Just Curious
2007 December 10
Question…what does “In the world but not of it” mean to you?
If that is something you adhere to – how do you do it?
If you find it important or necessary then, why?
Check out great thoughts on this subject here.
43 Responses
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For some good scripture references and cross references go here
http://krislinatin.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/musings-on-do-not-love-the-world/
Thanks Kristina!
I am not of this world because I belong to heaven, but being in the world does not mean staying in my bubble that i am not any earthly good to anyone…I think it is critical to be part of other things, just to let your light shine and let the fragrance of knowing HIM spread! Just living out your faith out loud, in everyday things, is being in the world and not of it. Love ya! good thought process!
It’s hard to find that balence, in the world but not of it, but it’s essentual. Something I’ve really been struggling with lately is finding where I belong in life and last night as I was crying out to God I felt like he told me that I am not supposed to belong in this world, because I belong to another world, His, and I belong in His arms. Being in the world but not of it is like I exsist here, but my thoughts and my actions are focused on His thoughts and actions. I understand that what I do here is not for myself. I am only a servent. It’s like being double minded in a way. I have an earthly perspective of a heavenly mission. I fail, I mess up, but ultimatly I am working for someone else then the people in this world. I don’t know if this even makes sense, I’m still trying to figure this out myself. Love you.
I think it means not taking on the world’s culture, thier way of thinking, thier way of doing things. It is maintaining integrity when it isn’t populare. It is aligning with the Bible even when everyone else is alighing with Paris Hilton…
It is a reminder to me that we are not to desire the things of this world. They are fleeting and have no great importance but they are such a temptation.
YAY:) I can use Avalon lyrics here:)
Avalon – In Not Of Lyrics
I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside Him
Surely God would want His children safe
Then reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most
CHORUS
Come take the Light to darker parts
Share His truth with hardened hearts
We are not like the world but we can love it
Come bring the Hope to hopeless men
Until the lost are found in Him
He came to save the world
So let us be… in it, not of it
Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why we run and hide
Entertain a stranger
Maybe entertain an angel
The danger is if our worlds don’t collide
CHORUS
We’ve cursed the darkness far too long
We need to hold the candle high
We have to go and right the wrongs
We need to touch the world with love
With His love
Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why are we not in it
CHORUS 2X
Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
HI TAM!!!!!!!!!!!!
I miss you dearly…and I NEED your addy again…dad threw away the paper it was on, and I WILL have time to send it next week:)
How are you darling? LOVE YOU!!!
Be in touch soon:)
ang
wow Garments of Praise-you said that very well! I am so very much thinking along those lines too…hey I get it! cool huh?
Great feedback here today! Love the question Tam…I am doing my best to walk through this question on my own.
I find it so hard to have a good balance…I want to be in the world having an impact but not allowing myself to be changed by it. That seems to be the hard part…I do not want to live in a nice and tidy Christian sub-culture that creates a safe environment but is not making a difference.
This will be bouncing around my head all day today!
To me it means making every decision in my life as God would have it. I may screw it up but as long as I’m trying for God’s will in my life, than I’ living in God’s world and word–not man’s world.
It means I’m not here permanently. This isn’t my home.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24)
Who made the World and all things therein???
See that thou Love God and not what He made more than the maker!
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. 1John 2:15
So although God made the world and all that is therein we are not to Love any of it – any ‘thing’ or anyone ‘Above’ Him.
When we put something or someone (love them or love ’self’) of this earth in a place above that which is to be reserved for Him we commit grave error.
If we can be led into not doing or feeling or loving His Word or Loving Him foremost – even for a microsecond – we are then ‘loving the world’ and being ‘of’ it.
Do we love our children? our Car? our House? our Chocolate ( not chocolate surely???
) or anything in our earthly life for as much as a split second Above Him?
I think we do almost all the damn time if we are in any way truthful (‘Now’ is the merest slip of an instant in time – are we living In and Of Him ‘Now’? or are we of the earth ‘Now’ – how fast can we change? or change back again? do we even notice when we do?
