In this conference message (uploaded to the podcast), I address the paradox in the New Testament concerning the world.
On the one hand, Christians are to love the world because God loves it. But on the other hand, we are exhorted to love not the world.
The message resolves the paradox and explores our relationship to the world. You can listen to it in the following ways:
Milt Rodriguez
Excellent, excellent message! I enjoyed every bit of it. So spot on. I have to agree with Nancy how some of our journey in Christ is absolutely downright embarrassing. When we are young in Christ we do a lot of foolish stuff. Just like children we mature in Christ also. Messages like this one Frank can save and help people from so much damage. I wish I heard these messages when I first became a believer in Christ. I was already damaged goods and then instead of things getting better it all seemed to get much much worse. Ah, but in the end_ I learned what real freedom in Christ is.
I have to agree with you Frank_ knowing who we are in Christ is of the utmost importance. When I finally learned who I was in Christ (and still am) and when I realized how much He loves me by experiential knowledge is when my whole life began to really change. From the inside to the out. Just the opposite of what I had been taught and was striving to do.
Oh God is so good and His Word is so true!
Great message Frank. I look forward to listening to more.
God Bless you brother in Christ.
LB
Hi Frank
Great encouragement brother, speaking the truth in Love!
Absolutely! Hence our calling to be salt and light. Thanks, Mainpain! 🙂
Frank, I really enjoyed this message. When I first became a believer, I was very much “of the world.” I met the Lord in 2005 at age 22, when I was about 5 1/2 years into a 7-year drug addiction. In other words, I was still using for another year-and-a-half after I met Jesus. I treated his grace (initially) as cheap. I was a libertine.
In late September of 2006, Jesus let me know, in no uncertain terms, that my lifestyle was incompatible with being his. I knew that I was at a crossroads. I stopped using THAT day. No more drugs. No more alcohol. I’ve been clean ever since.
I was, at the time, a gigging musician (locally). My playing music was so bound with my drug and alcohol use that to quit one, I needed to quit the other. It was the same with “secular” music; listening to it would bring up those old feelings. So I had to sever ties with those things.
The problem came about when I tried to impose what the Holy Spirit was teaching me upon everyone else. I went from being a libertine to a legalist. I was adamant that Christians should not be listening to “secular” music or watching any movies containing anything “inappropriate.” Oh, and Christians shouldn’t drink…period.
God has brought me a long way since then. Just recently have I been able to again enjoy some of the music I had put away. (I’m thinking now of how you said in the message that we can “use” the things in the world without being “entangled” by them; before, I was entangled). I know that, because of my past, I don’t need to have a drink, but I cannot impose that on my brothers and sisters; they are not sinning if they choose to partake.
Needless to say, I damaged some relationships during the legalistic period of my walk. I know I misrepresented God to some of my friends who don’t know him. Have you known anyone that has gone from being a libertine, to a cold legalist, and then emerged wanting to know what it really means to follow Jesus, and how they went about seeking reconciliation? How does one admit that he was confused about some things while still acknowledging Jesus’ lordship?
@Dustin – Thank you for this refreshingly honest post. It sometimes takes courage to tell your story, especially when it is an honest telling. I hope your story helps others face themselves.
No way to bring the Good News to the world if we are isolated from it, but to be set apart by God and then set back in the world, with the infilling of the Holy Spirit and right teaching, we can tell our story and show others the Grace that we have so abundantly received. In the world and not of it means, to me, to infiltrate, to demonstrate the cross and resurrection to the world around around us.
Dustin, it’s a long journey and a lot of our journey is down right embarrassing. You’re in good company. Carry on then; only look back to learn. God bless!
Thanks for the reminder, Nancy! God bless you too. 🙂