Without
God
Without God
A World
T
The term ‘the world’ is regularly
referred to in the New Testament
with very negative connotations.
Is it a place, a system, a people
or all of the above? Jesus said, it
hates us (John 15:19), that Satan
rules over it (John 16:11) and that
it will give us trouble (John 16:33).
It is the enemy of God (James 4:4)
and we are warned not to love it.
(1 John 2:15).
SO WHAT IS ‘THE WORLD’?
When used in this context, it is
not referring to the natural world,
the earth with its flora and fauna,
but speaks of a godless, devilish
system of thinking and behaving.
It consists of people who are
bankrupt of God, His values
and virtues, a people who have
rejected God and are controlled
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by sin and Satan.
Jesus has called us out of that
system and from among that
people. This does not mean that
we are in a separate location
physically, but that we are created
to be different. So, though we are
in the world we do not belong to it
“As a follower of the Lord, I order
you to stop living like stupid,
godless people. Their minds are
in the dark, and they are stubborn
and ignorant and have missed out
on the life that comes from God.
They no longer have any feelings
about what is right, and they are
so greedy that they do all kinds of
indecent things.” Ephesians 4:1719
This system is so repulsive to God
that Peter writing by inspiration,
July - September 2016
likened it to mud and vomit (2 Peter
2:22). God, Himself, will not touch
anyone who is corrupted by it. He
warns that He will soon burn it
with unquenchable fire, along with
those who gorge themselves with
it. And He does this as if to purge
the earth of its rot and stench. For
God to accept us we must, “Come
out from among them and be
separate, says the Lord. Do not
touch what is unclean, and I will
receive you.” “I will be a Father
to you, and you shall be My sons
and daughters, Says the Lord
Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
(NKJV)
TYPES OF ‘THE WORLD’
In the Old Testament before the
coming of the Kingdom of Heaven
there was not a division between