There is a real sense in which the Christian must be separated from “the world”—and by that term, I mean “society without God.” As the children of God, we are in the world physically but not of the world spiritually. We are sent into the world to let our lights shine and to win others to Christ. But it is only as we maintain our separation from the world—not being contaminated by it—that we can be successful servants of God.

The world wants to “spot” the Christian and start to defile him. First, there is “friendship of the world” which can lead to a love for the world. If we are not careful, we will become conformed to this world, and the result is being condemned with the world. This does not suggest that we lose our salvation, but that we lose all we have lived for.

Lot is an illustration of this principle. First he pitched his tent toward Sodom, and then moved into Sodom. Before long, Sodom moved into him and he lost his testimony even with his own family. When judgment fell on Sodom, Lot lost everything. It was Abraham, the separated believer, the friend of God, who had a greater ministry to the people than did Lot, the friend of the world. It is not necessary for the Christian to get involved with
the world to have a ministry to the world. Jesus was “unspotted,” and yet He was a friend of publicans and sinners. The best way to minister to the needs of the world is to be pure from the defilement of the world.

Verse to remember: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27, NIV).

Related Scripture: John 14:30; 17:11-18; Luke 16:8; James 4:4;1 John 2:15-17; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:32.

Action assignment: Pray that God will keep you from defilement of the world and make you an effective minister for Christ in your world.

Warren Wiersbe
BackToTheBible.in