Dear Brothers and Sisters, Shalom.

I am Won KIM voicing Pastor Caleb Soo Lee Chong. Today, we shall move on to Lesson Six, “The Worldview of a Disciple.”

There are some people, both male and female, who choose to stay single and subscribe to a life of celibacy. Meanwhile, others indulge in food, drinks and merry-making all the time. On our part, some Christians hold the view that churches should not get into fund-raising activities, while others oppose getting involved in political activities, cultural promotion and so on. All of these behaviors and philosophies are closely linked to their worldviews. It is timely, therefore, for us to explore this topic -- how do you view the world and all that it encompasses? What does the Bible say?

How do you see your own reputation, position and power in the world?

Let me start with a simple example. Donating members in some churches have their names inscribed on their donation items, e.g., bibles, pianos, pews or even classrooms for Sunday School. Do you consider such acts as a sign of worldliness? Why do you think so?

To be sure, there are some of us who see these acts as setting up examples of giving, servicing God, or even an exhortation for future generations to follow. Their defense is that this is solely a matter of opinion, and not about right or wrong. Rather, it has more to do with being acceptable or otherwise.

I beg to differ, as I hold the view that such actions are not appropriate. Suggestions of fishing after fame and compliments are present here, such as a desire to have their names remembered for posterity ... in the Bible the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7 teaches us: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God.”

In other words, no one should have any other agenda outside the love of God when contributing to His cause. This comes up again in the book of Matthew chapter 6 verse 3 “…when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing...” We are to do so in a willing manner, with a pure motive within us, without letting others know about it.

Someone fishing for fame or who is particular about his reputation will desire everyone to remember him forever. This would, however, be virtually making room for the devil to work in. It may also lead to rivalry amongst church members trying to outdo one another by shelling out wealth, rather than playing the good steward. Dear brothers and sisters, how we view our own reputations, standing and power on this earth is inseparable from our personal worldly views.

Should Christians distance themselves from the world to avoid getting muddied all over in these murky waters?

You may be told by someone after joining a church for a while: “This world is full of evil; indeed, it is hopelessly corrupt! Christians should distance themselves from the world to avoid getting muddied all over in these murky waters.” Do you think Christians taking such a stand are being passive?

Of course, some people stress more on spreading the gospel in the church. And indeed, inasmuch as the church is primarily a place for worship, this should be the case. The problem is, some see participation in political, cultural promotion activities to be worldly stuff, short on spirituality content, and do not gel with biblical teachings.

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to know that such a dualistic viewpoint is not what the bible teaches. God created this world in His pleasure and, indeed, He repeatedly “saw it was good”. If His creation is now in tatters, it is the responsibility of every Christian to bring it to God for renewal. By doing so, Christians would be able to play their roles of light and salt, as they bear witness to the Lord in the eyes of the world.

Political activities are very much part and parcel of our daily routine on earth. As political animals, our daily activities are impacted by the politics of the day. Anyone casting his ballot while claiming that he “doesn’t want to take part in politics” is contradicting himself. Someone who states that he doesn’t vote cannot deny that he is still playing his “role” in a passive manner! In other words, whether you take part in or abstain from voting, the fact remains that you are exerting your influence on how this country is to be run -- and shape the future of those around us, or even come after us. To be blunt, you are, by default, acting irresponsibly towards your fellow countrymen.

The next thing that comes to mind is this: where is one’s bottom line of responsibility when we are talking about politics? How far shall I get involved? Well, this is another topic for us to explore. In any case, we are not to see our actions as being worldly, whether we choose to be an active player on stage or a muted member of the audience. There is spirituality in this as well. God wants us to play our part and help run the world in an active and positive manner.

What does the term “world” cover in the Bible?

Dear brothers and sisters, let us take a look at the Bible. The Greek word “kosmos”, generally taken to mean “the world”, has three meanings in the Bible. The book of Hebrews chapter 1 verse 2 gives us a glimpse of its first meaning: “…in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the world.” Also, the book of Psalms chapter 89 verse 11 proclaims, “The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.” Clearly, this points to the physical earth as was created, IOW, the world we are living in as created by God, and hence, the expression, “This is my Father’s world.”

Thus, when the word “kosmos” appears in the Bible, at times it refers to this physical world as created by God. It is God’s gift to provide a habitat to Mankind. Up to this day, Man has yet to find another planet that is more beautiful and suited for human beings than our Earth. Yes, it is indeed the greatest blessing given to Mankind by God Himself. As such, we need to cherish it, and not see it as something evil. Indeed, it is a beautiful world that we are living in -- we take in its fresh air day and night, enjoy the produce that we gather from the soil, and even earn our keep through our labour. All these are good; there is no evil in any of this!! Let’s be very, very clear on this.

The second meaning can be gleaned from the book of John chapter 3 verse 16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Here we see that the expression “world” refers to “mankind living in the world” and coming under the love of God.

