Kingdom of God #1

The Scriptures remind us of our other worldliness.  Once we become followers of Christ our citizenship changes--we become citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20,21).  Scripture refers to us as aliens and strangers in the world (1 Pet 2:11,12).  We are admonished to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (Rom 12:2).  In fact, we are not to love the world or anything in the world (1 John 2:15-17) because friendship with the world is hatred toward God (James 4:6).  The marks of new citizenship include a new lifestyle (Tit 2:11-14) and a new set of values referred to as the fruit of the Spirit and that reflect the heart of God (Gal 5:22-24).

So, what is meant by "the world?"  To what world does the Scriptures cited refer?  Surely, the physical world is a creation of God burdened by the weight of sin and awaiting a facelift.  If not the physical world then what? 

The moral world -- the following was excerpted from The Evangelical Dictionary of Bblical Theology...

The moral world includes people indifferent or hostile to God, the God-hostile environment generally, and in the widest sense, corruption and evil summed up under the general term "the world." If the people of the world can be spoken of as "the world" in a neutral sense, "the world" can also refer to the subclass of indifferent and hostile people who reject God and his ways. Before the flood nearly all the people of the world became corrupt (Gen 6:11). In Jesus' time the world hated him () and will hate his followers (John 15:18-19). The world, ungodly people, cannot receive the things of God (John 14:17,22; 16:8-9; cf. 1 John 3:1) and is not even worthy of the people of faith who live among them (Heb 11:38).

In the New Testament the world also appears as a hostile environment. Because of the hatred of the world's people, the Son asks the Father to protect his followers rather than remove them from their alien surroundings (John 17:14-16). Paul expresses his indifference to the world by saying he "is crucified" as far as the world is concerned (Gal 6:14). Seven times in 1 Cor 1-3 Paul refers to the world's ignorance of God and its powerlessness to find him without the cross of Christ.

Because of the world's hostility to God, it is full of corruption (2 Peter 1:4) and stands as a symbol of corruption. One cannot be friendly with the evil world and love God at the same time (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). Believers by their faith must "overcome the world" (1 John 5:4-5), killing whatever belongs to their "earthly nature" (Col 3:5) and denying "worldly passions" (Titus 2:12).

The question we must ask ourselves is to whom do we owe our allegiance?  Where does our citizenship reside?  Do we have dual citizenship? 

As I look at the world I see evil increasing at an alarming rate...more about this later.

 

Comments

[Ron Harter]

I agree, to many (most) believers do not recognize the dangers of this world, of falling in love with what it offers. Satan has spun his web so well that most believe it's not that bad or everything will get back to normal.

I feel the closer you walk with God, the more you search for a Christ centered life, the more the Holy Spirit reveals the dangerous times in witch we live. I hear too many believers say "ya they been saying that for years now" Yes sir since 1948' our entire life for most. Let's not fall asleep in doing good, but post a watchman and press on knowing the time is short.

Thanks Greg
R. Harter