This is the problem i believe we all face in this dilemma – Being in it but not ‘of’ it.
We all spend way too much time being tied down to and of it – because we have to take care of day to day ‘necessities’ and our loving families – like Christ told us to – right??
What did He say He did in that regard again? Who was he setting against whom?
Being totally and always true to Christ is NOT an easy life – not on earth anyways.
I do not know anyone who does it any more than very part-time.
The Truth – and Love – sometimes Hurts and Hurts bad.
I think He left us an ‘out’ though…
If only we could somehow Love the Spirit of Him that is inside all that He made and not the ‘thing’ itself – For the Spirit is most definitely of God and not of the thing.
Having said that… good old scripture raises it’s confusing head once more….
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
So there are good spirits and bad spirits and The Spirit – we just need to learn to discern between them and we should be ’set’
Good luck all.
love
“I think we do almost all the damn time if we are in any way truthful”
I know you don’t believe it, but I really, really like agreeing with you, Bob. And I really, really do.
The extremely challenging picture drawn in a matter of Church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul gets around to saying this:
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people– 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
He writes this in a fashion which seems to say, “and what’s the point of being slaves of Christ if you aren’t ministering and spreading the good news?”
I once heard John Piper say that he felt that the greatest lay persons in his church were much stronger in Christ than he was, in that, he is in churchland most the time whereas they are in the trenches most of the time and making real marks for Christ.
My husband wrote a post tonight that talks about this subject very well. He told the story of our, then 1st grader daughter, asking me why she was in a Christian School, “Who can I reach there Mom?” Excellent question!
We think we’re doing the right thing by sheltering ourselves. Wrong.
i so have thoughts on this from the greek words of not loving the world or anything in it…but i am about to pass out i am so tired
oh wow what awesome comments. Loving this discussion.
Being in this world but not of it…. First thing that comes to mind is that I am here for a purpose. and I am here to live out that purpose in my life set forth by God. That while I am here, I will not grow accustomed to the empty life that is part of this world. And my mission while I am in this world is to draw people that are of this world to HIM, who is waiting with a ready room and open arms for us where we belong, in HIS house, HIS world, an eternal world . My bags are packed and ready to go….
When we read the word “world” in the New Testament, it’s most of the time referring to the Greek word “cosmos”. It’s meaning people of the earth that functions apart from God. Several scriptures in John, show us that Satan is the ruler here…so when I think of living in a world system ruled by Satan, i can appreciate the scriptures that say we are no longer part of this world, ruled by sin, or bound by the rules of this world.
I do believe that we should be set apart, living a holy and righteous life. Not engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, or retain the corrupt mind that the world can create. Romans 12:1-2 says to conform ourselves, and minds to that of Jesus Christ. It takes a daily commitment, that’s for sure. We can enjoy the world, but not immerse ourselves in it…..worship of our Lord is our calling once we have commited to Him.
Before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I have to decide who and what I’m gonna live for. Then throughout the day I have to constantly watch myself for “flesh” attacks. There are so many trappings and it is so easy to get caught up in them.
If we’re gonna be in the world, of which we have no choice, we really need to be IN the Word! Have a our shield on as a constant protection so that we will be ready and equipped to give an account and be a light IN the dark (world).
Go here for more great thoughts…
http://brenttrf.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/in-the-world-but-not-in-it/
Tam, thanks again for yesterday….love you!
Tam,
You get good conversations going. I just want to quickly add that last week I had a woman call me to discuss eliminating pagan things from her life. I gently used that phrase “we are in the world and not of it.” I advised her to be led by the Holy Spirit. We can’t eliminate paganism from the world. And like your husband wrote, we can be lights in this world! We can walk in the love of Christ!
Blessings in Christ–
That is a great question! To me, it means being in touch with what’s going on around us, with the needs of the people, but without being conformed to the pattern of this world–its values, mentality, worldview, etc.
I love how thought-provoking your blog is!
Make sense?
Good question!
“I know you don’t believe it, but I really, really like agreeing with you, Bob. And I really, really do.”
You KNOW??
