The World Is a Thorn- Part 1

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The World Is a Thorn- Part 1

The Bible often mentions the word “World” and it can be referring to different things. It can simply mean “World” as in; Land, country, earth or nations. Or it can mean worldliness/spirit of the age. Obviously when Jesus says;

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

“Therefore the world hates you” here Christ is using the term “World” to mean spirit of the age. We know as Christians we are called to not be of “The World”, meaning we don’t get our identity, we don’t get our morals and understanding of what is true from what is culturally acceptable or culturally  not acceptable. We are shaped and defined by God and His word, which never changes. Because we submit ourselves to the authority of scripture over human logic and emotional whims we are going to be at odds with the culture I.E the world. The bible constantly affirms that we will be at odds with the majority, and most of us understand this, though it is hard to accept, because we don’t want to feel like an outcast, we want to be socially accepted and apart of the world/culture. So as a believer it becomes easy to adopt worldly standards and let the culture shape our world view, rather than letting scripture shape our world view, because if we let the bible shape our world view than the current culture will hate you just as Jesus said.

It is easy when the Spirit of the age or current culture happens to embrace biblical standards to live out our faith and proclaim Christ, but what happens when it doesn’t? The culture changes like the seasons, and what is right or wrong is based on human standards, not moral accountability to God. This can become frustrating, disheartening, overwhelming, even though we are warned that we are not of this world, even when we have scripture that confirms this is what it is going to be like. It is so easy to disengage from the world, to shut off, become bitter letting our differences cause us to become hateful. It causes us to build up our walls to become isolationists, and instead of showing what makes us different by our love we show what makes us different by our separation and judgment.

Do not get the wrong idea, we are suppose to stand firm on Gods word, and defend it at all cost, and we are suppose to be very different from the world, we are not to adopt their standards to be more acceptable by any means. However, if we let the bitterness of the way the world is divide to the point we stop living our Christian duty to serve, to the point where we isolate ourselves to only be with people that agree with us, Oh… than we have in the end let the world shape us, we have let the world deflate us, we have let it corrupt us, we have let the world rob us of hope of our Christian duty to be a witness. How are we a witness of light if we let the darkness over take us? Do not be fooled, Satan will get you off course by any means he can, and if he cant make you love the world and adopt its standards than he will make you become so bitter and full of anger that you start to loose your heart for the lost. This is exactly how you find out if you have become bitter… do you have a care and concern for the people who are of the world? Those who are so lost and deceived and far from God? Or do you look at them with anger, pride, and hate

Just begging for the wrath of God to come, that Jesus would return quickly because you can’t stand the decay and state of the world.

I know, that sounds ridiculous, who would think like that? But if we are honest with each other…haven’t a lot of us become like that? Its hard not to, when what we stand for has been so trampled over, when we feel so alone with our ideals and we see such moral decay. We can’t loose heart, no matter what, we can’t loose our identity as Christians, we can’t loose our heart to serve and our purpose of being a witness to the world, because if we become hateful and full of bitterness than we are no different than the world itself.

Why do you think Jesus said;

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Do you think He said that so He can prepare us to hate back? Or do you think He said it so we are prepared for the response the world would have towards us? Obviously it is the latter and the reason for this is so that we do not become bitter, so that we do not loose hope In the response of the world to the gospel, for it is the natural response, and if it wasn’t for the grace of God we would still be responding as the world does. Jesus, before He makes the statement that the world will hate you, tells the disciples to love one another, that there is no greater love than to lay ones life down for his friends. We are called to live a life of sacrifice, a life of servitude, not just to those who agree, but to those who we don’t. I think of the martyrs who lived their faith in the opposition of it, the world hated them but they didn’t try to be accepted by the world, nor did they become bitter to the world and stop preaching the gospel because they were faced with opposition…they lived their faith to death.

This world is disheartening, to see how the culture is shaping our Christian faith, to see how some are letting it shape their faith…drives us to righteous anger, and in some aspects it should. To see what American Christianity has become is disgusting, and we need to speak against it, we need to stand against it and not be defined by it. The state of this world should break our hearts, to see what is accepted should cause us to be ashamed. What we can’t let it do is drive us to bitterness, The world is definitely a thorn and we can’t be shaped by it….but don’t let it cause you to loose hope, do not let it cause you to not pray, do not let it cause you to not weep for the lost and do not let it stop you from serving at all costs.

It is so easy to lose hope, to become bitter, when what is in our face is opposition, when we see the state of this country and those who are running politically, when we see movements of racism (BLM), or movements of ridiculousness (Transgender rights) when we see heresy from those claiming to be Christians. We cannot lose hope, lose faith, do not let the world build in you a fearful bitter heart or you will ironically become what you’re suppose to be set apart from.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:15

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 2 Timothy 1:8-12