Growing In Christ

Chapter 1 THE WORLD

Wickedness of the world comes from the god of it:

This is a world that is ruled by the enemy, Satan (John 12:31, John 16:11). It is also a world roamed by the adversary, Satan (1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12). Have you ever wondered why there is so much wickedness in this world? Or why there is so much open sin, with less and less of God being put out there? When you have a world whose god is Satan, and a world where he roams then no wonder! No wonder what's 'cool' to this world is things that aren't godly. No wonder it's 'cool' to put someone down instead of encourage them in godliness. No wonder it's 'cool' to think you're better than someone instead of seeing them as equal to you because you both have a heart. No wonder it makes you 'cool' to make bad, wicked and evil decisions to fit into the popular trends of the world. Lastly, no wonder it makes a person annoying or totally weird to talk about Jesus, but makes them fit in to talk about or be involved with fortune/fame, or what's cool to this world.

Satan is wicked, and evil, therefore, anyone who follows him, meaning imitates him is also wicked and evil. For the Holy Bible to call Satan the god of this world is some strong terminology indeed! Your actions and convictions depict whom your God is and whom you follow/imitate. Lucifer had became filled with pride, or inequity, thus causing his fall from grace. With him being the god of this world, then it's no wonder that this world imitates after its wicked father...

Spiritually speaking, opposites do not attract:

Jesus even said that "you will be hated, persecuted, and even killed for My Names sake" (Matthew 24:9). Jesus was different from this world. He was light and truth that came into a dark and lying world. Therefore good hates evil, and evil hates good. It is also written that a friend to the world is an enemy to God (James 4:4). The Holy Bible also calls the devil the father of all lies (John 8:44).

The devil roams in this world and easily deceives those who do not belong to God through Christ, and even us saints at times if we aren't careful! Though nobody is perfect, not me, nor you, he still roams about, deceiving whom God will allow him to. In this world, we see many lost, deceived souls. Many souls who have been lied to by Satan. It's a war going on between good and evil, and Satan surely has not let up in his attacks through his own toward us who belong to God.

Have you ever wondered why we're so strongly hated? It's because we're different! In contrast to the world, we have LOVE in our hearts, where they have HATRED. It's no wonder, that Satan uses his own to attack us, believers, and even his demons against us, because that's his nature- hatred.

Stealthy thief of this world:

Satan is a stealthy thief. Did you know that? He comes not but to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Think about a stealthy thief- if someone breaks into your home and desires to take things 'stealthily', then they probably aren't going to scream out their name and what they want. This is how the devil is, he doesn't want this world to know it's him who has broken into it, causing it much heartache, trouble, and tribulation. He doesn't want the people of the world to know that it's him confusing them. That it's him who causes them to hate Christians, and cause division, and promote sin. Otherwise he is busted and his cover is blown! If only the people of this world knew they were following Satan then maybe they'd repent, and turn to God!

That's why we see so much wickedness, corruption, and sin in this world, more than we see God or godly morals being promoted! It's because those who know not Christ, know not truth, and are very easily deceived into being confused to believe that all of this is OK. That that's who they truly are, is a wicked person, but that it's all OK. Satan is a stealthy thief to this world.

Coming out of the system and ways of this world:

When I say the 'system of this world' I mean it's ways! It's wicked, evil ways. The only way to come out of it is to be plucked from it spiritually, to be SAVED! Light exposes true character (Ephesians 5:13). None of us truly know true love, true joy, or true peace until we come to know Jesus. Once we know Jesus through our belief in Him, then we are no longer of this lying, wicked, deceived world. Once you know Jesus, your heart then belongs to God. Your heart also then begins to recognize or discern when something is not right. It's great to know that, spiritually, you're no longer of this world. It's better to stick out than to fit in. Look at Jesus, He was beaten, hated, even spit on because of Who He was. What this world has is a spiritual problem, not a physical problem. Don't be ashamed to be different from this world. Be honored to be uniquely different! How will others notice you if you're camouflaged into this world? How will others come to know Jesus through you if there is no Jesus in you? In a good way, stick out! You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Therefore, you were made to be uniquely different in your own good way! Whether people will admit it or not, we all desire love, friendship, and peace. Become what you desire that is real and true instead of what this world feeds you as a lie. Then you will stick out as not of this world, and will make a huge impact other than staying camouflaged into the world and never achieving what you desire spiritually or leading others to it. That's just this world from a spiritual view.

Physically, God created a beautiful earth. It doesn't take much to see the wonder in His creation. How can one look up at the stars at night, or the mountains in the winter, the flowers in the spring, or the oceans in the summer, or the trees & leaves in the fall and say there is no God? Physically, God created a beautiful earth, filled with many beautiful people and things for us to love and enjoy it with.

Being spiritually different demands spiritual battle:

It's always a spiritual battle when you are chosen by Christ and called by Him, and answer that call. When Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior, then you are no longer of this world spiritually. Jesus even said that if we had belonged to the world, then the world would love and welcome its own but because He chose us out from it then it hates us (John 15:19). If you belonged to this world spiritually, then it would welcome you with open arms because that's what this world is taught to love from its father, Satan. Your good difference to this world is what makes you authentic and unique. To this world, Satan portrays Christians, those with godly morals as the 'bad guys'. He will use his own to attack us. Yes, he will even convince them not to listen to, or be around us Christians because we aren't 'cool', because we do not 'fit in'. Satan gives us a hard time as believers because he hates us. It's his desire to use anything and anyone against us to ruin us.

To make it clear and simple, Satan believes he can overthrow God from His Throne, which is total error & heresy. That's his mission, also to seek, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). Believe it or not, it's not just us believers that he goes after. It's his desire or will that no man would ever be saved. To those of us who are saved, and have a relationship with God, then it's satans desire to rob us of that. To rob us of the blessings that come with having a relationship with God. This is why he attacks, and attacks relentlessly. To purposely steal from us, what he no longer has. We must be alert, and vigilant. We must be glued to Christ, and our faith anchored in Him, so that we shall not be easily moved.

The obvious enemy:

Romans 12:2King James Version (KJV)

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

As a Christian and firm believer in Jesus Christ, when I hear someone say the word 'enemy', my mind thinks of Satan, as obvious. But there is another obvious enemy to the Christian, and believer in Christ, that obvious enemy is the world. It is a big world, and if it sucks you into it, then its mighty hard to escape it. The world and its way are wicked, always have been, always will be. Why? Because Satan is the god of it. You may think the world is an ok place and that it's working for you, but no. Spiritually speaking, this world is evil, and is always working against you as an obvious enemy.

It's this worlds desire to manipulate your spiritual mind, into conforming to its ways. Be not like the world, nor love its ways. As they're always working against you as a believer. It's a goal of Satan to use this world as (another) enemy against you. But rather as a more appealing approach, in efforts to woo you away from God. Again, as Scripture says- Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Always being able to discern the world as one of your enemies...

Come out from among them and be ye separate:

2 Corinthians 6:17King James Version (KJV)

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

We are commanded to be separate from this world, because it's wicked and we're not. Find the good in you that is God, and let Him live through you, not just in you. Don't be afraid to not be of this world in a spiritual sense. For to us believers, we have eternal victory and eternal spiritual satisfaction unlike those of this world. So we ought to live godly and act accordingly.

This world, as in its system/ways of wickedness, has always been on its way straight to Hell. I would love to write that you, or I, can change the world, but we cannot ever change it as a whole. Being different from the world both in confession & action, however, will change a person of the world. It's been said, 'Be careful with this life you live, as you may be the only Holy Bible a person ever reads.' Oh how true! Therefore, we ought to come out from among the world, and be SEPARATE!!!