Be In the World
 

"Be in the world, but not of the world."

It is easy as a Christian to leap to the ending here, without accepting the beginning, and I am guilty of it myself, ie "The earth is not my home, I am just passing through," in defiance of Scripture which plainly states that the earth is my domain, and final resting place, and that it is satan that will be absent from the earth someday, not me. I believe that this is just another (satanic) characterization of the Kingdom, moving it to some unspecified eternity that will obtain right after "free beer tomorrow," which again I must state I accepted completely at one point in the past.

What does the command "Be in the world..." mean to you?

Re: Be In the World
 

Exactly what it says. That to me is a literal scripture.

Re: Be In the World
 

Ok, then, as this Scripture implies that it is possible to not be "in the world," how would this contrast with "Be in the world?"

Re: Be In the World
 

*sigh* "Think Matt think" be in the world-saying be in the world, you can't not be in the world, that's impossible. Don't be OF the world-I think I can cross reference the scripture that says conform not to the world here. To me it's saying stay away from sinful things, obey God's commandments. Jesus set the example for us, he was in the world, but he was preaching, doing miracles, saving people. He did not delight himself in the things OF the world. So to me, it means to set yourself away from the sinful pleasures of the world, while still being in the world. Much mo betta?

Re: Be In the World
 

Well, i would point out that you have gone to the "of the world" part, and rightly defined it, while "Be in the world" remains a virtual post-script...

Re: Be In the World
 

Be in the world to me means exactly that, to be in the world. literally in the world. In the physical world.

Re: Be In the World
 

I want to thank you for making me think on this...I do have to be reminded sometimes that the scriptures aren't black and white.

Re: Be In the World
 

Ha, amen. I would still ask how someone obviously confined to the physical world could possibly not "be in the world," then?

Re: Be In the World
 

Whoo buddy...you gotta forgive me for being a couyon...ok let's see. I think you mean be in the world doesn't mean literally to be in the world? Are you saying "the world" in both things said in that scripture means, for lack of a better word the spiritual world? Not the physical world but the sinful world?

Re: Be In the World
 

Well, I mean that Christians ignore that they are to be in the world, the physical, sinful world, yes, as they are actually only physically confined to "the earth," yet Christ used "the world" here.
We are to be "in the world," and I suggest that most religious experience would have us ignore this command completely.