A Balanced Walk (Pt 1)

How do we live in a world that is growing more wicked by the day?

How does the Christian stay distinct and separate from worldliness without isolating himself from unbelievers?

What is “the world”?

A kingdom ruled and empowered by Satan that consists of the unbelievers in our generation who show their ignorance of God and their opposition to God by the way they think and act. —Randy Leedy

1 John 3:13 ESV

13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

What do we learn about the term “world” for this text?

If the hates then what can we deduce about the world? Speaking about people not merely a system. What’s the difference?

Ephesians 2:2–3 ESV

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

What are the people of this world like? Who are they following?

Galatians 1:4 ESV

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

John 15:18–19 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 17:6 ESV

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

John 17:14 ESV

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Why does the world hate Christians?

1 John 3:1 ESV

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

What do you think it means then to be in the world, but not of the world?

Can you have the approval of both the world and God?

Relating to the World

1 Corinthians 5:9–13 ESV

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

What is the big distinction that Paul makes in this text?

What does Paul tell us not to do?

We do not have permission to hate or avoid sinners.

Have we engaged in a form of soft monasticism?

We have been called to live on this earth among them, and we are to build redemptive relationships with them.

What should those relationships look like?

How much of a friend should we be with unbelievers?

What is the balanced approach we all need to implement?

Paradox #1: In, Not Of the World

John 17:13–18 ESV

13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

What was Jesus’ prayer for His disciples?

Why do you think he prays this for them?

John 17:14 ESV

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

What does Jesus mean when he states that Christians are not “of this world”?

We are in the world in terms of location, but we are not of the world in terms of source.

Before we were saved, the world was our source. We found our identity and value in its entertainment, education, recreation, and economics.

How do you see this in your own life?

What things still compete with your new identity in Christ?

1 John 2:15 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

What does that mean? We can have a working relationship with it, but not a loving relationship with it.

So what should be the balanced approach for how we interact in the world?

What are some ways that Christians absorb the thinking or practices of the world?

What do you value?