I have been reading a book by a Chinese pastor named Watchman Nee entitled Love Not the World.
His primary purpose in the book is to expound upon 1 John 2:15-17, which says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
World here does not refer to people who inhabit the earth, but to the organized system of thoughts, impulses, philosophies, and worldviews that lie under the sway of Satan at the present time in history that are hostile and antagonistic toward God, His people, and the advance of the gospel.
Here are a couple of quotable insights from my reading.
“The church glorifies God, not by getting out of the world, but by radiating his light in it”
“If our life is the life of men, we are swayed by the world. If it is the life of the spirit, it is unmoved by worldly pressures.”
We, as Christians, have been called to live lives of distinction within a world system that hates Jesus. We have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Because of who we are in Christ, we are salt and light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We must be careful that this call to distinctiveness does not become a judgmental mentality that screams to those who are caught up and ensnared in the world, “we are better than you.” By living lives of distinctiveness, we desire to influence and impact those points of the world system we come in contact with by radiating the light of the gospel at that point wherever we are.
We come in contact with the world system daily; that is not optional. Our response to the pressure placed upon us as Christians is determined by the “life of the Spirit” within us.
What kind of pressures is the world system placing upon you right now? In what ways can we cultivate the life of the Spirit so that we might not give in to the pressure?
Godspeed to us all as we live as sojourners and pilgrims on this earth making an impact for the gospel!
In the Grip of His Grace,
Pastor Michael
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