NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT IN THE WORLD

 

The following is an excerpt from my book, The World Before A Watching Church (2011), taken from chapter 3: The Church In The World.

Just prior to the Lord Jesus’ death on the cross, He spoke these words to His disciples:

If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you (John 15:19).

Compare Our Lord’s words “you are not of the world” (restated in John 17:16) with His equally affirmative statement of John 17:11: “They themselves are in the world.” This is not a contradiction but a truth which every believer should fully comprehend. The underlying truth is not esoteric in its meaning, once the significance of the world is understood. Believers who are alive physically, live and reside in this world system which is under the control and evil influence of Satan (Ephesians 6:12). The fact that we are not of this world denotes that we now belong to God because of His regenerating work in us (1 Corinthians 6:19; Titus 3:5). When John states that “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1), he is asserting that believers have a heavenly origin. And yet we are physically in this world because God has a plan for our lives that is ultimately to glorify Him.

There is certainly no denying the Biblical and historical evidences that the early 1^st Century disciples of Jesus were under great testing from different segments of their culture. They were consistently at odds with the leadership of the Jewish religious system as well as the Roman government. However, when you look at the culture of the 21^st Century, you see a very similar hatred for Christians who claim Jesus Christ as Savior, but for a very different reason. Christians are despised because the culture has a deep-seated guilt from their rejection of the Creator and the suppression of this truth (Romans 1:18-19). The unbeliever does not want to relinquish their self-supremacy. In doing so they believe that they are the final authority for their lives and that there is no God and there is no need for God. Since they are unable to physically strike out at the Creator, they unload their anger and hatred on the Christian. They cannot tolerate the ever-present reminder of their rebellion and seek every avenue which the culture offers to defeat, deter and decimate the truth of Christianity. But the unbelieving culture does not stand alone in this confrontation. Jesus tells us that Satan, the evil one (John 17:15), is a ruler of this world (John 14:30) who has been judged (John 16:11) and will be cast out (John 12:31).

Once we understand this principle that the new life we have in Christ is not of this world, we must then separate ourselves from the evil influences of this world system. This does not mean that we become monastic in the practice of our faith. It simply means that as we become more aware of the distractions of this world, we should then become more responsive to how God wants us to live, based upon His Word.

On this point Dr. Chafer writes:

This cosmos system is largely characterized by its ideals and entertainments and these become allurements to the Christian…These features of the cosmos are often close counterfeits of the things of God and in no place does the believer need divine guidance more than when attempting to draw the line of separation between the things of God and the things of Satan’s cosmos.[1]

To comprehend that our present-day culture is under the evil, controlling influence of Satan is to fully appreciate the precarious position in which we Christians live today and our need for Biblical direction.

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[1] Chafer, L.S., Systematic Theology, (Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 1976), 2.330

 

JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, NOT BY FAITH ALONE: JAMES 2:24-26

Verses 24-26: You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James begins again as in verse 22 with the phrase “you see.” But here he uses a different Greek word: horáō. We get our English word horizon from this word. By this James means to encourage them to get the big picture—to take in the Biblical principle which he is outlining for them (2:14-26).

The first thing to note is that James is making an emphatic and unequivocal declaration that a man is justified1 by works. Yet some may take objection to James’ dogmatic statement, claiming that he is proposing a work-related gospel of salvation—that a person must do or agree to do something after believing in Christ as a condition to receiving salvation. This is not what James intends. As explained in the previous post, this justification he refers to is the demonstration of ones’ faith before others in our sphere of influence.

Rahab Was Justified

To further support his viewpoint, James asserts that the evidence of Rahab the harlot’s faith, as detailed in Joshua 2, is the same as Abraham’s. “In the same way” is one word in the Greek denoting “perfect agreement, similarly.”2 Note Rahab’s expression of faith in God:

When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. (Joshua 2:11)

 And she then produced evidence of that faith when she hid Joshua’s reconnaissance spies from the king of Jericho. This resulted in the victory at Jericho (Joshua 6) and the further conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6—12).

Rahab’s expression of faith in the God of heaven was vindicated—justified, verified, proven—by the work she performed in protecting God’s people. This expression of her faith was her testimony before the world as evidence of her faith in God. 

Faith Without Works Is Dead

James now summarizes this entire passage of faith and works (2:14-26) by stating in a definitive manner: faith without works is dead. He presents an analogy to support his line of reasoning: first, by affirming that when the spirit (the life force) leaves a person’s body—they are dead, nothing but a corpse. A corpse cannot be resuscitated to a living state (no matter what Hollywood might suggest). Hence, it is a fact that a corpse has a singular characteristic: a person’s spirit having been departed, verifies that the body no longer has life—it is inactive, dead.   

Secondly, in concluding his analogy, he employs the phrase so also, which from the Greek actually means “in this way also.”3 This indicates that just as a person’s body without its spirit verifies it is dead, a believer’s faith without works verifies their faith is dead—it is useless, inoperative. However, this in no way insinuates that this person is unsaved.

What needs to be made clear is that when an individual believes in Jesus Christ, they are saved for all eternity. Afterwards, they have a personal choice to make: to seek guidance on what the Christian life is all about and what God has planned for them, or they could continue their life as if nothing had occurred. If they choose the former, they will be a winner with the potential for living the productive normal Christian life; if they choose the latter they will be forever saved but will lose out of realizing the eternal blessings4 with an unproductive, useless Christian life.