You know what Bub? – You Know SQUAT – that’s what you know – your ego is way to big to let you actually ‘know’ anything’.
A pity you can’t join us in the fast – the numility might do you some good.
You ‘know’ me – uttter garbage – i need to go and read what you wrote about yourself that i have copied and kept for just such occasions to calm me down some.
You lost ALL power over me when you wrote down what you said a while back, my sometime friend.
I still get riled by your inaccuracies though.
I have a lot of work left to do yet.
Sorry Aunt Tam – not he best place for this rubbish. Please disregard if you are able
love
Love?!?!
Good grief…back up the “love” bus, I want off!
*sigh*
love-will-bring-us-together
When reading Jason’s own words describing himself, that i have copied for immmortality and quick reference, i came across this particularly relevant piece of scripture in the same document…
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me…John 8:41-44
I know EXACTLY how Jesus feels on that point.
Wait a Second!….
Jesus said WHAT again??
KJV shows John 8:41-44 as follows:
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
I got the First quote directly from a work of GodsGal on her blog dated Oct 31 2007.
I am having an extremely hard time matching her words and reference as stated on her blog with the actual words of scripture referenced.
Any of you see a similar problem – or is it just me?
let me be more specific… nowhere can i see any reference to Jesus being misrepresented – merely misundertood – there is a vast difference in those two words to me.
secondly, i can find no reference, other than John 16:3, where Jesus accuses anyone of not knowing Him – but many including all the verses quoted above where he claims we don’t (they don’t) know His Father – God.
Now i know how we can twist tat around so it sort of means the same thing but Jesus did NOT use the term ‘Him’ but God to describe who was not known by those to whom He was speaking.
Misquoting scripture – misleading those who read it -in the words of one very educated man, is not a good idea…
or is it only when i ‘do it’ that it is ‘bad’??
NONE of us are in any way perfect (Ok – so Tam is in some ways
) and we make mistakes. Sometimes the ‘mistake’ is more in the eye of the beholder than in the reporter.
A little less darn certainty in our own conclusions should be the rule given that we know how susceptible to imperfect vision we all can be – especially when we just read something and not HEAR it with Ears to Hear or See it with Eyes to See.
GG – please feel free to explain how i have this in any way ‘wrong’ – i am no biblical scholar, as some are here, but i am having a hard time following this from one who i thought knew better than I the Word of God and the dangers in adding our own interpretations to and not saying things as they are written down under His Hand?
love
how does that blog name go again??
Love is patient and Love is kind. And love can dish it out if he needs to stand up for himself.
Frankly, i’m getting a little tired of being ‘misunderstood’ by some people who REALLY should know BETTER!
You think maybe Love is prepared to let some spray manure over it and not wipe it off??
i don’t like it when lies are being spread about the Truth i live by and try to portay to any who can see it.
“I know you don’t believe it”… that was just about the straw – the LAST one in a way too long continous line of straws.
That kind of unfounded nonesense from someone who is respected for his wisdom is NOT what He wants me to just let slide. Any objection?
love
Love, I am sorry, but I’m not following this at all. What exactly are you trying to say?
love, me
The issue about being born of fornication has no meaning that I know of other than the possibility that Christ’s virgin birth caused some to gossip that he was born a bastard.
I think that’s what she meant.
Are you really upset because I only criticize what I see wrong and can address?
Misquoting scripture? Did you read the scripture Love? John 8:37-37 is a discourse between Christ and the Pharisees. God is opposing the proud and vain spirit of the Jews. He is showing them that their decent from Abraham cannot profit those who have a contrary spirit to His own. He was being misrepresented. Besides being just a cute way of saying all God is to people, I don’t understand where a blog from two months ago deserves such a blast. For someone who wants a little less “darn certainty” in their conclusions, you sure are “darn certain” of your own. I don’t believe that anything to do with that blog is misleading anyone…and will not get into such a war. It’s rediculous.
I was searching for this kind of a blog for months now. Actually lost the hope of finding one, but here i am
Thanks for the great articles! Looking forward for a little read after dinner 
Tam-missing me some bunny trails to follow you down! yes i do follow you LOL but it is always so much fun!
