Imitating Christ—for Love of the World

The Christian should not be surprised if the world hates him. The Word the Lord gave us, if it has taken root in our lives and shows signs of transforming the way we live, will show that we are not of this world. The Word also has the purpose of sanctifying us (setting us apart) for the glory of God.

From the moment we are entrusted with the Word of God and strive to make it a reality in our lives, the world begins to become a place where we no longer belong. A mistaken interpretation of the concept of the “world” led many men and women to become ascetics—that is, to live religiously and austerely as hermits, completely apart from the world and society, devoting themselves only to prayer, meditation, and communion with God. But that is not the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He desires quite the opposite: although we are not of the world, we have been sent into the world to fulfill a glorious mission.

When the Bible speaks of the world, it is not referring to people, but to every spiritual empire and stronghold that works within a person to draw them away from God’s purposes and will. These forces at work are always attractive and, of course, sinful. Sin is the world’s jester, and it turns the natural man into a marionette who, like the devil’s puppet, moves according to his will, rebels against God, and makes God his enemy. The world is the earthly stage on which the Christian must interact and fight with the weapons of the Spirit. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

God so loved the world that hated him that he sent Jesus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten (only) Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

We are not of the world because, by Christ and through Christ, we are set apart for God, by his grace and not by works. Incredible as it may seem, we must become aware that our citizenship is in heaven. Christ’s blood on the cross paid the cost of our new citizenship, the price of our passports, so that, from this present moment, while living in this world, we can have eternity in view.

He brought us out of the world’s darkness and into his marvelous light. “I, the Light, have come into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. (John 12:46). I wonder how people can reject the Light and love the darkness. I wonder whether we are truly being light in a world shrouded in darkness.

It is no wonder that we are rejected by the world. The world does not know that the word of God in Christ gives us power to do God’s will. To have Christ is to have the Word of God. Jesus is the Word made flesh. The Bible has a unifying thread from Genesis to Revelation: the promise of a redemption that begins with Christ and will end with Him. The enormous challenge is to live in the world without being part of it any longer, to reject those forces opposed to the kingdom of God and, even so, to love people as God loves them, to feel compassion for people who do not have Christ, whether an ordinary human being or an arrogant multimillionaire.

How are we influencing this world with the Word of God? Are you giving the world the word of eternal life? That is our challenge. Let us imitate Christ. He promised to be with us until the end. “…and remember (behold)! I am with you every day, until the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20)

God bless you!