The third meaning is found in the book of 1 John chapter 2 verse 15: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” And the book of Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. The “world” referred to in these passages point to its dark side – a fallen world, sin-stained and controlled by the evil spirits. This is the decadent and fallen world that cannot earn the pleasure of God. Indeed, the Bible calls upon us not to love this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds instead. Here, the prince of the world points to Satan. In other words, the Man’s right to rule was usurped by the devil; as such he now inhabits a world ruled by Satan, who wants sinners to follow him and to come utterly under its control.

So, we see that the word “kosmos” may be used for (1) My Father’s world, (2) the people of the world whom God loves, and (3) the corrupted world that God abhors, and does not want us to chase after.

Is this world completely taken over by the devil?

Let us take a breather and take stock of the book of 1 John chapter 5 verse 19: “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Well, it says that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Now, this is beyond our understanding. How are we to understand this verse?

Firstly, the “world” here refers to that which is fallen: where man has been ensnared by the devil because of his sin. He is therefore put under bondage and control by Satan. As pointed out in the Bible, “…You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires…” It appears, therefore, that the intention of the writer is to separate “this world” into two worlds. The first world refers to that of God, where the devil is in no position to cause harm. It comes on the heels of two earlier verses, in the book of 1 John chapter 5 verses 17-18, and speaks of a world under the special care of God, and its people do not become polluted by the flow. You can refer to book of 1 John chapter 4 verse 45 as well.

The other world refers to that of sin, and is ruled by the prince of sinners. So, dear brothers and sisters, this is the world that is lying under the power and control of the evil one. Someone would add that “this world” was under God at the time of Creation. Since then, the sin of Man gate-crashed and let the Devil in to spoil this world, even to overrun the entire world. However, this would not last for long. At His predetermined time, God will return to pass His judgement through His Son, Jesus Christ, and drive away these evil ones for good. Dear brothers and sisters, do read more on this in the book of John’s gospel chapter 12 verse 31,chapter 14 verse 30, and chapter 16 verse 11.

For now, let me use a simple analogy to make things clearer. Imagine some illegal immigrants, having landed on our shores, proceeds to set up illegal structures in the vicinity, grow in number and even go into illegal activities. That they had been here for a long time does not justify their presence, much less their legal standing. The day will come when the relevant authorities will step in, rope in the whole bunch and recover the land that had belonged to the State from the very beginning.

So it is, dear brothers and sisters, that this world truly belongs to God, its current pillaged condition notwithstanding. If truth be told, it belongs to God, but was forced into temporary darkness brought about by a state of unauthorized incursion, occupation and control. Thus, we speak of the situation as the “lying under power and control of the evil one.”

A positive and pro-active view of this world

Dear brothers and sisters, the book of 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1-5 teaches us that everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. You and I are to view this world with the correct lenses. Whether the world was sinful, or “good” as commended by God when He first created it, we are to approach this issue in a positive manner: it is My Father’s World, and we must take pride in it and use it for His glory. In addition, we need to crush the devil’s plans as guided by our Lord’s Grace, recover and restore it to its former Glory via the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen?

Let us pray

Dear Heavenly Father,

We offer our thanks to you, for your Word has taught us how you have created the world for us according to your plan for your own glory. Hence, you do not allow this world to be ruined, permit Satan to rule, assume leadership to control mankind, or offend you by perpetuating acts of evil.  At the same time, you have brought up your children and church to play a greater and more active role so that you may be glorified. Indeed, this world would be turned into a stage where you will appear in the fullness of your own glory. Hear us pray, O Lord, in the Name of Lord Jesus, Amen!

Recommendations by Rev. Dr Caleb SOO Lee Chong

The three books “The Gospel for the Modern Man”, “Faith of the Modern Believer” and “Values for the Modern Disciple” by Rev. Dr Caleb SOO Lee Chong are worthy books to edify disciples. In order to minimize differences in the qualities amongst Christians, our churches need to set up basic courses to address these issues. In turn, this will enable all disciples to incorporate their faith into their lives and allow changes to take place through renewal of minds. May God make use of these basic courses to edify more disciples to strengthen His soldiers and claim victory on His battle-ground!

The three books “The Gospel for the Modern Man”, “Faith of the Modern Believer” and “Values for the Modern Disciple” are suitable course materials for anyone who wish to acquire understanding of the Christian faith in a more comprehensive manner. The contents are easy to grasp and relate to the real world that we are living in. They are written with an eye for the man-in-the-street and explore how to make our faith come alive in our daily social interactions.

In particular, these are suitable if you  

1. are someone who wants to understand the Christian faith or,

2. are someone who has just accepted the Christian faith or,

3. have been a Christian for many years but still hungering for a firmer grounding in the faith or,

4. are a pastor or co-worker who plans to use these materials for teaching purposes.

If you need to take up learning or use these materials in a systematic manner, please us contact at this email address.： [email protected]