CHRISTIANS WHO TRULY KNOW “HIM WHO IS NOT OF THIS WORLD” LIVE AND LOVE LIKE HIM
Two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life’s busy way, bringing conviction to my heart, and from my mind will never depart: “Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” With the cultural divide in our world as wide as it is, keep in mind that “things of this world” are temporal whereas “things of God” are eternal.
Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, also a Baptist minister, made a point that bears repeating: “We are fast becoming (a culture of death and) a Godless society.”
Folks: It doesn’t have to be that way. If Christians truly show they know “Him who is not of this world” by living and loving like Him, “things of this world” will fade and give way to spiritual renewal that revitalizes a majority of folks who profess to be Christians so that once again we become a God-honoring people.
If we the Church “turn our eyes upon Jesus” and stay focused on His Name which represents who He is . . . what He has done for us . . . what He wants us to do for Him . . . the lure of the wide and broad way will no longer get our attention . . . the lust for that which the world tries to get us to buy into will most likely dissipate . . . the love of Christ will take hold of us and return us to the strait and narrow path. A big challenge mature Christians have to “deal with” is our attitude toward possessions. It’s really a matter of whether material things possess us as opposed to us possessing them - the latter meaning that we have learned in whatsoever situation we find ourselves, to put possessions into proper perspective.
One of the stark realities of getting older is: You cannot take it with you. Question: Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer? Along that line . . .
A funeral home in Augusta does Chinese funerals. On one occasion visiting a family whose patriarch, born in the old country, had passed away, there was the usual Chinese red, gold-plated casket inside of which had been placed money for spending in the hereafter, as is an ancient Chinese custom. A funeral home assistant told me that he was asked if he thought about replacing the money in the casket with a check made payable to the deceased.
It’s not that Christians don’t need material possessions in the here and now but that, as we mature, we learn to do with less by possessing only that which we need for survival, sustenance and some degree of satisfaction.
Did not Jesus say that He came that we might have life in the hereafter but also abundant life in the here and now.
We’re not talking about a vow of poverty as is the case with a few who see such as their mission in life --- to the extent that they isolate themselves from the world by joining a monastery where “solitude” and “speak not” are rules to be kept by those who stay there.
Heard about a fella who became so pious that he decided the monastery might be the place for him to spend the rest of his life. Upon admission, he was told by the head Monk that he could not speak again until the first anniversary of his becoming a member of their Order.
On his first anniversary he was brought into the head Monk’s presence and told that he could say two words.
He said: “hard beds”. On his second anniversary the two words he spoke were: “lousy food”. On his third anniversary, he was called in so he could speak his two words. He said, “I quit”. Whereupon the head Monk responded, “You might as well because you’ve done nothing but complain ever since you came here!” Do you ever feel like saying, “I quit”?
What is the Christian perspective with regard to possessions while living in a culture so consumed by materialism? Wouldn’t it pretty much be similar to our Lord’s perspective on “the two ways”? Matthew 7:13-14 . . .
Keep in mind that Jesus plainly spoke the truth when He declared: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). To choose the narrow way is to serve God . . . whereas to choose the broad way is to serve mammon - money, materialism. So, the Christian perspective on possessions is to give of one’s best to the Lord our Master – which, if we do, will leave very little or no room for giving ourselves to worldly pursuits, as if such has eternal value.
Why is this so? Why do Christians who truly know “Him who is not of this world” waste none of their valuable time, energy and effort on a hot pursuit of worldly fame, fortune and power? To briefly explore the answer to this question: Who better to turn to for a sincere, heartfelt rendering than the Apostle about whom it is said that Jesus dearly loved him – I John 2:12-17 . . .
The beloved John put it succinctly:
Christians who truly know “Him who is not of this world” waste not valuable resources on a pursuit of worldly fame, fortune and power due to their personal relationship to Father God - who forgives their sins and gives them a wonderful opportunity to abide with Him forever. These Christians so love God who so loved them that they had rather give of themselves to the doing of God’s Will which has lasting value than the pursuing of worldly things which will pass away.
John uses a play on words to make his message all-inclusive – much like we were taught in Army Reserve Officers Training: “Tell them what you are going to tell them . . . tell them . . . then tell them what you told them”. Repeating himself, John addressed his remarks to immature believers . . . spiritually mature believers . . . those who had not yet attained maturity but were continuing to grow in the faith.
Yet, the old apostle lumped everybody into one great big family of God by referring to them as “children” - meaning spiritual children instructed by a loving father. How wonderful it is! To be a part of the Family . . . to have had “mentors” who helped us become mature enough to “conquer the evil one”.
What better advice could we have received - as we were growing toward maturity - than that which John gave to God’s, and his, “little children”: Learn to discern between love for God and love for the world!
At an early age in our physical development we learned to avoid trouble . . . not to touch hot surfaces . . . stay away from those things and those people who could bring us harm.
Early in our Christian walk, we were taught: Love the Lord + Love others (vertical-horizontal relationship symbolized by the Cross) until finally we “caught on”!
We came to realize that to love the Lord is to love others – in word and in deed. The Apostle John came down so hard on believers who say they love the Lord but whose attitude doesn’t reflect it, that he “stepped on some toes” (or, as old-timers used to say, “He’s quit preaching and gone to meddling”) - I John 3:16-18 . . .
Of all the different types of “love” defined in so many ways by so many in our day, there is a higher type of love that means “self-giving” - presented to us in God’s Word by Jesus in terms of a willingness to “lay down our lives” (stretch ourselves to the nth degree) to make sure, as best we can, that the needs of brothers and sisters are met- spiritual, physical, mental, social and, if we have the means, material.
We learned this type of “love” (agape) from our Lord who actually gave his life to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. With his blood He bought us back (redeemed us) and brought us back into fellowship with God who made us, lost us, but never gave up on us!
John concludes that those who have experienced our Lord’s self-giving love never withhold compassion, but, without giving it a second thought, do what they can to help their brothers and sisters in need.
That said, let it also be said: Whereas we are willing to show love to others, there may come a time when we ourselves ought to be willing to receive the love others show to us.
To live and love like Jesus, in a society that is fast becoming Godless, we can make it happen by depending on the Spirit of God to encourage and embolden us. Thus, let us pray for renewal and a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit of God:
“Breathe on me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.” Amen.
