How Are We Different from the World? (Part 2)

If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you.
John 14: 18-19 (GNT)
Scripture: John 14: 18-25

In the previous devotion, we looked at how we should inwardly be different than the world. There are several outward differences that should be considered. This devotion explores how believers considering friends and priorities are different from the worldview.

Nuggets

The believer’s call to be different from the world can create external challenges that must be addressed along with the internal challenges.
Friends should encourage our relationships with God rather than take our focus off God.
The Greatest Commandment shows that God should be our #1 priority.
The world tries to tell us that God doesn’t exist, but they are wrong.

To read devotions in the What It Means to Be a Believer series, click the appropriate button below.

In the previous devotion, we discussed how believers should be different from the world in faith, trust, and joy. Those are internal.

The believer’s call to be different from the world can create external challenges as well. Believers can find themselves at odds with the world in terms of friends and priorities.

You Should be Friends with Everyone

The worldview wants us to love everyone. Yes, the Bible tells us to do that, but not the way the world is thinking.

The world says tolerate everyone’s behavior because that is what love is. I don’t think so.

God is love. First John 4: 8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (ESV).

First Corinthians 15: 33 says, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals” (NASB). In some versions, it is translated as character. In the King James Version, it says manners.

Morals deals with right or wrong behavior. Character is what makes us uniquely us. Manners is our outward behavior to others.

I can see how all apply. Frank Outlaw is credited with saying, “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” This is so true.

In all the translations of this verse, the point is that who we hang out with impacts us. Friends influence our behavior, especially how we treat others. Repeated instances of those responses build the person who we become.

Pastor Chad talked about this in one of his sermons on the Book of James. He said, “It takes loyalty to the wrong focus, taking our lives in the wrong direction.”

Our friends need to not take our focus off of God. Even better, they should help us keep on focus on God.

Don’t Make God a Priority

We are to be different from the world by seeking God as our first priority. Matthew 6: 33 says, “But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well” (CEV). We have to actively put God as #1 priority.

This is one of the Ten Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20: 3 ESV).

We make God a priority when we do what Jesus said: “… If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt. 16: 24 ESV).

To read devotions in the What Does It Mean series, click the appropriate button below.

We make God a priority because we love Him. Matthew 22: 37-38 says, “… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (ESV). If this is the greatest commandment, that gives it priority one.

But think about it. Relationships take work. We have to spend time with the other person. We tell them things we probably wouldn’t tell anyone else. We feel safe and secure with them. God is looking for all of that with us.

God Doesn’t Exist

The world tries to tell us that God doesn’t exist. They say His existence isn’t logical. The world says that, rather than loving others, believers are hoping for the driest ruction fo the world.

They are wrong.

God does exist. He is a Sovereign God. He is the Creator and sustainer of the universe (Ps. 89: 11). Because of that, He controls the environment (Ex. 8: 22; Ex. 9: 29; Rev. 11: 13). Because of that, everything belongs to Him (Ps. 24: 1).

There is no other god above Him (Ps. 95: 3-5). “The LORD will reign forever and ever!” (Ex. 15: 18 ESV). Deuteronomy 32: 39 says, “See now that I alone am He; there is no God but Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from My hand.” (HCSB). He has declared the one day, every person will bow before Him (Isa. 45: 33).

I don’t remember running across these verses before. Job 36: 5 says, “God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding” (NLT). To me, that describes God perfectly.

God is not only the majestic, Supreme Being (I Chron. 29: 11-12), but He is also Father. This deity that should probably be unapproachable isn’t. He wants a relationship with us.

Making the Connections

Believers have to be careful how we interact with the world. We can’t — and don’t want — to be removed from the world. We may be the only witness some see.

We have to watch, though, as situations arise in our interactions with the world. We have to remember what Jesus told the disciples. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (Jn. 15: 18-19 NIV). There will be problems.

How Do We Apply This?

In order to withstand the pressures that the world puts on us, we have to have a firm relationship with God. Yes, I know I am a broken record. I am going to keep saying this until we do it.

It will take hearing His Word, reading it, studying it, meditating on it, and memorizing it. All through that, we need to be in prayer, asking God to provide the meaning.
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click on the button below.

We have to have thick skin to deal with many of the worldly challenges that we will face. However, we must also be loving and forgiving.

No, it is easy to withstand the taunting of the world. We much succeed. We can only do that with God in our lives.

Father. Satan is waging a full-scale attack on Your people. Help us to withstand Him. Help us to live for You. Amen.

What do you think?

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