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Ye are NOT of this World

By Chris McCann
July 9, 2016

According to the world’s system of categorization I am certain things:

I am male. I am middle aged. I am white. I am registered a certain way politically. I am of a certain socio-economic class. I am English speaking, etc, etc.

Many in the world are like me. Many others are not.

The people of the world---worldlings---people that are unsaved---tend to come together in similar groups.

However, this is not the case for God’s elect (truly saved people). An elect child of God does not find fellowship (or a sense of true belonging) with others based on some natural, earthly connection to them.

The reason God’s elect find no fellowship with others of similar sex, race, class, or language--is because Christ has chosen us out of the world. Despite whatever physical (or earthly) traits we may have in common with other people of the world---it is offset by the fact that through salvation God has made it so that we are no longer of the world.

John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

I am male---but I am a male not of the world. I am middle aged---but I am a middle aged person not of the world. I am white---but I am a white person not of the world. I am registered a certain way politically---but I am a person registered a certain way politically that is not of this world. I am of a certain socio-economic class---but I am a person of a socio-economic class that is not of the world. I am an English speaking person from America---but I am an English speaking person from America that is not of the world.

So the world, which lieth in darkness has its constant battles. It argues and fights and bickers about all of its differences (the various categories it divides people into).

The world bites and devours itself over sex, male against female---even though I am a male it is not my fight-- because I am not of this world.

The world bites and devours itself over color or race---even though I am white it is not my fight---because I am not of this world.

The world bites and devours itself over politics---even though I am registered a certain way it is not my fight---because I am not of this world.

The world bites and devours itself over money and class---even though I am of a certain class it is not my fight---because I am not of this world.

The world bites and devours itself over disputes between nations---even though I am an English speaking person from America it is not my fight---because I am not of this world.

Jesus said to Pilate:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

By God’s grace, I am nothing but a lowly servant to the King of kings. Just as all God’s elect are nothing more than humble servants of Christ.

Jesus declared His kingdom to be “not of this world” If it were---His servants would fight. But it is not. Therefore we do not fight in the world’s battles.

God’s citizenry are those chosen out of every tribe, kindred, nation, people, and tongue.

Revelation 7: 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Although the elect of God are pulled from practically every conceivable ‘category’ of the world ---we are not separated by our differences anymore. We (God’s elect) do not view one another by sex, race, class, earthly nation, language, etc, etc, etc. We view each other as equal citizens of the glorious kingdom of God.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

As the world continues on its course of destruction (biting and devouring itself in this terrible time of God’s judgment upon it)---may God’s elect be granted grace and wisdom to avoid the temptation to lower ourselves to join in earthly battles---and in so doing forget that we are no longer of this world.