We are Not of This World
I have given them 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.
John 17:14
Christ was praying for his apostles when he said, “they are not of the world.” The apostles were hated by the Roman government and the Pharisees, and they were all martyred except for the apostle John who was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. Christ was praying that the Father would protect their eternal souls. How are we protected by living in this world yet being not of the world?
Although we exist in this world, we live in the kingdom. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) If the Kingdom of God is within us, how do we live in the Kingdom? We take our soul into the Kingdom when we take our thoughts towards God. We do this when we pray, read his Word, fellowship with other Christians, and serve him. The goal is to be controlled by the Lord and not to be controlled by the world. This is freedom, trusting the Lord to control our lives as his servant, knowing we are ambassadors for Christ. It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) We are no longer in bondage to the world, but we are free in Christ, living as God’s servant under his sovereign control of the world.
How do we reach this state of freedom in Christ, putting God in control of our life and fully trusting him for the outcome of all events in our lives? We step out in faith with an attitude in our hearts that God is in control and we are his servants. We expect the Lord to guide us through life, to help us to make wise decisions, and help to realize that our responsibility is to obey his perfect will. This is how God wants us to live, fully trusting him, giving him control as he guides us through life.
We seek to obey the Lord’s will through the power of the Spirit, and for the first time in our lives we are in control and free, the world no longer has direct control of us. We capture every thought and emotion and we take it to the Lord as he guides us to make wise decisions. This is the faith that pleases God and faith opens God’s heart to fill us with his love and blessings.
We are now eternally minded and heaven is our home; this world is not our home. We live in this world for a short time and our purpose is to point lost souls toward Christ. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) We are now free to enjoy the world as God intended because we are filled with love, peace, and joy from the Spirit.
We are not of this world we live in the kingdom of God, ministering to the world as God’s servants. God is our master and he promises to care for us as we live in obedience to his perfect will. Our love for God and his love for us, leads us to trust him with our lives. This pleases God and he promises to protect our soul for eternity and provide for our worldly needs. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Today, live in the kingdom knowing this world is not your final home, but rather a temporary resident where you are living as Christ’s ambassador. This will free you from the world because you trust God to lead you through every event, knowing the outcome is in his hands. We no longer attempt to take control, but trust God to control things and he guides us as his servants. Meditate on this; and understand the freedom and experience the better outcomes when God is in control.
Prayer: Lord thank you for your perfect love and for guiding me through life. Thank you for taking the responsibility of caring for me and my life. Help me to surrender to your love and walk in obedience to your perfect will. Just as Christ lived for your will, teach me to live for Christ’s will. In Jesus name, Amen