We are not of this world just as Jesus is not from this world. Just as Yahweh sent Christ into the world, Jesus sent us into the world. In John 17:16, Jesus said (praying to His Father) “They do not belong to the world anymore than I do.” He went on to say in verse 18 of the same chapter, “Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”
Jesus chose us out of the world and called us by His name. Though we once belonged to the world, we no longer belong to this world. When Christ chose us and we excepted His calling, we became a new creation. We stopped belonging to this world and became citizens of Heaven. As it is written in Ephesians 2:6, For He raised us from the dead with Christ and seated us with Him in the Heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Jesus also says in John 20:21, “Peace be with you. As the Father as sent me, so I am sending you into the world.”
So now we go forth into the world, not in our own name or authority, but of the one who sent us. And just as the Father (Yahweh) is in the Son (Christ Jesus), so Christ is in us. As Jesus said in John 17:26, “I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then Your love for Me will be in them and I will be in them. Jesus also said in John 17:21, I pray that they may be one, just as You and I are one – as You are in Me, Father< and I am in You. And may they be in us so that the world will believe that You sent Me. Jesus goes on to say in verses 22 and 23 of the same chapter, “I have given them the glory You have given Me, so they may be one as We are one. I in them and You in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love me.”
Since He has chosen us out of the world and given us His word, writing them on our very hearts, we should not be surprised when the world hates us. As Jesus said in John 17:14, I have given them Your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to this world, just as I do not belong to this the world. Jesus taught us in John 15:18-20, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.”
So then since we are no longer of this world, we should not seek to be a friend of this world. Jesus said Luke 6:26, What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds (by man), for their ancestors also praised the false prophets.” In James 4;4, Jesus spoke through James by the Holy Spirit and said, ” Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again; if you want to be a friend of this world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”
So here’s the gauge by which both Jesus and the Holy Spirit have given us to judge our relationship and walk with Christ by. What does the world say about you?
Jesus said in Matthew 5:11, “God bless you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it. Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in Heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. Jesus restates this point in Luke 6:22, when He said “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in Heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.”
So then, we can see by this gauge, that if people are mocking you, lying about you and speaking against you because you are following what the Holy Spirit put on your heart to do, you know that you are on the right track. Following what Christ has laid on your heart to do, through the Holy Spirit, will cost you. It will not make you “Mr. Popular” people are not going to like it or be happy for you. They will oppose you and try to stop you. Jesus taught us that people will even think they are doing God service by trying to stop you.
Jesus even taught us in Matthew 10:36, Your enemies will be right in your own household! That’s write even your own family will oppose you at times. Thinking that they are saving you from yourself.
This is why Jesus taught us to count the cost before excepting Jesus’ call to follow him. In Luke 14:28-33 Jesus said, “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” Jesus even taught us In Matthew 10:37-39, “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
That is what it costs to not be of this world. Because we belong to Christ and are saints in His Kingdom, the world will hate us. But If you keep your eyes on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, you will rise above the storms of this life. Paul stated it this way in Romans 8:18, when he said “ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
However, If people (the crowds) speak well of you and bless you and consider you to be own of their own. If you blend right in and bring no disruption to their lives, watch out! You either are or are in danger of being a friend of this world and an enemy of Yahweh. As I said before Jesus said in Luke 6:26, What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds (by man), for their ancestors also praised the false prophets. The world is of it’s father the Devil and hates those who are not of it. The world only loves it’s own.
So, now that we’ve counted the cost and gauges were our walks is, let us move onward to the high calling Christ has for us. Remember, we don’t go forth in our own name or authority, we go forth in Christ’s Power and Authority. So we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit as a down payment of the glory that is to come. He is our tutor and takes what’s of Christ and declares it to us. As Jesus said in John 16:13-15, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.”
So since we’re not alone, there is no need to be afraid of anyone of this world. As Jesus taught us in Matthew 10:28, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Above all, remember these things: Jesus said in Matthew 10:40, “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. And in Luke 10:19-20, “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
So, let us go out with joy and do whatever the Lord Jesus tells us to do, by the Holy Spirit, without fear. Let us rejoice in all that Yahweh has give to us through Christ our Savior and in all that Jesus has done for us on the cross! Let us take the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we go in the Power of the Holy Spirit!
Let us count it all joy when the world hates us and makes fun of us. Let’s rejoice that our names are writing in Heaven. Let us walk with Christ in Heavenly places as we go forth into the world and proclaim the Love of the Father displayed through Christ Jesus our Lord. And above all, remember, we are living Love letters from Yahweh, Christ and the Holy Spirit to the world. We are living gospels of Christ Jesus and living testimonies of all that He’s done in our lives.
The world is watching us. The rejected, the hurting and the outcast are watching us. They are looking for truth. They are looking for someone who actually cares. They may not realize it, but they are looking for the Christ in us to show Himself. To be revealed through us. To be shown that they matter.
The world and it’s father, are watching us, waiting for us to fail. But the rejected, the hurting, and the outcast, are watching us waiting for the manifestation of the true Sons of God, the true church, to be revealed. As it is written in Romans 8:19, For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
All that’s left to do is ask Do you love the praise of man more than the praise of Yahweh” or Do you seek a greater reward than this world could ever give? Are you willing to lose everything of the sake of Christ? Are you willing to let Christ manifest Himself through you to a lost, hurting and dying world? To be used by the Holy Spirit to bring good news to the poor, to comfort the broken hearted, to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed, to tell those who morn that the time of Yahweh’s favor has come as is says in Isaiah 61:1-2a?
Let the true church arise to her place! Take up you cross and follow Him!