In the world?

I have been meditating on this for a while and I still believe I have much to learn about this, I do believe that the Lord has given me some thoughts to share on this, mainly in one area.

There are many today, I used to be one of them, who will not go certain places, or will be wary of allowing themselves to be exposed to certain things because they don't want to become defiled, or to be tempted. I don't know if that is the exact terms that they would use or if that is the way they would state things but, I believe I have the gist of it down. Again, I used to be one of them so, I believe I know the heart of it. Ultimately, this really sounds good. We want to be pure, we want to have our thoughts captive on Christ and not on the things of the world and if we can remove ourselves from the temptation then we are ultimately victorious in this area. Right? Wrong! This really is a handy trick of the devil. Consider the following verses;

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

So, based on what Jesus is saying, we can see that first of all He was not praying that we would be taken out of the world (yes, I know that the prayer wasn't directed at US yet but, He does pray that we ALL may be one, even as He and His Father are one...) but that the Father would keep us from the evil. He then boldly states that they (we too) are not of the world, EVEN AS HE IS NOT OF THE WORLD. If we are not of the world then why would it be an attraction to us? It shouldn't be.

He then goes on to pray for our sanctification and then desires that we would be sent out into the world. And it is in this verse 18, that I believe we come into most of the conflict with the philosophy described above (yes, philosophy, not theology: the one is man's reasoning the other is God's reasoning). You see, Jesus wasn't worried about us being in the world, His desire was for us to be sanctified, set apart in all manner of thinking, affection and action, i.e. that our conversation, our life and behavior, would be something that would be glorifying to Him at all times.

So, with all that being said, we shouldn't be worried when we go to the grocery store and there are magazines with half-naked women on them unless we aren't walking in the Spirit. We shouldn't be worried about being in a place where there is bad music on unless we are not walking in the Spirit. We shouldn't be afraid to go to the beach because people are going to be immodest there. My goodness, how in the world do you ever expect to witness to young women today unless you can walk in the Spirit and learn to deny your flesh. Are you going to put on blinders every time you walk out the door, and then put on earmuffs because you realize that isn't enough. How about this then, are you then going to eliminate the smelling from your nose so that you can't smell the food that you so enjoy? Where does it end. Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere so that you don't see anyone, don't hear from anyone, don't talk to anyone because they might affect you adversely.

You may find what I am about to say somewhat hard but since I really don't believe anyone reads this anyway I am going to write it. Can you imagine if Jesus wasn't walking in the Spirit, having a woman sit there and wash his feet with tears and then dry them with her hair. Many would say that to touch a woman is sin according to 1 Corinthians 7:1 and to think that Jesus was sitting there allowing her to wash His feet with her tears and dry His feet with her hair. There was obviously physical contact going on here. Let me ask honestly, would you be as the Pharisee that was sitting there, saying "if Jesus knew who that woman was" or would we say something like this "if Jesus knew that the Scripture says....". Either way, we are in the same boat.

So what is the difference, why is it that we are not like our Saviour Jesus Christ so often? I believe it is because we miss His heart. Jesus saw her as a soul and His love was perfect towards her in that His one and only desire towards her was that of reconciliation. Shouldn't that be our heart as well? If that is our heart, can't it allow us to overcome the temptations of this world and allow us to go out into it and be salt and light to those that are in need?

You see, we can't walk around with the idea of touch not, taste not, handle not...

Colossians 2:20-23 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

The world will never see Christ in all that. He didn't resurrect a people to go off and hide in the desert, He resurrected a people to be a mighty army, a city that can be set on a hill, a fountain for people to come to and drink.

Am I off in what I am saying? Please let me know if you think so. If not then consider what I am sharing.

May the Lord bless you!

David