|
Home
Archive
October
September
August
Comments
and/or Questions
|
Tuesday, October
7, 2008
Out Of This World
James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To
day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year,
and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on
the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for
a little time, and then vanisheth away. (15) For that ye ought to say, If
the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (KJV)
The Bible tells us that whatsoever is not
of faith is sin, so anytime we start charting our own course, going in a
direction the Lord is not leading us, the result is sin, which if continued
in will lead to death, separation from God. Yes it is important for those
of you who are working to provide for a family, and maybe you have a
business to run to make sure it is successful, but with anything we do
there is a just weight and balance, keeping your priority with the Lord
first and foremost. Some people base their success on how much they make
and how big they can get, rather than knowing where the Lord would have
them to operate, and being content with that. Again remember, this world,
this fallen realm is described as temporal, or temporary is another way of
putting it, because the most important realm is the Spiritual one which is
eternal, the one that lasts for eternity with the Lord.
1 John 2:13-17 I write unto you, fathers,
because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you,
young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you,
little children, because ye have known the Father. (14) I have written unto
you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have
written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God
abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (15) Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away,
and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (KJV)
Do you know how these people were able to
be strong in the Lord, as well as overcomers, which when you read the first
few chapters of Revelation we see it is a requirement in order to maintain
a healthy spiritual relationship with the Lord? Their love for the Lord far
exceeded their love for the things of this world. They became rooted and
grounded in the truth knowing that this world is passing away and that by
doing the will of God they could abide with Him forever. When you look
around at this fallen realm, do you realize that we are in this world but
not of it, or is your pursuit solely on the things of this realm that will
never bring peace or contentment? Are the things you are thinking on today,
right now, eternal or temporal; which one has the most influence on you,
because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he?
1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of
man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof
falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is
the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (KJV)
The word of God will endure forever, and
so will those that hold fast to their profession of faith, without wavering
and getting entangled in the affairs of this life. As Peter describes our
short time here, like a flower it blooms for season and then it is done, it
withers and falls away. Many Christians are like that as well, they bloom
for a season with the Lord and then wither away because their love for Him
is drowned out by the love of this world and the things of it.
2 Peter 3:12-14 Looking for and hasting
unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall
be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless
we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness. (14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for
such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without
spot, and blameless. (KJV)
Once you put your hand to the plow it is
important to look ahead and not behind. If you knew your house was going to
be burned down you wouldn’t stay there, but rather you would get out before
it happened. The Lord has made a way of escape as well for His people so
that we could escape this present evil world and look forward to a new one.
So with this in mind, why would you run back to a house that is about to be
dissolved; and what is it that you thought was more important than your
eternal life? Would you keep working on an old house that was going to be
burned to the ground, or would you begin working on a new one that was
promised to you?
Colossians 1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light: (13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (14) In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (KJV)
You know, if you pulled someone out of a
building that was about to be burned you would think they would be grateful
to you for saving their life. Yet with this in mind, how it must pain the
Lord to provide deliverance from this present evil world for His people
only to see them jump back in. This is in essence what the writers have
been referring to when differentiating between the realm of the Spirit and
those that choose the realm of the flesh.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is
not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom
not from hence. (KJV)
The Lord does ask us to fight, but not
with this world or the people of it, but rather fight the good fight of
faith, hearing His message and holding fast to it, like a life line. The
reason our Lord was able to live a life without sin is because He didn’t
entangle Himself with the affairs of this life, but rather humbled Himself
and became obedient, even to the point of dying on the cross. The kingdom
of God is not of this world, so quit looking in the fallen realm to find
peace and contentment when the only true peace comes from above. So again,
what has the most influence on you today, and what is it you are trying to
accomplish, pleasing yourself or God?
1 Peter 4:7-8 But the end of all things
is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (8) And above all
things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the
multitude of sins. (KJV)
We are much closer to the end, which is
also a new beginning; the end of this temporal realm and the beginning of
the eternal realm. Where your treasure is there will be your heart also. So
the question today is, ‘which love has the most influence today; a love for
God, or the love of this fallen world which is passing away (and so will those
that hold to it)?’
|
