The earth is the
Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Ps
24:1). God designed the earth beautifully and gave man dominion to rule
over it. But after the devil lost his place in heaven, he organized,
orchestrated, and sponsored a pattern around the world in order to
destroy man. This pattern is called the world system. The world system
has its own principles, ideologies and thought patterns based on lies
from the pits of hell. It is ruled and controlled by the prince of the
power of the air, the god of this world, the devil and built around the
adamic sinful nature in man which is what drives and fuels it.
Everything in the world system is constantly incensed and rebellious
against God and His kingdom.
There is a constant conflict between the principles of the world system and the principles of God. This is why they hated Jesus and the words He spoke; this is why the disciples persistently faced persecution and this is the same reason why everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2Tim 3:12). And it’s simply because the things which the world counts valuable do not count before God as the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God (1 Cor. 3:19).
The whole world system is based on men's lustful desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all that they have. The world system even has its own standards. It says the beautiful women are those who are slim, up to a certain height, with some parts of their body big enough and having a certain shape and if you are not anything close to that you are inferior when God’s verdict is that you were wonderfully made. So you see many women wasting hours of their lives in front of mirrors, painting their lips and faces, with all sorts of hairstyles trying to look flashy like Beyonce because that’s when the world will say they look gorgeous. They go for tummy tucks, go for plastic surgery to change the shape of their nose, lips, and do all sorts just to fit in. The world system says, a handsome man must be muscular, and tall and have a certain skin shade, leading many ladies to miss God’s plan for their lives and end up with regrets. The world celebrates you as a success when you have a private jet, a Limousine, an architecturally magnificent mansion, expensive labels of clothings and jewelry, and a Swiss bank account. Some people even try to use God as a means to achieve success which the world would applaud. They pray and fast to be what the world says they ought to be. You even see churches building edifices in order to be viewed as glamorous by the world and some preachers mentioning the name of their designer suit and shoes. The world even goes to the extent of ranking people over each other, creating lists and awards of richest people, finest people, and greatest people based on its standards so others are considered as failures and seethe with jealousy. So, according to the definitions of the world men like Paul that died without building a house, or having riches, and even ended up being beheaded were total failures. Yet in the eyes of God, these men of faith were the truly successful and great ones.
My friend, the more you try to look like what the world thinks you should look like, the more empty and frustrated you become, and the farther you go from being conformed to the image of Christ which the Father desires for you (Rom. 8:29). The world wants to squeeze you into its mould but the word of God says “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).
The world will attack you as a true Christian because the world system is persistently at loggerheads with the way of the Lord. James said “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Whenever you are in step and in tune with God, you become out of step with the world, you don’t appeal to the world, you become undesirable to the world, you are not cool enough for the world. So whenever the world is no longer hostile to your way of doing things, whenever the world begins to applaud you and approve your life, whenever the world is at peace with you and becomes friendly with you, whenever your words no longer pricks the world, you can be very sure that you are out of step with God, you are most certainly out of the will of God and have become an enemy of God. You can’t be in step with God and be in step with the world. You can’t have one leg in God and one leg in the world, you are either with God or with the world (Matt. 6:24).
You see, once your heart starts getting attached to the world, and the desire of the world is beginning to lay hold on your heart, the truth is that you are gradually slipping into destruction. As followers of Christ, we are strangers and pilgrims in this present world (1 Pet 2:11), we are in this world but not of this world (John 15:19). Our home is not here, for here we do not have a continuing city, but we are looking for the city that is to come (Heb 13:14). Beware! The devil has designed the world system to destroy you on your journey into eternal rest as a pilgrim and it has brought down many vibrant men and women of God.
In conclusion, “Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh (craving for sensual gratification) and the lust of the eyes (greedy longings of the mind) and the pride of life (assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things), these do not come from the Father but are from the world. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides forever” (1John 2:15-17).
There is a constant conflict between the principles of the world system and the principles of God. This is why they hated Jesus and the words He spoke; this is why the disciples persistently faced persecution and this is the same reason why everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2Tim 3:12). And it’s simply because the things which the world counts valuable do not count before God as the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God (1 Cor. 3:19).
The whole world system is based on men's lustful desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all that they have. The world system even has its own standards. It says the beautiful women are those who are slim, up to a certain height, with some parts of their body big enough and having a certain shape and if you are not anything close to that you are inferior when God’s verdict is that you were wonderfully made. So you see many women wasting hours of their lives in front of mirrors, painting their lips and faces, with all sorts of hairstyles trying to look flashy like Beyonce because that’s when the world will say they look gorgeous. They go for tummy tucks, go for plastic surgery to change the shape of their nose, lips, and do all sorts just to fit in. The world system says, a handsome man must be muscular, and tall and have a certain skin shade, leading many ladies to miss God’s plan for their lives and end up with regrets. The world celebrates you as a success when you have a private jet, a Limousine, an architecturally magnificent mansion, expensive labels of clothings and jewelry, and a Swiss bank account. Some people even try to use God as a means to achieve success which the world would applaud. They pray and fast to be what the world says they ought to be. You even see churches building edifices in order to be viewed as glamorous by the world and some preachers mentioning the name of their designer suit and shoes. The world even goes to the extent of ranking people over each other, creating lists and awards of richest people, finest people, and greatest people based on its standards so others are considered as failures and seethe with jealousy. So, according to the definitions of the world men like Paul that died without building a house, or having riches, and even ended up being beheaded were total failures. Yet in the eyes of God, these men of faith were the truly successful and great ones.
My friend, the more you try to look like what the world thinks you should look like, the more empty and frustrated you become, and the farther you go from being conformed to the image of Christ which the Father desires for you (Rom. 8:29). The world wants to squeeze you into its mould but the word of God says “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).
The world will attack you as a true Christian because the world system is persistently at loggerheads with the way of the Lord. James said “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Whenever you are in step and in tune with God, you become out of step with the world, you don’t appeal to the world, you become undesirable to the world, you are not cool enough for the world. So whenever the world is no longer hostile to your way of doing things, whenever the world begins to applaud you and approve your life, whenever the world is at peace with you and becomes friendly with you, whenever your words no longer pricks the world, you can be very sure that you are out of step with God, you are most certainly out of the will of God and have become an enemy of God. You can’t be in step with God and be in step with the world. You can’t have one leg in God and one leg in the world, you are either with God or with the world (Matt. 6:24).
You see, once your heart starts getting attached to the world, and the desire of the world is beginning to lay hold on your heart, the truth is that you are gradually slipping into destruction. As followers of Christ, we are strangers and pilgrims in this present world (1 Pet 2:11), we are in this world but not of this world (John 15:19). Our home is not here, for here we do not have a continuing city, but we are looking for the city that is to come (Heb 13:14). Beware! The devil has designed the world system to destroy you on your journey into eternal rest as a pilgrim and it has brought down many vibrant men and women of God.
In conclusion, “Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh (craving for sensual gratification) and the lust of the eyes (greedy longings of the mind) and the pride of life (assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things), these do not come from the Father but are from the world. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides forever” (1John 2:15-17).
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