GOD AGAINST THE WORLD SYSTEM Pt.1

LOVE NOT THE WORLD

I read a fictional story on the internet about a man who just bought a brand-new BMW car. As he opened the door to get out of the car, another car sped by and tore off the door of the car. He got out and he was starring at his car. And a bystander came and said, 'Sir, don't look at your car. Look at your arm.' He asks, 'What's wrong with my arm?' 'It's torn off!' And the man then looks at his arm on the floor and says, 'Oh no, my Rolex watch!'. From the same online source, I read that when a man falls down with an iPhone 6 in his pocket and he hears a 'crack' sound, he will pray, 'Lord, let it be my leg.' (laughter). This story is a testament to the fact that humans can love the 'things' of the world so much at the expense of their well being because the world has a lure for everyone of us even Christians.

When we talk about the world, we are not referring to the people in the world because God so loved the world ( referring to humans in John3:16) to the extent of sending His only begotten son to die neither are we referring to the physical planet earth. 'The world' in context of the opening text refers to the system that governs the affairs of this world. It is the system of practices associated with the standards of the society without reference to any demands or requirements of God. It also refers to the influence the system of the world exerts on us. The world is a world of seductive material things& an ungodly system or pattern of living. When God warned us not to love the world through Apostle John, He wasn't saying having a Ferrari or iPhone 7 is bad rather he was referring to the influence the devil exerts on us through those things. Often, I tell people that material things aren't really the problem but how those things influence us and take us away from God. The world uses the things in it to seduce us and take us away from God. The greatest threat to our walk with God is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world( material things&ungodly pattern of living).

It is impossible to love the world and love God at the same time. Apostle James corroborated this in James 4:4 saying, "You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Satan knew that the world has a strong alluring and seductive power. When he tempted Jesus the third time, he presented the kingdom of the world and its glories to Him on a platter of gold but Christ refused it. 'The world' Jesus rejected is what some are praying and doing vigils to have. They go to prayer meetings to ask for 'the world'. I remember I was once caught in that trap after school, pre NYSC. I went to camp to pray about getting a car in less than 3 months into NYSC because I wanted to enjoy life my own way. Then, i told God how i'll drive around doing evangelism but was that really my motive? I rolled on the floor praying instead of asking God to place me right at the centre of His will for my NYSC. In His mercies, He put me where He wanted me to be - full time ministry. Surprisingly, what i desired came months after i left service when i didn't even pray or fast for it. When the heart of a believer is captured by the world, he/she will find scriptures and reasons to back it up. Your love for God is not certain and sure until the throne of 'the world' is removed from your heart. Do you love God or the world?