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Monday August 30, 2010 ~ 14 Comments
What do you think of when you hear the phrase "the world?" Does it elicit a positive or negative response? The Scripture has a lot to say on the subject of "the world" that, on a cursory reading, can seem contradictory. Consider, for example, what the Apostle John says. In John 3:16 he wrote: "For God so loved the world..." But then in 1 John 2:15 he wrote: "Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in Him." He records Jesus' words in John 12:47, "For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world," but relates Jesus' admonition in 15:19, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." It seems like poor John can't seem to make up his mind about "the world," and whether we should love it or hate it. Of course, John wasn't confused. The Scripture draws a distinction between the people of the world and the fallen system of ideas that work in rebellion against God. In that sense, we are to both love and hate the world (Prov. 8:13). Part of what that means is living in the world (being present and active where God has sent us) but not being of the world (being influenced by and accepting a system profoundly opposed to God). Many Christians, however, are so fearful of being of the world that they completely isolate themselves from anything in the world. Under the banner of "separation," they've gone underground and disappeared from sight. That's not how we are supposed to live as citizens of God's kingdom - and it denies the missional nature of the church. Perhaps a change of terms will help clarify the issue for us. For a moment, let's use "the people of earth" for "the world" (where we live) and the phrase "the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading" for "the world" (its fallen system). Now, let's paraphrase: "Be among the people of earth (in the world), but not of the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading (of the world)." This simple contrast should bring a great deal of clarity to a potentially confusing line of thought. Now read John 3:16 to say, "For God so loved the people of earth..." and 1 John 2, "Love not the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading, nor the things that take priority over God's love, law and leading. If anyone loves the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading, the love of the Father is not in him." It becomes apparent that John and other New Testament writers are dealing with two separate matters: a place of residence and the people God loves, and a condition of the heart that opposes God. The Bible specifically tells us to live with "worldly" people. That's exactly what always got Jesus in trouble - hanging out with drunkards, sinners, prostitutes ... you know, the "bad" people. Paul emphasized the same point to the church at Corinth. The church had become confused about some things the apostle had taught earlier. In reaction, they began to disassociate with the world (people) around them. But Paul wanted them to understand that the solution to their problems - and they had lots of them - was not withdrawal from the people around them: I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - by no means referring to this world's immoral people, or to the greedy and swindlers, or to idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. But I am writing you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a reviler, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
Some of us will choose to not participate in any of the world's systems, and opt for insulating ourselves in a self-made Christian bubble, a life constructed so that we can live out our days without ever even bumping into someone who doesn't believe or live as we do. Safely detached from the spiritual lepers outside, we can glory in Christian preschool through graduate school, Christian music, Christian romance novels, Christian leadership books, and even Christian Halloween candy. Thank God for those Christian Yellow Pages. The only thing we will not have is the personal influence of the gospel in the lives of those who do not know Christ. It's difficult to make disciples of people we won't even talk to. In a perverse twist of our Lord's expectation, many Christians find themselves of the world by means of some kind of pseudo-sacred imitation, but not in it. It is easy for us to continue missing the mark on both of these implications. Often our lives as Christ-followers look no different from the system of the world. We too often settle for a truncated holiness that has a shiny gloss of Christian spirituality, but is for the most part inoffensive to the world, while overlooking greed, arrogance, and injustice. John described the world's system - the attitude that rejects God's love, law, and leading - very clearly. After he implored us not to love that attitude in 1 John 2:15, he continues (paraphrasing): "For all that is in the people of the earth (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life) is not from the Father, but is from the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading." Verse 17 then confirms the eternal contrast: "The attitude that rejects God's love, law, and leading is passing away, with its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever." But in this "world vs. world" dichotomy, we find a subtlety that often blinds Christians. On the average Sunday morning, there is as much of the world in the church's building as there is in the world outside it. Why? Because "worldliness" does not reside in Tennessee, Canada, or Russia, i.e., the earth; it resides in human hearts and attitudes - in both believers and non-believers the world over. That is why separation from the world is not a matter of avoiding people, but a constant warring within ourselves against the attitude that would see us reject the love, law, and leadership of God over our lives. As the sent church of God, we must love the people who live on this earth with the love of Christ, expressed in words and deeds, while hating the broken and sinful systems of the world that war against the Kingdom of God. This becomes an important distinction in regards to contextualization, the focus of this series (see parts one, owo, three, and four and five). Contextualization reminds us that we genuinely need to be IN the world while not being OF the world. I express it as being: biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter-culture communities for the Kingdom. Or, for this conversation, we are: -biblically faithful (driven by scripture)
Please feel free to weigh in, give your opinion, and discuss how the church is called to be in and not of the world-- and how that relates to contextual ministry. And, as always, if there is your first time here, you might want to review the comment policy. Posted on August 30, 2010 at 4:18 PM ~ 14 Comments Tagged with: Subscribe via RSS or Follow us on Twitter
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Unless of course one were a "five-point Calvinist" in which case, the "world" of John 3:16 would actually be the "elect in the world" and not all the "people of earth" because God doesn't actually love everyone...but I digress.
