It is sometimes said that God’s people are to be “in (but not of) the world.”
The thinking goes back to Jesus himself: “My prayer is not that you take them [i.e. his disciples, then and now] out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15).
Although we all live on planet earth together, to be in (but not of) the world, means that we live according to the ways of God instead of just blending in to the values and priorities of the culture around us. We don’t always share the a common understanding about what is true and untrue, or about what we humans are called to be and do while here on earth.
In this sermon on James 4 from November 8, 2020, I explore what the Bible teaches about being “in” but not “of” the world, some examples of being “of the world,” some common pitfalls people make, why friending God means un-friending the world, and some helpful how-to’s for resisting the evil one and drawing nearer to God.
The YouTube version is here, and the audio-only download is underneath:
Audio-only download:
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Matthew Ruttan 