Being in the World, But not of it.

At a bible study the other night I was really challenged by
the subject of “being in the world, but not of it.” What does that
mean? What is the difference? The person leading the study had a
really neat picture of it (as follows). “…broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction…strait is the gait and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life..” (Matthew 7:13-14). You can picture those verses
from the sermon on the mount like this: A broad road with the things
of life on it. Thinks like waking up, sleeping, eating, working,
driving and playing. But on the path there are also many sinful
things. Things like hate, lust, guilt, wrong relationships, lying, and
disobedience etc. Furthermore this path is leading in one direction,
destruction. But in the middle of this path there is a small (very
small) path heading in the opposite direction, Christ-likeness. The
smaller path takes part in the things of life (the first list) but
rejects the sinful things. Instead it partakes in peace, love, freedom
(true freedom), Godly relationships, honesty, obedience, faith, hope,
and joy. The small path is in the middle of the broad path but heading
in the opposite direction.
So how? How do we keep ourselves from being like the world?
It is so easy to be caught in the “down-stream current”. I know, I
know, this is a very common answer but it is SO important that is
can’t be stressed too much; read/meditate on/memorize the Bible. “Thy
word have I hid in my heart that I might now sin against thee” (Psalm
119:11). The Bible will keep you from sin, sin will keep you from the
Bible, remember that. Another way to keep ourselves from the world is
to admit to God that you can’t do it on your own (and cry out for
strength). The surest way to fail is to stand on your own. “Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth take head lest he fall” (I
Corinthians 10:12). You’ve probably heard the expression “you are what
you eat”. Well I like to say, “you are what you think”. What you
think, becomes how you act. Do you think on things of the world? The
apostile Paul saw the importance of this when he said “bring into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians
10:5b). And then later he gave a list of things to fill out minds.
“Finally, brethren , whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be and praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Proverbs 4:23-27 gives a good set of directions as well. It starts out
by telling us to “keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it
are the issues of life”. And it ends by telling us to “Turn not the
right hand nor the left; remove thy foot form evil.” Another verse
that tells us how to remain unspotted from the world is Colossians
3:2. “Set your affection (singular) on things above, not on things on
the earth.” I want to end on one last verse. This I think is key.
Romans 12 :2a: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind.”