It should be remembered that the Apostle Paul maintained that salvation is always and only attained by grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The faith of salvation transpired at the moment when the individual believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. That faith is different than the content of faith by which a Christian lives. After salvation, that faith, which they expressed in belief of Christ, was by God’s design meant to grow with further knowledge in order to motivate the believer to perform good works; to verify the authenticity of their faith before others; and to share in an active, vibrant relationship with the Creator.

Therefore, whether believers choose to authenticate their faith is entirely their decision. However, Dr. L.S. Chafer provides a perspective concerning the Biblical responsibility of believers towards others:

Nevertheless, in the sphere of the Christian’s testimony, the Scriptures stress the reaction of the world to the Christian’s profession as of vital importance. The believer is appointed to “walk in wisdom toward them that are without” (outside the family of God, Colossians 4:5).5

This is the big picture James wanted us to see: that those who perform works justify their faith before others; and this is why James emphatically states that the believer is “justified by works and not by faith alone” (v. 24).

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[1] The Greek tense and mood determine the certainty of a timeless fact. Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software , p. 448, 523.

[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G3668.

[3] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.227.

[4] Spiritual blessings—our inheritance from God, reserved in heaven (Ephesians 1:3; cf. 1 Peter 1:4).

[5] Chafer, L.S., (1976), Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 3.298.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

 

 

A BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF WORK

The subject of work is mentioned throughout Scripture. Even prior to the Fall of Adam, there was work: God’s work of creation (Genesis 1); Adam’s cultivation of the Garden of Eden and categorization of the animals (Genesis 2:15 & 19). After the Fall, Adam and his progeny to this day, have been burdened with the toil and sweat of labor in order to maintain our physical lives.

The Lord gave this directive to Israel concerning His requirements for their work endeavors:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8–11)

Moses reiterated this at the second giving of the Law:

Six days you shall labor and do all your work. (Deuteronomy 5:13)

This mandate for work is reaffirmed in the New Testament teachings of the apostle Paul, who was a tentmaker during his missionary tours (Acts 18:3).

But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you. (1 Thessalonians 4:10b–11)

This is in harmony with Paul’s overall teaching that “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32; cf. Colossians 3:17). This should be the believer’s principal objective in the workplace, just as in every endeavor of life.

What is more, Paul had a warning for those who refused to work:

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. (2 Thessalonians 3:10–11)

Yet the main difference between God’s works and man’s is this: God’s works are righteous, supernatural and eternal acts of creation and redemption; while man’s works are often times characterized as dead (Hebrews 6:1; 9:14), evil (2 Timothy 4:18; 1 John 3:12; 2 John 11, and ungodly (Jude15). The righteous works of believers are only those which are executed while empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Romans 8:3-4, 14; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 3:16; Philippians 2:13). Dr. Francis Schaeffer aptly points this out:

There is no source of power for God’s people—for preaching or teaching or anything else—except Christ Himself. Apart from Christ, anything which seems to be spiritual power is actually the power of the flesh...The Lord’s work in the Lord’s way is the Lord’s work in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in the power of the flesh. [1]

These works, empowered by the Holy Spirit, glorify God and may involve everyday activities—in the workplace, recreation, with family, and even mundane housework. Glorifying God is not just doing ‘religious’ works or church work or ‘spiritual’ stuff, but it is serving the Lord full-time, empowered by the Holy Spirit. For this is what true spirituality is all about: a moment-by-moment relationship with God—thinking His thoughts and glorifying Him by all that we do.

Our Lord’s Work

When we come to the New Testament, we see that the religious Jews were highly critical of any work performed on the Sabbath. They criticized Our Lord for healing (Luke 13:14; John 7:23; 9:16); and of His disciples and Him for working to obtain food (Matthew 12:1-2); and of a man who carried his bed after being healed (John 5:10).

In John’s gospel account, more so than the synoptic gospels, he draws attention to the subject of the Father’s work which Our Lord was sent to accomplish. This was concisely stated by Our Lord:

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John[2]; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. (John 5:36; cf. John 10:25, 37-38)

And in John chapter 9, we see Our Lord expanding the scope of responsibility for doing the works of the Father with His disciples. Here Jesus and His disciples happen upon a man blind from birth. The disciples naively ask Him who had sinned that caused his blindness, his parents or himself. Jesus answered them:

It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. (John 9:3–5)

In verse 4 of this passage, Our Lord states that “we must work the works of Him who sent Me.” The “we” refers specifically to Himself and His disciples as coworkers in performing the Father’s work. What must not be confused is that the “Father’s work” which Our Lord is conscripting His disciples for, is not entirely the same as the Father’s work for Jesus—His was to preach, to perform miraculous wonders and to procure redemption. Jesus summarized what this work was when He stated:

This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. (John 6:29)

Incorporating His disciples into His work is mentioned on another occasion. At His post-Resurrection appearance to his disciples, Jesus stated: “as the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Redemption had already been accomplished, so therefore, the sending of His disciples was for a different mission—their sending was to testify to the world of the reality of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah and therefore the proclamation of the gospel of salvation.

Three decades later, the apostle Paul wrote that doing His work applies to all believers today and God’s logical order for the preparation of believers to do His work—the work of service:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11–13)

The body of Christ will be successful at doing His work when three factors are realized: 1) the unity of doctrine is achieved; 2) the individual is mature (the completed training of the inner man); 3) to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, i.e. the demonstration of the mature inner man to the world around.

This is how His work will be accomplished here on earth. There is no other way. It must be done in the Lord’s prescribed way—in the power of the Holy Spirit. Any other methodology, system or human energy dishonors God and is nothing more than wood, hay and straw (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

 

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[1] Schaeffer, Francis A. (1985). The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 3.42-43.

[2] John the baptizer

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi