Between the Master and the World!
The ‘world’ that
is around us is Satan’s arm to influence the hearts and lives of people. He is
the lord of the ‘world’ (Luke 4:7; 2 Corinthians 4:4) and works to portray his
enmity to God and all God’s people. He wants to control the lives of God’s
children and influence them to live in a worldly manner. He uses his entire
arsenal to enslave us so that we would no longer create any spiritual impact in
his world for God. He uses the same techniques against us which he once used
against our Master (Luke 4:1-13). So let’s beware, lest he defeats us,
neutralizes our testimonies and tarnishes our Christ-like image.
The ‘world’ is a systemic entity that exists in the
hearts, minds, paradigms, patterns, priorities, likes, dislikes, philosophies,
goals, aspirations, strategies and programs of the natural man who lives on the
face of the earth. It spreads over all the political, economic, psycho-social,
biological, educational, technological, commercial and religious arenas of
human life and activity in covert and overt manner. It penetrates into all human
thinking and decision making. Its outward expression is reflected in materialism.
Its focus is on the temporal. Its ultimate objective is destruction of the soul.
It sells ‘free’ tickets for the vanity fair, but hides the fact that there is
no exit once you enter.
In the world, but not of the
world!
It is interesting
to note that God has placed His children in the world controlled by Satan. God wants
them to here to testify to His power and victory He grants His children over
Satan and his world. Our place in the world is portrayed in the Bible in three
distinct ways. They are:
1.
The Christian is from the world, but he is not
of the world (John 17: 6, 14 & 16)
2.
The Christian is taken out of the world, but is kept
in the world to represent God (John 17: 18)
3.
The Christian is in the world, but is separated
from the world (2 Timothy 4:10, James 1:27, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John
4:5 & 17)
This world with its systems is a comprehensive way
of thinking, attitude and action promoted and controlled by Satan. Its corrupt
system of iniquity is portrayed by Satan’s very character. It is reflected through
rebellion, corrupt values, sinful cravings, filthy culture, ungodly traditions,
destructive reforms, hypocritical religiosities, secular humanism, ambitious business
ideologies, self-righteous social actions and moral degradation.
The world system uses all its tactics to tempt
Christian disciples to its parlors. It makes its temporal reward systems so
attractive as to manipulate the disciple to drift away from the narrow way
which is the way of the cross (Matthew 16:24). It tries to attract the disciple
to enjoy life of both worlds, just as it tempted Gehazi, Achen, Demas, Judas
Iscariot, Cain and Balaam and eventually destroyed their lives. Today the world
and Satan strive to capture God’s children of all age groups, and most
especially the young disciples.
Claims: Christ’s or the world’s!
The claims of Christ on the life of a disciple are an
indicator of his love for the Master (John 21:15). The cross of Christ demands from
the disciple all that he is and has. He is challenged to forsake all to follow
the Lord Jesus who forsook all in Heaven to come down to this earth to die for him
(Luke 14:25-35). A true disciple’s loyalty is primarily and ultimately to Jesus
Christ, His cross and His kingdom. Naturally then the disciple can no longer be
loyal to this ‘world’ which is inimical to Christ. The disciple is challenged
to show his love to Jesus Christ by making Him the highest priority in life. So
he rejects bluntly and boldly all the approaches and styles of the world which
come from Satan, its lord.
It is the affinity a person has for the world and
its materialistic realm that is called the ‘love of the world’. The disciple is
mandated to prove with his life how he rejects the love for the world (James
4:4). The ‘world’ will always try to lure him to itself by offering to make him
rich, popular, prominent and prestigious. But it would be utterly impossible
for the true disciple to live in love with the world and what if offers. He would
be ever careful to keep away from all subtle ways of the world to make him love
the world. He would refuse to drink from its mirages and broken cisterns or eat
at its gourmets which would make him spiritually sick. The true disciple would have
no desire for the entertainment and intellectualism that the world offers. The
world’s rewards are what it gives us after draining us of all our energies to
promote its own cause through employment or business. But the cross of Christ
demands that these energies ought to be used for the Lord and His cause so that
we can receive our rewards in Heaven.
The true disciple recognizes the tactics used by the
world to lure him into its pathways. He will have to develop the spiritual
capacity to keep away from the world’s strategies to take him away from the narrow
path of discipleship. He resents world’s attractions which try to work through
his five senses to slowly, but steadily make him its slave. The powerful
persuasions of the world mesmerize the disciple to control his thoughts,
aspirations and priorities after the temporal glories the world offers. He resists
these influences of the world in the power of the Spirit of God. He prays to God to reveal to his heart the deceptions
of worldliness that try to creep into his life. God will then give him the
grace to distinguish between the spiritual and the carnal, the temporal and the
eternal, the earthly and heavenly and the worldly and supernatural.
Tough Choices
The disciple
makes cardinal choices which will portray him as the true follower of Jesus
Christ. It takes several challenging forms.
a.
He blatantly disregards the fear and
apprehension that the world will call him a ‘religious fanatic’ and a person of
‘strange character’ because he rejects the intelligent and profitable avenues
the world offers to get riches, recognition, popularity, prominence and
prestige.
b.
He resists the temptation to live for the world’s
opinions, traditions, public recognition and appreciation at any cost.
c.
He willingly suffers rejection, loss, reproach
and ridicule from the world for resenting opportunities to get the world’s
acceptance.
d.
He bluntly refuses to be controlled with
materialistic and filthy lucre, but deliberately chooses to live by faith, believing
that his Master will meet all his needs.
e.
He will not give the world opportunity to claim
that it made him rich, but live contended with what God gives him daily.
f.
He is unwilling to follow the philosophies and
strategies of the successful people of this world, but instead live as a fool
of Jesus Christ, never wanting worldly success and prosperity.
g.
He refuses to go after the attractions of the
vanity fair to quench his inner cravings, but solely lean on the Spirit of God
to satisfy his every craving.
h.
He has no desire for public praise from the
world, but craves to live in humility and brokenness.
i.
He uses all his treasures, talents and time for the
cause of Christ.
j.
He does nothing to promote his self-esteem or be
a smart person.
k.
He has no craving for the comforts and luxuries
of the world, and willingly chooses to live in austerity.
l.
It suffices him to have sufficient to eat and
drink and purposely keeps away from amassing wealth for a bright future.
m.
He rejects the world’s avenues to pamper the
self through rest, leisure and pleasure.
n.
He deliberately chooses a lifestyle to deny
himself of all that the self can rightfully enjoy in this world.
A Revolutionary Life
A disciple values everything
in this world on the basis of the claims of Christ on him. He will boldly
follow his spiritual vision about his Master and live to follow His example. His
allegiance is to the Master for whom he is ready to forsake all that he has
including his life. He is no fool to hold on to what he is sure to lose in this
world. He is keen to hold on to what he will never lose in the other world. He
considers the world as his foe even when it appears in friendly attire with
luring smiles. He takes a public stand against the world with spiritual
boldness. He is an example to other believers as a true disciple of the Master
(1 Timothy 4:12). The claims of Christ demand a revolutionary life and
lifestyle from him to please the Master and none else.
