“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
The idea of being "in the world but not of the world" has been spoken about in Christian subculture so much that it's kind of started to lose all meaning.
This phrase refers to what Jesus said about those who choose to follow Him (John 15:19; John 17:14-16)—and how the world will persecute them. The apostle Paul talks about this concept in some of his letters to the new Christian churches too (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:1).
Satan is "Prince of the World"
“The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.”
When the word "world" is used in the New Testament, it's a translation of the Greek word cosmos, which most often refers to the planet earth and its human inhabitants. In correct context, it refers to those who live their lives in rejection of God and godless systems of power that run the world.
Satan is the Prince of this "cosmos" (John 12:31; John 16:11). In one of John's letters, he mentions that the "whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Basically, the system of the world is ruled by Satan, and that's not something we ought to be a part of.
Sin No Longer Rules Us
“Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Belief in Christ transforms us and gives us an opportunity to change for the better (Romans 12:2). Our hearts' desires will begin to turn away from the the things of the world as we strive to be more like Jesus.
We're no longer a part of that world because we're no longer slaves to our sinful desires (Romans 6:1-7). We can choose to leave the evil principles of the world behind.
We may be physically present in the world, but we don't have to be a part of the world's values. We're set apart from the wickedness of the cosmos when we seek to live a holy, righteous life (John 17:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9). And sin can no longer condemn us (Romans 8:1).
We're not perfect. We're in process.
“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
If you're worried that you'll never be good enough for God, please stop. Being saved doesn't make us automatically stop sinning. God designed humans with free will—not to be subservient robots. We can still make our own decisions.
But with Christ, we don't have to make harmful choices (Galatians 5:1). With Christ, we have the power to choose NOT to give in to the sinful temptations of the world (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 4:13). We can choose not to dwell on the corruption and darkness when the world shoves it into our eyes and ears (Philippians 4:8).
We're not expected to do it perfectly, but we are expected to TRY (Romans 12:1-2). Spiritual growth and maturity comes with practice—a commitment to follow Jesus in His power (2 Corinthians 12:9). And we're encouraged to grow together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Ambassadors of Another World
“This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
So if we're not "of this world," where do we belong? Once we've accepted Christ, we're adopted into God's eternal family (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we belong to HIS world—the heavenly realm (Romans 8:14-17). God forgives His children and anticipates their entrance to heaven when they die (John 3:16-17).
We're like ambassadors for heaven—visiting a world that is not our home, showing people the beauty of God's Kingdom, and inviting them to come back with us (Hebrews 13:14-16). We're lights of hope to those who are stumbling around in spiritual darkness.
Don't Hate This World
“Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
Now, just because this world is not our home, that doesn't mean we should actively hate it. We can still enjoy this beautiful world God has given us. We can still experience joy, happiness, and contentment. And we do so by following Christ's example in our words and actions, living by biblical principles, and taking guidance from the Holy Spirit.
The world's desires are not the desires of heaven's ambassadors. Personal pleasure is no longer our goal in life, as it once was. Instead, our goal is the worship of and service to our Heavenly Father.
Live your life in such a way that those who don't believe can see that there's something you have that's good and wonderful—something different, something they'll be curious about, something they'll want for themselves too.
For Bible references in this video, check the description on YouTube.