"The World."

by CECIL BELTON | Category: The World, The Flesh, And The Devil. | May 1936

"Ye are not of the world." In Ephesians 2. we are viewed as quickened, raised, and seated in the heavenlies in Christ. Set by Divine grace in a position that the Adversary, with all his malignity and hatred cannot reach. We are seen seated on high, our life hid with Christ in God. No longer in the domain of Satan, "Translated out of the power (authority) of darkness, into the kingdom of the Son of His love." Thus we are not of the world. In John 15. and 17., however, the believing ones are viewed as still in the world (though truly not of it) and therefore liable to all the open assaults and veiled temptations of the Evil one launched at them through the ready medium of the world, and subject to all that the hatred of the world can contrive to vex them with. "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them from (out of) the world; but that Thou shouldest keep them from (out of) the evil one." Not of the world, yet in the world, and to be kept from the Evil one. What? left down here to be exposed to such temptation and hatred! Why is this? Why were we not when we were born again, translated into the presence of our Saviour, where the Evil one could not work us ill?

"As Thou didst send Me into the world, even so sent I

them into the world"John 17. 18.

"Children of God .... lights in the world, holding forth

the word of life"Philippians 2. 15-17.

"Ye are the light of the world"Matthew 5. 14.

The purpose for which we are sent into the world corresponds, though in a lesser degree, with the purpose for which the Lord was sent into the world. The Son of God was Light and Life, Compare 1 John 1. 5-" God is Light." John 10. 36-" I am the Son of God." John 8. 12-" I am the Light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness; but shall have the light of life." He is Light and Life, and has brought light and life to untold myriads. By grace we are numbered with that host of blessed ones who have become children of God. We, then, children of God, are sent into the world as lights; and, shining with a light that emanates not from ourselves, but with a light reflected from the Light Himself, we are expected to be instrumental in bringing life and light to those whom He shall yet call into the blessed relationship of children-into His kingdom and glory.

We may seriously ask ourselves here, "Is His purpose being fulfilled in us"? If we desire an answer we may find it in the world's attitude towards us. John 3. contrasts the love of ill doers for the darkness, with their hatred of the light that reproves; compare with this John 15. 18, 19. "The world hateth you." "Me it hated." Hatred will be shown to the light-bearers as it was to the Light Himself. This hatred is manifested by the efforts of the world to suppress the light; it may he by persecution of the light-bearers, or-and this is more evident in these last days, by gradually conforming us to its ways; slowly enveloping us in the darkness, as we become more and more engrossed in its business, pleasure, politics, or its religion.

Matthew 5. 14. "A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house." As divinely lighted lamps we are not to shroud the light-rays by our becoming absorbed in business, as signified here by the "bushel," nor allow them to be smothered by a love of ease and pleasure, as typified by the "bed" of Mark 4. 21; neither are they to be hidden away in a monastery, a convent, or any equivalent seclusion, as suggested by the "cellar" (or "secret place "} in Luke 11. 38.

The end that the Evil one has in view in thus using the world to entice us, is the overcoming of the light. Shall he succeed? Alas! he may in individual cases. Nevertheless God will still have His light-bearers here, and the rays of heavenly light shining amidst the ever-thickening night, until the Sun of Righteousness arises in all His darkness-dispelling splendour.

There is yet another reason why we have been left in the world.

"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples,

if ye have love one to another"John 18. 35.

Can men see in us a heavenly-kindled love? More often they perceive indications of a love for the things of this world, that if fostered and fed, may-yes, must eventually develop into love of the world.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the

world, if any man love the world the love of the Father is

not in him"1 John 2. 15.

"The friendship of the world is ENMITY WITH GOD; whosoever would be a friend of the world maketh himself an

enemy of God" James 4. 4.

"Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" 2Timothy 4.10.

Here is a sad possibility: that one for whom Christ gave Himself up to deliver " out of this present evil world (age)," one who by Divine grace is no longer "of the world," and who will never know its judgement, may even be found on the side of the Enemy of his Redeemer! Oh, if we could be ever and deeply conscious of the dreadful price paid to deliver us out of this present evil age, we could not but be constantly ready to say sincerely and heartily with the Apostle- "Far be it from me that I should glory, save in the cross

of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been

crucified unto me, and I unto the world"

Galatians 6. 14.

The Cross stands between us and the world. It was the world that put our Lord to death thereon and sealed its own condemnation thereby. The world is, or should be, reckoned, dead to us. The Cross is also the world's estimate of the worth of His claims, and it will be the world's estimate of the place that His followers ought to have. They will be regarded as worthy of death in its eyes.

If, as I have said, we could realise in anything like am adequate degree the tremendous price He paid for our deliverance, the Lord Jesus and His love for us would so fill our hearts that there would be no room at all for love of worldly things to creep in-no danger of our forsaking Divine things because we had fallen in love with the present age.

"Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth."

John 17. 17.

The Cross, and the Truth as learned from the Word of God, must ever have this separating effect upon us; "setting us apart" from the world and its ways, and setting us apart" unto God for a holy purpose. We want to keep in mind this twofold thought in sanctification. It has a negative and a positive aspect, separation from, and separation to. We cannot be separated unto God unless we are separated from things contrary to Him; but we may sever ourselves from many evils, and yet not know what separation unto God means. Sanctification is not a lop-sided but an equally-balanced thing. If the Cross is lost sight of and the Truth neglected, we may very soon become "like them that go down to the pit"; although, thanks to divine grace, we can never become of them that "go down to the pit."

"The grace of God .... bringing salvation ... instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world (age) looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto [Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works."

Titus 2. 11-14.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not fashioned according to this world (age) : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Romans 12. 1-2.

The grace of God instructs us, and the mercies of God appeal to us. Can we be obdurate in the face of such instruction, or unaffected by such appeal? Can it be that we refuse to give Him that and be to Him what it has cost Him so much to acquire? Can it be? Surely it ought not, it must not be!

CECIL BELTON | May 1936
The World, The Flesh, And The Devil.