All tagged World
We read in scripture that Jesus has overcome the world, and we find a wonderful fuel source for our faith in that knowledge as we place our burdens on Him, but what does this have to do with us? Anything? How do we lay claim to that power which Jesus speaks of? Is it possible for us to overcome the world as well? I can tell you that it is indeed possible, and as a matter of fact it is more than that... it is the truth... we can overcome the world, if we would only believe.
In the world there is such rancor, turmoil, hatred, and war, but in God, and Jesus Christ we find perfect peace. Though the world is frothing, and men are arguing, and striking out at one another in evil intent, our faith brings us the hope, calm, and love, of Christ’s peace. In Jesus we can find escape from the bitterness that we see and hear swirling around us each day, and by the grace of God we are provided His Son as an escape... are you ready to break away from the insanity?
We live in the world, and we are surrounded by immorality, and sin, yet this is exactly where we belong. We are not being punished by being placed in this position, but offered the opportunity to make a great impact on the souls, and circumstances, of those that we come in contact with. Do you find yourself praying that you be removed from such influences, but wake up every morning in the same place? Well, don’t ask God Why He doesn’t hear you... ask Him why He has you there.
As Christians we are a people set aside, and endowed with a special and remarkable view of each other, authority, and the world. We live apart from the natural order of the world around us, and yet we are able to coexist with it, and function within it, until our savior Jesus Christ returns. We do this by taking on the Spirit, and character, of God, and Jesus Christ. Are you succeeding in remaining Christ-like in the midst of the world’s chaos?
I realized as I sat quietly in my living room chair, that I was mourning much more than the death of a president, but also the passing of a sense of goodness and honor, that in my youth symbolized the United States, and that made our flag venerable; our country and her values worth dying for. I Looked at this goodness, and the noble cause of freedom, through eyes filled with tears and realized that it all poured out from our exercise of faith, and how if that faith could be destroyed then the rest of those things we once valued so deeply would surrender themselves quietly.
Love is central to our faith as Christians, and not just a personal love that is limited to family, friends, and self, but a love that flows into all of the world, and beyond. The love we exhibit is meant to be so profound that it is witnessed and taken as a spectacle in heaven itself! Are you living such a life today? Has your love become other-worldly?
If you are a Christian, and a true believer, then those in the world will hate you. They will dislike you because you are different... because you are a new creation, but most of all because you are like Jesus Christ, and by that I mean “not of this world.” We know this to be the case because we hear it in a conversation (prayer) between Jesus and God Himself.