Not Of The World

[Jesus said,] I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 17:14 RSV

We Christians are not to be conformed to the world socially. The world tries to absorb us into its secular society and to conform us to its earthly image, but Christ urges us not to conform. Clearly He says of those who believe in Him, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

The Gulf Stream is in the ocean, and yet it is not a part of it. Believers are in the world, and yet they must not be absorbed by it. The Gulf Stream maintains its warm temperatures even in the icy water of the North Atlantic. If Christians are to fulfill their purposes in the world, they must not be chilled by the indifferent, godless society in which they live.

Much of our talk as Christians is worldly, not spiritual. It is easy to fall into the conversational conformity of the world and spend an evening discussing politics, the new-model cars, and the latest entertainment. We often forget that our conversation should be on heavenly, and not exclusively on earthly, things.

It is true that Jesus dined with the publicans and sinners, but He did not allow the social group to overwhelm Him and conform Him to its ways. He seized every opportunity to present a spiritual truth and to lead a soul from death to life. Our social contacts should not only be pleasant, but they should also be made opportunities to share our faith with those who do not yet know Christ.

Our Father and our God, don’t let me conform myself to this world. Help me, rather, to influence my world to follow You and Your Son. Forgive me for my useless conversations and my idle words. Teach me to seize every opportunity to talk about You and the glory of Christ, through whom I pray. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).