Love-what in the world are you talking about..type it out on your blog so I can read it
In regards to the recent banter on this thread I would like to offer up these verses…
1 Cor 4 1-5
So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord Himself who will examine me and decide.
So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time-before the Lord returns. For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.
1 Cor 12….”One Body Many Parts” Verses 25-27
“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
Are we together? Are we unified in purpose? Are we humble? Are we extending mercy, grace and love? Are we putting our puffed up knowledge above another’s because we simply don’t understand or it’s just different than we’re used to? Are we “yielding to one another”? Are we civil? Are we being a good witness and example of Him?
AND Romans 15: 1-7
“We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this (personal convictions). We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please Himself. As the scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written in the scriptures long ago to each of us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
May God who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.”
AMEN!
VERY wise words Tam – i would expect no less from you. You Always show yourself to be someone who can be respected and trusted.
I was blessed the day we became friends.
As for my explanation on my blog?
As it will contain things that were said in a far more private arena than blogland i shall reply via email to those concerned, so that the accuracy or otherwise of my statements may be determined before any more public display.
Hope this suits and is fair to all?
I have already offered you my apology (bottom lines of Comment #25)for the less than ‘usual’ outburst on your blog, but there does come a time when enough is way more than enough and J finally fond what he has been ‘looking’ for – my ‘limit’.
love.
Not wishing to cause further upset or ‘diversion’s during a period of necessary concentration as both Wed and Thur are for J i shall address comment#33 in the not-too-distant future.
I have said a mouthful for now.
I think though you underestimated what was said in the line ‘I know you don’t believe that’ – that after everything else sent my way cut DEEP, sir.
Focus on the examinations and not debate for the present time – ok?
love
This question of being “In the world but not of it” is one that may show how differently I view the world than my Christian friends.
Being not of this world for me would be the world of my imagination. From reading the post on this topic to Christians it means the kingdom(?)of God.
I have never known what it is like to be with God so I can’t relate to that experience.
My perception is that it is the goal of a Christian to live their life according to the bible so they my join God in heaven when they die.
My goal is to make the most my life in the world I live in. The world I live in is so full of the challenges and mysteries that I have no desire to live in any other.
Every day I learn something new about this world and I make new friends. The world I live in is more than enough for me.
I can’t imagine living in a “perfect” world, the heaven Christians talk about. I can’t imagine having everything being revealed to my by God when I die. I don’t want to know everything. How boring would that be? Where would the challenge be?
I can’t imagine living without risks or temptations. I love the idea that everyday I will be challenged by this ever changing and sometimes dangerous world I live in.
If I was told that I could live forever but had to choice between God’s perfect heaven or the dynamic and mysterious world I live in, my choice would be easy. I much prefer this challenging and endless interesting world.
However, for the rest of this holiday season I am going to try to put my brain on hold.
To avoid challenging my poor brain a little as possible. I will try to devote all my time to family, friends and lots of good food. 
Ed, you and I are on similar pages, according to your first part of the comment.
“My goal is to make the most my life in the world I live in. The world I live in is so full of the challenges and mysteries that I have no desire to live in any other.”
Me too! I live each day to the very fullest. I NEVER want to be so Heavenly bound that I’m no earthly good. This world is beautiful! I look at creation and marvel. I meet new people and am challenged and blessed by them. There are so many wonders here. I am on a constant journey of learning new things and experiencing life. I love it!
Except, that I do have a longing desire for another world over this…as much as i love it (most days) here. I don’t think Heaven will be boring at all. I think everything being at our disposal to know fully will be a ceaseless discovery once there! We’ll just finally be able to “see” it for what it is. I’m really looking forward to that.
So as i live my life to it’s fullest here, I am also waiting in expectation a new life to come and believe to the bottom of my toes that there is more and bith sides can be (and are) beautiful!
I love your devotion to your family Ed! I pray you have a wonderful season with them too!
Family, Friends and Food! Aaahhhh – the best!