in the world, but not of this world…what?

Written By Melinda Olsen

photo by Max Bender

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:4)

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

So, wait a minute. I’m confused, I see words in those three scriptures above that are quite confusing and not appealing to me, “strive for peace?”, “with everyone?”, don’t be conformed, but be transformed?, and to be blatantly honest, let’s be real, I’ll never be perfect, or holy, nor do I want to be hated by anyone, let alone the whole world, and who wants to be tested, for any reason?

Those are the words and phrases, and thoughts that jump out at me as I read those scriptures above, and when I was younger in my faith journey, my sentiments above were the honest and true thoughts and questions I had around being a follower of Christ. Let’s face it, there’s not a lot of good marketing going on in those scriptures. I am a career saleswoman, and I can assure you, that would be a difficult sale to make to anyone.

My close would sound something like this, “the value of what I offer is incredible, you will live in this world, but you cannot and should not resemble the world you live in, you will intentionally and noticeably stand out, your goal is to be holy, and you are to try to live at peace with everyone, but you will never achieve success. Isn’t that great! Oh, and the best thing ever is that you will be tested, and you will be hated!

I’ll sign you up today! Sound good?”

Tough sale to say the least, but mostly because the best part of all of this hasn’t been mentioned yet.

The best part of the deal is that God promises He will be with us and never leave us, but that doesn’t mean this life will not be difficult and riddled with challenges.

So, what does it really mean to be “in this world”, but not ”of this world?” I found a most relatable explanation for me, from, J. Warner Wallace, an Adj. Professor at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Mr. Wallace simply states that “in the world” means we are sinners, and we live amongst sinners. We cannot escape being “in the world.” However, to be “of the world” means allowing ourselves repeated exposure of unholy, spiritually damaging, self-gratifying things. So, you know the old saying about the company you keep, or trash in, trash out?

Who or what are you listening to? There’s SO MUCH NOISE!!!

Wallace says, “It’s one thing to be located in these environments; it’s another thing to draw from them as a source for information or behavior. I’m less concerned with my point of location than I am with my source of information. I step away only when I recognize the environment is starting to change the way I think. I back off when I realize my point of location has become my source of information.”

Personally, I find being a Christian in this world to be really, really challenging. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful I know the Lord, and I rely heavily on my faith and prayers, and my personal relationship with Jesus, but as I grow in faith and learn more and more about what it means to be ‘holy like Jesus’, and as I learn more and more about what it looks like to be ‘holy’ in today’s culture, and what it means to live in this world, but not of this world, well, sometimes it just seems too much.

Before going on, let me first acknowledge, on this side of heaven we will NEVER be, “holy like Jesus,” but Jesus is the example we are to follow, and the role model we are given in scripture, and therefore, our decisions and actions should be different than those of this world. People should be able to identify that there is something different about us when they witness our actions and behaviors and hear the words we speak.

If we claim to love Jesus, we are obligated to walk a walk that supports our talk. That being said, that ‘something different’ can often take on a variety of shapes and forms that we consider ‘holy’, yet still does not exemplify that we are not ‘of this world’ and does not represent the holiness we are to strive for, based on the example we have in Jesus.

There’s a song from my childhood that states, they will know we are Christians by our love. That kind of love is supernatural. Living that kind of love is how we are to live in this world, but not of this world. It’s a love that undermines the ways of the world, and it’s a love that can only flow through us from The Holy Spirit.

On our own, we can never fully love everyone as we are called to love, and we cannot be in this world and not of this world in our own strength.

On the heels of one of the largest Supreme Court overturns in history, Roe vs. Wade, and with all the divisiveness over politics, personal rights, Covid, vaccinations, no vaccinations, Black Lives Matter, CRT, gun rights, and the list just goes on and on, I continually find myself just one step away from falling into the patterns of this world and wondering how to live a holy life in such a sick and diseased world.

