What does it mean to be in the world and not of it? We obviously reside in the world. But what does it mean to not be of it? When the Bible talks about the world, it is talking about a separate culture than God's. For example, if you are American and you are on vacation in Scotland. You are 'in' Scotland but not 'of' it. You drive on the right side of the road, the Scottish drive on the left. You have a way of thinking, others have a completely different way of thinking. In the same way believers are 'in' this world but are not 'of' its culture. The world culture believes certain things that God does not condone in his culture. God's culture worships God alone. The world culture worships false gods or idols such as self, fame, money, and power.
Believers get into trouble when they have little knowledge of their own culture and mix God's culture with the world's culture. Many times it happens without the knowledge of the believer. The Gospel becomes watered down when it is mixed with world philosophies like Humanism and Pragmatism. The way to guard against this is knowing what God's culture is. For example, what philosophy will a church use in determining how well they are doing? Which one of the following philosophies are of God, the world or are a combination of both? Should a church's well being be determined by attendance growth? Or good reputation? Offering size? How many people get saved? Growth of individuals? Or retention of its members? If an individual is unfamiliar with the pure unadulterated culture of God, then world philosophies will seep in. Spiritual maturity shines light on the differences between the two cultures.
What does it mean to be in the world and not of it? Each believer is a citizen of God's nation. God's nation has a culture. We retain that culture no matter where we are. We retain God's culture while we reside in the world's culture.
Interact with Scripture/QuestionsRead 1 John 2:15-17. What should our response to the world culture be?
Read Col. 2:8.
What is the Bible warning us against?
Read 1 Cor. 3:1-3, Eph 4:14.
What is the link between spiritual infancy and worldliness?
How might you be mixing world culture and philosophies with God's culture?
What is God teaching about himself in these passages?
Prayer: Ask God to help you find and weed out the worldly thinking that has snuck into your mind.
Scripture References1JN 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
COL 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
1CO 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. [2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. [3] You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? [4] For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
EPH 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
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