“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body.” Ephesians 2:1-3a
The story of John Newton is a fascinating story of a man who lived according to his own pleasures, fueled by money and lust, only to be changed by the grace of God to become a devoted follower of Christ. Once a slave trader, he was changed by the grace of God and penned one of the most famous Christian hymns, Amazing Grace. John Newton said this of his life, “I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle [Paul] ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’” I agree with Newton and Paul, I am not what I know I should be, but thanks to God, I am not what I used to be. All believers find themselves on a journey, not a journey to self-discovery and enlightenment, but a journey of truth about the condition of our souls.
In Ephesians 2:1-3a, the apostle Paul invites us to look at our Christian journey and identify the enemies of our soul. Those who were “dead in the trespasses and sins in which [we] once walked” have been made alive by the Gospel of Christ. Yet, we constantly battle with the three enemies mentioned in this passage which can hinder our walk with Christ and influence our mind, soul, and behavior. These enemies are the world, the devil, and the flesh.
Paul states that we once walked in sins and trespasses. Basically, by sinning (missing the mark) and committing trespasses (breaking God’s moral law), we are enemies of God and under His wrath. But through the Gospel of Christ, we have been redeemed and restored for the glory of God. (see Ephesians 1). He instructs all believers in Galatians 5:16 to no longer walk in sin but to “walk by the Spirit.” You see, we still walk, but we walk another path, one guided by the Spirit of God. As Jesus instructed in Matthew 26:41, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This is where I live, friend. I want to walk in the Spirit following as close to Jesus as I can, getting right up in His personal space, but often I fail, fall, falter, give up, give in, lose my concentration, lose my way, stub my toe, and become distracted. Jesus is not surprised, and the Bible gives us a testimony that His Father is not surprised. We will face a constant attack from these powerful enemies. This month, we will focus on the world.
What do we mean by the world? Are not Christians and the God they serve supposed to love the world? Isn’t this the testimony of Jesus in John 3:16? “For God so loved, the world…” Yet, John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, instructs the church with these words, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Do Jesus and John oppose one another? Heavens, no! We are called to love and serve the people of this world. Jesus does not desire any to perish, but for all to hear the gospel call and repent, turning from their sins to place faith in Christ. That’s why missions, preaching, evangelism, and the message of the church are so important. John and Paul speak in First John and Ephesians to the world’s influence upon us. Do not be surprised that the world has an impact on your life. Today, the culture and impact of the secular world on our lives can be mind-numbing.
Simply put, the Christian life will never match what culture demands. Our Christian ancestors knew this well; Augustine, the great Christian theologian, wrote the following in his work, The City of God. “The earthly city glories in itself, The Heavenly City glories in the Lord.” And this is the song of the world, glory in thy self. The world will always exalt itself. The world says, “You are right; you deserve to be heard.” The world attacks us at our weakest point, our pride. Exalt yourself, serve yourself. Yet, the call of the Christian is the opposite to promote God alone. Lose yourself, gain Christ. Humble yourself, exalt Christ.
The world will attempt to reshape words, meaning, language, sexuality, and the meaning of life itself. The world will not stop. It will not surrender until its culture dominates all cultures. The world will attempt to steer the Christian to a false sense of reality and morality.
So, how do we combat the world? We fight the world the same way Jesus did. By knowing and doing the will of the Father. The best way to know and do the Father’s will is by knowing his Word. A Christian is not defined by tradition, bound by religion, or adherence to a list of procedures and pronouncements. A Christian is held by the Gospel of truth and defined by what the Word of God says about them, the world, and the surrounding culture. So, how do we respond to the world? Know the Word of God, study the Word of God, pray the Word of God, and live the Word of God. Trust God by his Word. The world God created is good, and we are redeeming that world with every Gospel-centered work and message proclaimed. N.T. Wright sums up the redemptive nature of the Gospel well when he states, “Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world that knows only exploitation, fear and suspicion.” We have a call, and that call is not to love the world but to redeem the world. One person at a time, one injustice at a time, one day at a time.