I am often seconds away from choosing unholy behavior over holy behavior, and one step away from negating peace to be sure my opinion is heard and known. Lately, I find myself in a place of some of the deepest contemplation and reflection ever, asking myself…

1.     How do I possibly love all people like Jesus loved, in the climate of our day?

2.    How can I possibly live in peace and as ‘holy’ in such a culture as this?

3.    What is informing how I live in this world?

4.    Are my convictions supported in scripture?

5.    Have I done the work to know without doubt my convictions are consistent with scripture?

6.    In supporting my convictions, am I representing Christ as I should?

Asking myself these questions and being as vulnerable and transparent as possible, has not been easy. It takes some deep soul searching, and a continual openness and willingness to change, to adjust, to be challenged, and to grow. Often we don’t even realize the lies we’ve convinced ourselves of and we are willing to go to great lengths to defend, no matter the causalities left in our path.  

This sort of growth, the kind that separates me/us from this world, requires asking God to open our eyes and heart and to reveal or make known what needs to change, then we have to be willing to receive that message, and then it requires intentionality and discipline to do the hard work of changing. I have come to truly understand and believe, there is no way, we can live in peace, or strive for holiness, or live in this world and not be of this world, all on our own.

We all need Jesus.

Some time ago, I heard an interesting podcast from the author of the book, The Deeply Formed Life, Rich Villodas. The podcast, I believe was called , A “CPR” World. I came across my notes from that podcast this week, and I found one of his key quotes I would like to share with you. I find this quote to be incredibly convicting.

“Our most effective strategy in reaching a world for Christ is grounded in the kind of people we are being formed into. The quality of our presence is in our mission. The troubling reality is that believers can be deeply committed to being Christian without being deeply formed by Christ.”

OUCH!!! Remember, they will know we are Christians by our love. That kind of love is supernatural. It undermines the ways of this world, and we cannot live that sort of love without being, as Villodas says, deeply formed by Christ.

So, how do we develop this ‘quality of presence’ in order to be ‘deeply formed by Christ’, and to live in such a way that people will know we are different and living for a higher calling than this world?

It starts with repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then, we spend time in fellowship with God and other believers, spend time in prayer, and spend time in God’s word, the Bible.

Then we need to ask ourselves and reflect on these questions…

1.     What is really informing how I live in this world?

2.    Are my convictions truly supported in scripture, or am I leading by my heart?

3.    Can I honestly say, I have I done the work to know without doubt my convictions are consistent with scripture?

4.    In supporting my convictions, am I certain that I am representing Christ as I should?

Once we have worked through those questions, then it might be beneficial to ask ourselves and think throug, what does that look like to live with a quality of presence, deeply formed by Christ? How will we strive to live this way in today’s culture? What does it look like to choose holy over worldly, to be in this world, but not of this world, and to live out being deeply formed by Christ?

We also need to name and own our weaknesses and our areas of struggle. When it comes to living out our faith and representing Jesus and His holiness in a world that wants nothing to do with holiness, do people know we are Christians by our love or are we identified our political stance?

In working through this, I came up with three of the most difficult areas for me. These are areas where I really, really struggle, and I am challenged to be the person, the Godly woman I am called to be in the culture we live in today.

The good news is, while I might struggle, I have the promise that if I seek His power…

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 )

Here are the three areas of life today, where I struggle, living in this juxtaposition of being in this world, but not OF this world…

1.     Holiness vs self-righteousness.  

What do I need to be aware of, to choose being holy over being right? 

Dr. Robert Mulholland, now deceased, and former professor at Asbury Seminary said, “Often we “will expend amazing amounts of energy and resources to be in the world for God. But, you see, we are called to be in God for the world.”

What? My mind receives those as powerful words, and yet I’m not sure I understand. Thankfully, I was listening to a podcast, and the speaker went on to explain.  

Many of us can relate to the first part of Mulholland’s quote above. We can expend a lot of energy trying to be in the world for God, that well-intentioned but misguided living in the world for God, but maybe, honestly, missing the mark. There are more social justice needs and causes to fight for than we could ever have time or energy to defend, but are we really defending them in God, meaning through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, choosing holiness over self-righteousness, or are we energized by our own motivations and agendas?

