Not Of This World

For what is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5: 4-5 NKJV

As christians, we know and realize that we llive in a very sinful world.  Yes, our Lord and savior Christ Jesus has removed that sin which once afflicted us, but for those who do not accept the free gift of Christ there is a bleak future.  It is hard for someone who has been saved to come to grips with the fact that they now have a holy inheritance.  As children of God and heirs to His kingdom, we now have nothing to fear.  Then there is the world we live in.  For we are surrounded on a daily basis by wickedness.  Be it the unsaved person we encounter at work or the very direction this world is turning, we come can still experience a lot of anxiety.  What is it that makes you anxious?  Is it money, family or social status?  Well, our Lord has given us guidelines on just how we are to handle such situations.  In fact, in Jesus' sermon on the mount begining in Matthew 5, Christ goes through a variety of topics of living right.  One of the most important is DO NOT WORRY!  Still, we live in a fallen, sinful world.  There are numerous scientific studies that have shown the affects on people who were exposed to certain, stressfull environments.  In situations such as this ones health can certainly take a beating.  I believe this is one of the main reasons why our Lord Jesus told the people on the mountain so many years ago not to worry.  For we've all seen the physical effects of worry and stress.  Still, we live in a fallen world.

You are of God, little chldren, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4: 4-6 NKJV

Take heart, christian, for as scripture tells us, we are greater than he who is in the world.  Who is it that is in the world?  Well, those very same people who may from time to time give us stress in our daily lives.  Now, that's  not to say that even christians cannot cause mayhem in peoples lives.  Far from it, for I've been guilty of doing just that.  Now, does this invalidate my salvation or the free gift that Jesus has given me?  NO!  Just that I chose poor judgement in my behavior.  Was I "Of this world" as I engaged in this behavior?  NO!  For greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.  The "He" being Christ Jesus.  For the moment I accepted the free gift of Jesus, my citizenship with this fallen world was terminated.  By the shed blood of Christ, my future with Him was sealed.  No longer do I need fear just where my eternity lies.  No longer do I need fear the judgement of God.  For my name has been written in the lambs book of life.  So it is with each of us who receive that precious gift of Christ, for we are no longer bound to this world.  The future that Jesus has secured for us is far greater than we can imagine.  The payment has been made in full, purchased in the blood of Christ.  Yes, we live in a sinful world, but greater is He who is in me than he who is in that world!

~Scott~