Love Not the World, 2

 

~  Because The World Hates You ~

 

Introduction to This Series ~ The word world does not refer to the physical world and all its creative beauty. Rather, it refers to the world system, its typical beliefs and often anti-God actions.

 

Scripture ~ Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.'’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:18-21). 

 

Christ’s Prayer to The Father for You ~ “I gave them your Word; the godless world hated them because of it, because they didn’t join the world’s ways, just as I didn’t join the world’s ways.  I’m not asking that you take them out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One.  They are no more defined by the world than I am defined by the world.  Make them holy — consecrated — with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth” (John 17:14-17, The Message).

 

Comment ~ No Christian should be surprised when they encounter resistance or even persecution because of their beliefs.

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Be an insider!  Sign up for his author NEWSLETTER and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time. 

 

NOTES:

(1)      The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)      There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)      You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)      You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

 

~~~~~~~~~~

Love Not the World, 1

 

~  Because The World Hates Christ ~

 

Introduction to This Series ~ The word world does not refer to the physical world and all its creative beauty. Rather, it refers to the world system, its typical beliefs and often anti-God actions.

 

Scripture ~ “Then Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come’” (John 7:6-8).

 

Christ’s Prayer to The Father for You ~ “I gave them your Word; the godless world hated them because of it, because they didn’t join the world’s ways, just as I didn’t join the world’s ways.  I’m not asking that you take them out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One.  They are no more defined by the world than I am defined by the world.  Make them holy — consecrated — with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth” (John 17:14-17, The Message).

 

Comment ~ “My time has not yet fully come.” God (Jesus) came down to earth the first time to suffer a cruel death to pay for all the sins (past, present, and future) of those who accept His free gift of salvation. When He comes a second time to judge those who have not accepted Him as their Savior His time will have fully come.

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Trios of Evil, 6of6

~ The World – The Flesh – The Devil ~

These are three great foes which every Christian faces regularly!  The Christian receives opposition from 1) the Culture Around us, 2) the Flesh Within us, and 3) the Devil Against us.

The World (around us) ~ The world refers to the world system and its values which surround us.  Anyone familiar with the Word of God knows these norms are contrary to the teaching of Scripture.  “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?” (James 4:4-5).

remedy:  “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).

The Flesh (within us) ~ “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).  Jesus Christ said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon [money, material things]” (Matthew 6:24).

remedy:  “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-5).

The Devil (against us) ~ “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11-12).

remedy:  “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9). 

The Bottom Line ~ Our battle is spiritual, not physical, therefore the only remedies are spiritual.  The Word of God and the Spirit of God will build our faith so that we can be increasingly victorious while we wait for the return of our Savior.  As we attentively listen to these two great resources we will be putting on the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-20 – see 9 previous posts in February 2014). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .