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Living The Christian Life
The Christian Facing The world
1. Definition
2. The nature of the world
3. Characteristic of the world
4. The Christian facing the world
1. Definition
In Scripture, the word "world" is used in various meanings:
1. the material world, the universe created by God ( Acts 17:24 ; Ro 1:20 ; Jn 17: 5 );
2. the earth with its inhabitants ( Mt 24:14 ; Ro 10:18 );
3. all of humanity, the human race ( Jn 3: 16-17 ; Jn 6:33 , Jn 6:51 ; Ro 5:12 ; 2 Cor 5:19 ; 1 Jn 2: 2 );
4a. all of those who are far from God and live in sin, profane society in contrast to the "people of God";
4b. the state of mind, the aspirations, the values, the way of living and acting specific to those who are far from God. ( 1 Jn 2: 15-17 ; Ja 4: 4 ; 1 Jn 4: 4-5 ; 1 Jn 5:19 ; 1 Cor 6: 2 ; Hey 11: 7 )
The object of this lesson is to study what the world is within the meaning of this last definition, point 4.
2. The nature of the world
a) The Greek term " kosmos " which the Bible always uses to indicate the world in the sense studied here, contains the idea of structure, system, organization. The world is the organization of humanity according to the principles of Satan, a system built on pride, selfishness, lies, violence, lust, greed, license ( Eph 2: 1-3 ) .
To act according to one of these principles is to be animated by the spirit of the world. More generally, everything that transgresses the law and the will of God comes from the world ( 2 Ti 3: 2-5 ; Ro 1: 28-31 ).
b) The world is not above all a particular place, a defined activity, or a precise object, but it is first of all a way of thinking and living.
An activity that looks good can also be done in the spirit of the world. For example, the tax collector and the Pharisee in the parable of Lu 18: 9-14 both pray. Yet the Pharisee, satisfied not to be "like the rest of men", shows by his pride that he acts in the mind of the world.
c) Regarding actions or values about which the Word of God is not explicit, it is not enough to consider them in themselves. You have to analyze the spirit in which they are practiced or sought. For example:
• wine (good use in 1 Ti 5:23 ; bad use in Ge 19: 33-36 ; 1 Cor 11:21 );
• fortune (good in 1 K 3: 11-13 ; bad in 1 Ti 6:10 );
• money (good use in 2 Co 8: 2-4 ; bad use in Ac 5: 1-4 );
• sexuality (good in Ge 1:28 ; bad in 2 S 11: 2-5 ).
3. Characteristics of the world
The world
• does not know God ( 1 Jn 3: 1 ; Jn 17:25 ; Jn 16: 3 );
• does not receive the Son of God ( Jn 1:11 );
• receives false prophets ( 1 Jn 4: 1 , 1 Jn 4: 5 );
• is enslaved to Satan ( 1 Jn 5:19 ; Jn 14:30 ; 2 Cor 4: 4 );
• is an enemy of God ( Ja 4: 4 ; cf. Col 1:21 ; Ro 5:10 ) and of Christians ( 1 Jn 3:13 ; Jn 15:19 );
• is transient ( 1 Jn 2:17 ) and dedicated to the judgment of God ( Acts 17:31 ; 1 Cor 11: 32b ).
The world is therefore foreign to the life of God and finds itself in error on the spiritual and moral plane ( Eph 4: 17-18 ).
4. The Christian facing the world
The world seeks to seduce the Christian by his prestige, his charm and his facilities (cf. Heb 3: 13b ; Col 2: 8 ).
a) God calls the Christian to observe a line of conduct:
• refrain from conforming to or associating with the practices of the world and its spirit ( Ro 12: 2 ; Ep 5: 3-7 ; Tit 2:12 );
• to protect oneself from the defilements of the world ( Ja 1:27 ) by refusing to yield to worldly lusts ( 1 Pi 1: 14-16 ; cf. Ja 1: 14-15 ) and by resisting temptation ( Ja 4: 7 ; 1 Pi 5: 8-9 ).
God sums up this attitude towards the world with an expression: "Do not love the world" ( 1 Jn 2: 15-16 ; Ja 4: 4 ; Col 3: 2 ).
b) Believers have a positive role to play in the world:
• by being sources of light that present the truth and, at the same time, highlight sin ( Mt 5: 14-16 ; Phil 2:15 ; Eph 5: 8-9 );
• having a life that reflects submission to God and the search for what pleases him ( 1 Pi 2: 11-12 ; Eph 5: 1 );
• opposing corruption ( Mt 5:13 ; Ep 5: 11b );
• by showing wisdom in an immoral and materialistic society ( Ep 5:15 ; Tit 2: 11-12 ).
c) God did not see fit to remove the believers from the world, to thereby remove them from his influence, but He wants to preserve them from evil ( Jn 17:15 ; cf. 1 Cor 5:10 ). Thus believers live in a society foreign to God without imitating its attitude and practices; they are in the world but not in the world ( Jn 17:16 ).
The Lord having overcome the world ( Jn 16:33 , Jn 16:11 ), he gives his children the ability to overcome the world in turn if they trust in Him ( 1 Jn 5: 3-5 ). The discovery of the love of God and of the riches it offers to believers is a safeguard for the Christian by preserving him from the attractions of the world (cf. Heb 12: 1-2 ; litt .: "looking away from Jesus " ).