You may have heard the old adage, “I can’t keep the birds from flying over my head, but I can keep them from building a nest in my hair.” It is true that while living in the world, we cannot always control the environment in which we must live or what others do around us, but we can make sure that though living in it, it does not live in us. Paul gave the same caution to the Corinthians when admonishing them to “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
We must take note of the fact that the things which are produced by the world do not originate with God but come from the conniving and creativity of man and are not influenced by Heaven. The inspired John wrote, “For all that is in the world…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (John 2:16). John wrote on another occasion what Jesus had said, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:32).
Our original identity was with the world, having a fondness for the base and carnal elements of this world. When we become Christians, there is a “conversion” that takes place and there is a replacement that transpires when we “…put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:9-10). This change enables us to live in a world that is inundated with “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language and lying.” Instead, the child of God conducts himself as one influenced from Heaven to practice “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing one another, and forgiving one another” (Colossians 3:12-13).
In the long ago, Isaiah served as a mouthpiece for God and gave warning that “your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:1-2). James also was trying to emphasize how a relationship with the world and its sin affected God by asking, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). It is no new thing that God’s people must contend with sin in the world. Isaiah told how God felt toward sin and how He would react to it. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity” (Isaiah 13:11). The Lord’s sample prayer expressed the importance of avoiding sin. Jesus taught, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). The above verse is speaking of how God can help, but it behooves man to do his part to make sure that we remain protected from sin in the world.
Preparation is vital for keeping oneself unspotted from the world. Paul appealed to the Thessalonians to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). James presented a multi-point procedure for handling Satan and sin. He advised to “submit to God. Resist the Devil and He will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:7-8).
It is a chore to live in a world infiltrated by sin without it becoming a part of our thinking and our lives. There is no magical immunity to the world’s effect upon us. Some good news is found in 1 John 4:4. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater that he who is in the world.” Despite the tremendous pull that the world has on us to draw us away (James 1:14-15), we have hope. John wrote to those struggling with the sin problem that God does not want any of us to sin, but if we do, we have an Advocate with God to help us and to take the brunt for our wrongs (1 John 2:1-2).
We have a way of keeping our relationship with God current. We can prevent sin by “walking in the light,” which helps us to maintain God’s approval. We must confess our sins, and the blood of Christ continues to be active, following the initial cleansing in the blood of Christ at conversion. “He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:6-9). Keep in mind that God hates sin, and we must avoid it!
