“Quit trying to hide from the reality of the world we live in,” he says.
Instead, we’re called to engage the culture, engage the people and engage the life.
This doesn’t mean engaging the activity, but it means moving close to it. How else would they bring transformation to the city?
3. God is calling you to be in the world, not of it.
This is something Christians say often, but don’t often understand.
What does it mean to be “in the world but not of it”?
God says to the Israelites, “Increase in number there … do not decrease.” In other words, he’s calling them to become the influencing power in Babylon.
He’s not calling them to blend in and become Babylonians, but to rub shoulders with the pagans while maintaining the covenant, so they will have a true impact on the culture and the world.
Think about this for a minute. This is what he’s calling us to do as well.
When God says we should be “in the world but not of it,” this is what He means. He means you love the city, but you love Him more.
He means you pray for the city, but you listen for His voice.
He means you love the city like he loves it, and love the people the way he loves them.
And at the end of the day, your loyalty and citizenship is always rooted in Him.
