God--as the light of the world, doing good-- but at the same time to remain blameless, that is, unstained, uncorrupted, uncontaminated, unspotted by it--"hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 23)  "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this (the home of righteousness), make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (God)." (2 Peter 3:14; see also 1 Timothy 6:14) "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1) Doing this throughout our life is not automatic response like breathing but requires unceasing conscious effort. "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13) 'Armor', 'a fight', 'a war', 'a struggle' are terms which accurately describes the character of the believer's journey while on earth. On the other hand, the journey of unbelievers involves no struggle against a hostile world, against a hostile environment, against deliberate and willful opposition from the very world they live in.

Yes, there are different 'worlds' or 'arenas'. One day the world that unbelievers are living in now will cease to exist. Do you believer remember that you not a citizen of that world but have been made a citizen of another world? (Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:13) "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." (2 Peter 3:10-12)

(If you appreciate what you read here please tell your friends about this URL and sign my guest book on the homepage. Also, if, as you read any of the meditations, you feel you know of a situation that beautifully illustrates any of the points made I would be delighted to learn of it. I might incorporate it.)  mailto:camppp21355@comcast.net

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