James, your comment reveals real ignorance of Calvinism, and of the attitudes of Calvinists.
Ed, contextualization is essential unless we expect people in other countries to learn English before we tell them about Jesus (it seems to me). Contextualization indicates that the people hearing the message are more important to us than they approach we use to tell the story. We really do need to set aside our own personal preferences.
Good post.
Oh yes ... something about becoming "all things to all people so that...".
Oh yes ... something about becoming "all things to all people so that...".
Actually Bob, I'm not ignorant of Calvinist teaching since I used to hold to all 5 points. I no longer hold to limited or particular atonement because my previous comment is exactly what people who hold to that view believe whether they want to acknowledge it openly or not. In fact, the comment about John 3:16 and the "elect in the world" came directly from John MacArthur.
I do lean toward Calvinism, but my comment was directed at the view of particular atonement and not all Calvinist teaching. If God has, by His sovereign choice, determined some for heaven and secured only their salvation by the Cross, then He has necessarily determined the rest for Hell. Does God really love those that He has determined for Hell?
I can no longer hold to a view that does not allow me to look into a complete stranger's eyes and say "Jesus loves you and died for your sins" because as a 5 pointer I really wouldn't know if that's the truth.
Regards.
James,
That's not a line I'd ever use on anyone, anyway. Never have, never will. I doubt the natural man could perceive how Jesus' death would pay the price for my sins.
My line is, and always was, that we're sinners, but the sinner who truly is sorry for his sins .. repents .. and turns in faith to Jesus, placing his faith in Him for salvation, can and will be saved by God. That's a line that truly can be said to anyone, and is what I learned in one of the three Presbyterian denominations to which I've belonged.
Gents,
Please move on from the Calvinism discussion. This is about the world and contextualization.
Thanks.
Ed
It gets messy when we realize that the 'people of the earth' are not only caught in, but are promoting/advancing the 'God-rejecting system'. It not only requires the love of God to draw close to people who are, as we were, 'enemies of the cross'. But also a spiritual sense of compartmentalization to divide what they are doing against God from where they are in the scheme of redemption. To think in the singular moment, "This person is a child of wrath, fighting against God" and, "God loves this person desperatey and has gone to great lengths to reach them", requires serious commitment to the ministry of reconciliation.
The natural reaction to leave someone in their lostness must be purified so that we do want to leave behind the former things, but not leave behind those who are in 'the former things.'
Definitely not for the half-hearted.
Well Ed now you even have angry former Calvinists against you. You can't win bud.
