Our Calling
How often do you take time to really think through the wonderful blessing our calling out of this world is? Christ made it clear that as He was not of this world, that those called to follow Him would also be “not of this world.” There is great freedom in that!
Being of the world means that our minds are under the influence of the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). That means following the values, beliefs and actions of the god of this world. This world is influenced by Satan – pure and simple.
The result of this influence is the lack of freedom. Satan deceives people into thinking they are in charge of their lives – free to make decisions and choosing for themselves right and wrong. But in fact, every thought is motivated and controlled by Satan. The prince of the power of the air produces a human mind that reflects Satan’s hatred of God and the way of life as dictated by God’s law (Romans 8:7).
The Apostle John clearly understood this when he wrote, “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). The Apostle Paul understood the nuance of a worldly mind. The expression of these traits is not always obvious. Satan has the ability to present worldliness as an angel of light. It can appear to be very appealing.
He went on to warn God’s people that our minds can be corrupted if we are not on guard. As the serpent deceived Eve, he seeks to corrupt our minds from the simplicity that is in Christ. Paul specifically stated that, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). Satan’s efforts will always be to strip us of the freedom we have in Christ. He much prefers we remain in bondage to sin.
We have freedom within the knowledge of God’s revealed Word. Christ asked the Father to sanctify those brought to Him by the Father – further stating that sanctification was in truth and that God’s word is truth.
Christ plainly stated that His Kingdom is not of this world! We are being trained for a much greater purpose than addressing the affairs of this world. If you have been in turmoil over this recent U.S. election you might want to seriously consider whether you are of the world. Our calling is to be out of the world, not be part of this present evil world.
Let us value our calling very highly. Preserve and protect it.
Brian Orchard