If I am in the world for God, then I am carrying a particular “issue” or banner that I think God is concerned about, and in that I am going to carry it for God and defend God. I am going to highlight particular things within that issue that I think God is mad or pained about,…

but here’s the thing…

I am not God, nor should I be so arrogant as to assume I know His specific pain points or what He’s angry about.

“God is not interested in you or me doing things in the world for anyone’s sake (not even God’s own), but we are given the incomprehensibly good invitation to draw our lives from God so that we can become whatever kind of benefit for the world that God determines.” ~Daniel Harris

So, what can I do? Check my motives. Ask myself the hard questions mentioned earlier in this blog. Who or what is influencing my behavior? Do I really need to be right here or is it better to show Christ in me?

 

2.   Holiness over self?

 How do I choose holiness over defending myself and my rights?

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace...( 2 Timothy 1:9 )

 

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Romans 14:21 )

Ever heard the saying, “Just because you can…?” Fill in the blanks? Defending ourselves or our views publicly has become the new norm. Making sure I get to do and say what I want to do and say, no matter what, is the new norm.

I remember the day when I didn’t know the private thoughts or opinions of so many, nor did they know mine, and I remember when most people cared if their behavior caused someone else to stumble, but that is not the world we live in today. This is a huge challenge for those trying to be in this world, but not of it, and for those trying to choose holy over self.

Truth is, we all get sucked into the need to defend ourselves and our opinions because we tell ourselves it’s our right! After all, freedom of speech, or, it’s our personal freedom! I’m entitled to say what I want, do what I want, live how I want,  and just because that person can’t handle their liquor or manage their spending doesn’t mean it’s my problem. It’s not my job to abstain just because they can’t, I have the right to live my life…

But, in the end, will my words and my behavior/reaction reflect the Christ I profess to represent?

So, what can I do?  I can check my motives. Ask myself is it necessary to defend myself? What will result if I do or don’t say anything? Do I really need to drink in front of this brother or sister who struggles? Do I need to shop or go to casinos with my friend who has debt issues? In doing or saying what I want to do or say, will I be choosing holiness over my pride and my desires? Will it honor God in the end?

3.   Holiness over my heart?

How do I choose holiness over what my heart tells me is right?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

We live in a world that tells us, “you be you.” Be your authentic self. Follow your heart. Listen to your inner voice, or, how about this one, “Do your own thing on your own terms and get what you came here for” ~Oliver James

This world constantly tells us to be our authentic selves, which in this case means, you be you, take care of you! As long as we are staying true to ourselves, we’ll being doing all the right things, and if we’re doing all the right things. The problem is, we have waht we are experienceing today, who decides the “right” things to live by if we all have our own moral codes and standards?

People want to believe that authenticity is the highest virtue, and that our hearts will always lead us in truth, but the Bible tells us our authentic nature, our authentic self is sinful.

This includes our heart.

So, what can I do?  I can check my motives. Is what I am doing and saying biblical truth, and not my truth? Am I responding or leading with truth from the word of God or am I letting my heart run the show? Am I driven by emotions or truth?

We are all always one step away from choosing almost anything over holiness because of the nature of our authentic selves. Naturally, we almost always will want to protect and preserve our pride and egos. This is why we need Jesus.

We all need Jesus to help us choose Holy over self, to live in this world, but not of it, to love all people, and to live at peace with everyone.

The Christian is not left defenseless. God provides the power to give us victory over Satan. Paul said, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ). And John wrote, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). 

 

 Music:

Casting Crowns-One Step Away

Resources & Reading:

coldcasechristianity-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world

Billy Graham-in-the-world-but-not-of-it

J. Warner Wallace-what-does-it-mean-to-be-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world

Daniel Harris-Salvationlife blog- in-god-for-the-world

Whaddoyoumeme-CaitlynJenner-talking-about-god

Ed Stetzer-Cable News Discipleship

Melinda Olsen

From a divorced, single mom, to remarried and part of a multi-faceted blended family, I can assure you, life does go on after divorce, and it can be better than you imagined.

I see you. I’ve been you.

Previous

let freedom ring
Next

ties that bind