A World of Difference

The world is in rebellion against God and His anointed, Jesus Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Ps 2; 1 Tim 6:15). The sons of Adam have become children of the devil (1 Cor 15:22; 1 Jn 3:10). The devil is a fallen angel, the god of this world, who blinds the minds of men (2 Cor 4:4).

Being deceived, the ungodly sons of disobedience follow the course of this world (Eph 2:2), being worldly-minded (Jude 1:19), with every intent of their heart, being evil all the time (Gen 6:5). All people are lawless sinners, by nature (Rom 3:23; Eph 2:3; 1 Jn 3:4). They perform evil deeds of various kinds and to various degrees (Rom 1:18–32; Gal 5:19–21).

God hates those who do iniquity (Ps 5:5; 11:5). He is angry with them every day (Ps 7:11), and His wrath is revealed against all of their ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). In addition, God has fixed a day, in which He will judge the world (Acts 17:31). All people ever conceived in sin (Ps 51:5), in their mother’s womb must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), that is, Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge (2 Tim 4:8).

Jesus Christ is not of this world (Jn 17:14, 16). In fact, He set aside the glory He shared with God the Father (Jn 17:22; Phil 2:5–11), and humbled himself by taking on flesh (Jn 1:14), being in the likeness of man, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). This was absolutely essential for Him, in order to fulfill His mission, as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29), for He came to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21).

In His work, as the great high priest of His people (Heb 4:14), Israel (Is 49:6; Gal 6:16), Jesus did not pray for the world (Jn 17:9). Rather, He interceded for those who were given to Him by God the Father (Jn 6:37). He prayed that His chosen remnant would be kept safe, while they are in the world, for the devil prowls like a lion, with the intent of devouring his unsuspecting prey (1 Pet 5:8).

As the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), Satan labors to deceive the hearts and minds (souls) of men (Jn 8:44). His first and universal promise is to convince people they shall become like god (Gen 3:5). The way of the master deceiver is to cause men to focus on self. He is the lord of self-improvement. In this manner, he aids the pride of man.

In keeping His people safe, in the devil’s world system, Jesus Christ sends His people into the whole world to bear witness of Him, who is true (Jn 7:18; 8:26). In a world of lies, truth-tellers are not welcome because the truth exposes the lies, as light permeates the darkness (Jn 1:5; 3:19). The children of Light are sent (Eph 5:8); Phil 2:15), to let their lights so shine before men (Mt 5:16).

The kingdom of this world is the domain of darkness (Col 1:13). God’s chosen people, having come into the marvelous light of the kingdom of God, are not to love the world, nor the things of the world (1 Jn 2:15). For those who love the world have no love for God the Father (Jn 5:42).

The end of this world is utter destruction (2 Pet 3:10–12); therefore, the child of God is to set His mind on the things of heaven, the things of the Spirit of God (Col 3:2), not on the things of the flesh and the world (Rom 8:5–6). The one who has received the life-giving Spirit of Christ has the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16; 2 Cor 3:16). He is constrained by the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:14), who first loved him (1 Jn 4:19), demonstrating this love by laying down His life for His beloved people (Jn 15:20), His church (Eph 5:25).

God sent His only begotten Son, in love, for those He predestined as sons (Eph 1:4–5), from people groups all over the world (Jn 3:16; Rev 5:9). God the Father draws those He has given to His Son (Jn 6:44) to come to Him (Jn 6:37), as the only Savior of sinners (Acts 4:12; Titus 2:13). These are granted repentance (Acts 5:31) and faith to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Phil 1:29).

The good news is that whosoever believes in God’s one and only Son will not perish, but they have eternal life (Jn 3:16). It is Jesus Christ, who gives eternal life (Jn 10:28), to those who God has appointed to life (Acts 13:48). These believe because God has sent His Spirit (Gal 4:6), to regenerate their dead souls (1 Pet 1:3) and baptize them into the body of Christ His church, giving them the common faith handed down to all the saints in history and around the world (Jude 1:3). The fruit of the indwelling Spirit is faithfulness (Gal 5:22). In other words, he who has the Spirit has the very gift of God that generates faith in him (Acts 2:38; 10:45), as a fruit of His gracious work (Gal 5:22).

Salvation is the gift of God (Eph 2:8–9), and we who have received the Son (Jn 1:12–13; 3:36; 1 Jn 5:12) know the things freely given to us by God (1 Cor 2:21). The world does not know Jesus (Jn 1:10). It does not see or know the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17). It also does not know the Father (Jn 17:25).

God’s chosen people are not of the world (Jn 17:14, 16), which is why the world hates them (Jn 17:8). Jesus chose His own out of the world, and He has given them His victory over the world (Jn 16:33; 1 Jn 5:4), secured at the cross of Calvary. With His Word given to them, which they believe, by His grace given to them, they go into all the world to make this Gospel known to all (Jn 17:18, 23).

My dear reader, make no mistake, the world is passing away (1 Cor 7:31; 1 Jn 2:17), but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Who is that you ask? Jesus Christ is the only one, who has done the will of God without sin. He is the eternal Son of God, who lives forever. All those who are in Christ, share in His eternal kingdom. Those who remain in the kingdom of this world will share in the world’s demise. That is a world of difference.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

December 18, 2022