IN THIS WORLD BUT NOT OF THIS WORLD

Proclamation:

"You are all children of The Light and children of the day.  We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others ... But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up ..." 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Addressing the believers in Thessalonica, Paul began this chapter talking about "the day of The Lord", judgement day, and reminded them that as children of God they would be raptured beforehand.  Here he reminds them that they are not of this world and that as children of God they should act differently from the worldly people.  He also reminded them that they need protection against worldly temptations.  As believers, they would be spared the wrath of God and that they should be that fact.

Application:
Jesus said, "I am The Light of the world." (John 8:12 & 9:5)  We are sons of The Light.  He also said that He was that He was from heaven above and that He was not of this world. (John 8:23)  Because of the Christ that is within us, we are in this world but not of this world and we should not act like worldly people.  We need to exercise self-control.  We should put on the whole armor of God as we do battle with the world and its temptations.  It is not God's plan for us to suffer His wrath, but to be saved.  Therefore let us encourage each other, better days are coming.  Let us build each other up and not tear each other down.  Let us help, and not hurt; let us give, and not take; let us love, and not hate.

WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD

Proclamation:

“But He continued, 'You are from below; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.’”  John 8:23 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle John, who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, recorded these words of Jesus as He explained to the Pharisees and the Jews in the crowd that He was going to leave, and go to a place where they could not find Him, and where they could not go.  Jesus was referring to His death and ascension to heaven.  He told them that they could not go with Him because they would die in their sins. (John 8:21)  Jesus told them that He was not like them.  He came from heaven, He was not of this world.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, said that He was not of this world. (John 8:23)  He also said that His kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:36)  Because His spirit indwells us, (John 6:56, John 14:17, and Romans 8:11) as believers, we are not of this world either. (John 15:19)  We are in this world, but we are not of this world.  We do not belong to the world, we belong to Christ.  Therefore, we should not love the world, or worldly things, and consequently the world will not love us. (1 John 2:15)  We should not conform to the world. (Romans 12:2)  We should love The Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul; and we should expect that the world will hate us for doing so. (Deuteronomy 13:3 and John 15:18)  Since He is not of this world and His Spirit is within us, we are not of this world.