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In the World But Not of It

The God of power and mercy through His holy word, the Bible, wholly inspired and infallible, spoke of the great divine purpose from the creation of this planet, He chose to reveal many details of His wonderful programme, the picture of His glorious kingdom to be set up on the whole earth soon at Christ’s appearing. He warns (encourages) every individual to believe, work, watch, and pray for its fulfilment. However, He did not create the earth and man upon it that sin and death might reign thereon but that it might reflect to his glory (Numbers 14:21).

God invited Israel to enter into covenant relationship with Him, and He promised that if they did so, He would establish them as His nation upon the earth (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 10:15; 14:2). We read of the generation of Israelites that left Egypt who proved faithless, and were not permitted to enter the promised land because of disobedience toward God. They were opportunists, not men committed to the mission. They involved themselves in the things of the world which were their idols, stumbling blocks to them in the fellowship with God and the cause of their destruction.

That evil, adulterous, violent, godless age became a type of that which Christ warned would exist at the epoch of his coming, evidence of what is happening today, “Every man did that which is right in his own eyes”. People no longer fear God but enjoy happily doing beastly acts, eg sexual immorality and violence, without shame. They do not want to recognise “God created man in His own image. In God’s image He created him: male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27), so that they should reflect Him. But man and woman have made themselves beasts mentally, burned in their lust, professing themselves to be wise they became fools (Rom 1:22).

It is important for us to show by word and deed that we belong to Christ, a spiritual Israel- a lovely family of God, cemented by mutual loyalty to Christ, a separate people, or as the apostle said, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that we should show forth praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9), chasing away lusts and whatever form of fleshly desires in our hearts and minds which are a snare, a trap to us, a scourge in our sides and thorns in our eyes that are the spiritual destruction that might stop us inheriting God’s glorious kingdom at Christ’s coming.

Like Jesus Christ, we must fix our mind to the goal. By meditating upon the joy set before us, we are able to endure the trials that come our way through prayer and daily reading of God’s word - pressing on toward the mark for the prize (Philippians 3:14).