Daniel is a FANTASTIC example of living in a pagan world yet thriving under captivity via dependence on God. When Israel fell to Babylon, and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego came there under Ole Nebbie they were subjected to things that would make todays Christian sub-culture bubbleists (I just made up a cool word. Lets put that in the Christian Websters) puke all over themselves. They were all subjected to pagan schooling, and had their names changed to that of pagan gods. They let those things happen, and even thrived in them letting God use them. We even learn at the end of Ch 1 that God BLESSED their Babylonian education. GASP!!! They only took a stand (Veggies, fiery furnace, lions den) when they were going to violate Gods law. God used Daniel to bring Ole Nebbie to repent in the field, see the destruction of Belshazzar, and cause King Darius to praise God. Daniel did all this despite living under, and accepting pagan rule for 70+ years. HIs example LED an entire nation under captivity.
Today we would run from this, and God is calling us all to thrive like Daniel. We have been placed in this era for a reason. Ed NAILS here EXACTLY what we are called to do. Its how Jesus rolled, and we should to.
Good word brother. I see the Christian life pragmatically as alternating between separation from the world spending time with God for renewed strength and going back into the world on mission. This balance is necessary and found in the lives of both old and new testament believers. Jesus had no participation in the "attitudes and goals of the world" But he also withdrew at times from the "people of the world" to spend time with the father. Many church leaders ignore this alternating balance to their own peril. The amount of time we spend in separation may vary based on our individual need, and the stress of the mission given to us.
Sorry Ed,
I really appreciated your insights and I agreed with everything you said. Inasmuch I had nothing to add. So I made an ill-advised joke which was clearly insensitive and not very funny. Then rather than let someone's reaction pass, I took it personally and lashed out.
Anyway, I'm sorry for breaking the comment policy. It won't happen again.
James
I like the premise of the post, but I'm not sure that we have to give the word "world" two different meanings in John's writings. To me the gospel of John is consistent in showing that the world is in open rebellion against God. Contextually it seems he is referring to both the people and the system (not sure it is possible to separate people from systems, since it is the people who create the systems of rebellion). However, God still loves those who openly reject Him. He still sent His Son to those who were rebellious. His Son still interacted and became like the people around Him, even though the majority would reject Him.
I think this is an even more powerful statement of how we should live in our world. We live knowing that the world is in rebellion against God, but we follow the example of God, by loving them anyway. We follow the example of Jesus by living in their world with the hopes of showing them a better way.
.http://www.studyyourbibleonline.com/devotional/love-of-god/
Well stated, Ed!
Living among "the people of earth" without succumbing to "the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading" requires great discernment and constant balance.It seems to me that it often plays out in the arena of our motives.
One person conforms to some element of a culture (clothing styles for instance) based upon a desire to remove any barrier to communicating the gospel (1 Cor 9:19-22). Another person may conform in the exact same way, but do so based upon a desire to look cool, to show off and impress people, to be the center of attention. The first person was in the world, but not of the world. The second was in the world AND of it, because of the selfish, sinful motivation (Phil 2:3) behind the choice.
Then there's the person who chooses not to conform to that element of culture--the separatist. What's his motivation? Is it because he has adopted an unbiblical, legalistic assumption that this element of culture is inherently sinful (Col 2:20-23)? Or, is it because he knows he is weak and if he conformed in this way, his motivation would come from the attitude that rejects God's love, law and leading (Rom 14:23)? Or, is it because he knows that by not conforming, he will impress his separatist friends and show off his false standard of righteousness among the lost people of earth (Matt 6:1)?
Our hearts are so deceitful. We not only fail to examine our own motivations, we judge the motivations of others, assuming the worst (Rom 14:10). Contextualization is tricky business, but it's an unavoidable reality of the Christian life.
"The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves" (Rom 14:22).
Ed, thanks for offering some great clarity on an often confusing issue. One thing I observe is that many Christians and even whole churches are so focused on "reaching the lost" that the outreach has become almost an excuse to stay of the world. When modern Christians are using Jesus as a ticket to be free of guilt, but aren't willing to take a stand on issues that are unbiblical, the point has been lost. Whether it be the country club atmosphere of a large/mega church, the rock concert of worship, or parishioners wearing clothing that reveals as much as an MTV video, at some point a Christian should stand out for being different than the world. Sometimes that difference is exactly what attracts the lost to Jesus.