Christians are called to walk a narrow wire – to be “in the world but not of it.” In a previous article, Walking the Wire, we primarily considered our responsibility to be “in the world.” In this article, we will reflect upon the second half of our divine calling – to not be “of the world.”

Godly engagement with the world will not be driven by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) – in other words, by the “base desires, false values, and egoism” that fill a world alienated from God. Instead, we are called to share God’s heart in and for the world. Only by reflecting God’s love for the world can we truly lay claim to being not “of the world.”

The call is holistic. It demands a response from our whole being – mind, affections, and will. Therefore, learning to reflect God’s heart for the world will involve developing a Christian mind, nurturing christlike affections, and discovering and embracing God’s will in the world.

Developing a Christian Mind: Thinking God’s Thoughts

No one really sees the world as it really is. Instead, we see the world through a pair of stained glasses called a worldview. Everyone possesses a set of these glasses whether they realize it or not.

Our worldview allows us to make sense of life. Our challenge is to possess a set of glasses that is informed by biblical revelation in order to see the world (as much as possible) through the eyes of God. This is what the Apostle Paul calls us to in Romans 12:1-2:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.

Mind-renewal must encompass all of life and not simply a pious corner of safe retreat. Though it takes great effort – and certainly involves cutting against the grain of conventional thinking and wisdom – we must strive to develop a Christian worldview. Only then will our faith impact our entire lives. Refusing to allow the world to squeeze us into its mold, but instead, renewing our mind in accordance with God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will is an act of worship – an act that takes place not only in a quiet church building, but in the rough-and-tumble of life in the world.

A Christian worldview is holistic – it does not merely concern itself with “Christian” things, but instead, seeks to think “Christianly” about all things. Believe it or not, the New Testament only uses the word “Christian” three times (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The word is never used to identify things; it is only used to identify people. This is important to recognize. Why? We are surrounded by an evangelical subculture that constantly attaches the label “Christian” to objects (e.g. Christian music, Christian books, Christian movies, Christian aerobics, ad infinitum, ad nauseum) as if this were a completely “normal” and “biblical” thing to do.

When we label things as “Christian” we automatically send negative messages about anything that does not bear this imprimatur.

This is where the Christian subculture has been detrimental to our witness and our worship in the world. The Christian thing is set over and against the world’s thing, and rarely is it thought to be in and around it. Christian radio plays only Christian songs. Christian bookstores sell only Christian books. The implication of this is that all other books and all others songs are either dangerous or of no value to the Christian. (John Fischer, Finding God Where You Least Expect Him, 48)

Our worldview is simplified and reduced by such labeling. Our goal is not to think about so-called “Christian” things – which are usually safe and sanitized versions of their secular counterparts – but to think “Christianly” about all things. This is the meaning behind the oft-quoted but much misunderstand passage from Paul in Philippians 4:8.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Many Christians interpret Philippians 4:8 as referring to nice, comfortable, safe, and sanitized things. This is not the case. “Whatsoever is true, etc.” includes the disturbing, the unsettling, and even the offensive. The cross of Christ is proof of this. In Greco-Roman culture, crucifixion was not mentioned in polite civil discourse. For this reason, the Christian gospel was considered “offensive” by its original audience. The early Christians did not need to add insult to injury with an “offensive” lifestyle – the message itself was an offense to civil society and, furthermore, an insult to Jewish sensitivities. (A crucified messiah was, to say the least, a blasphemous oxymoron.)

Certainly when Paul commands us to think about whatever is honorable, true, and lovely, he assumes we will find honor, truth, and beauty in – of all things – the cross! Apart from a Christian mind the cross is repulsive – a gruesome torture device meant to maximize human suffering and shameful humiliation. However, from the perspective of a Christian worldview, the cross is a glorious act of self-giving love – a beautiful picture of God’s gracious heart for humanity! Viewed in this light, we are able to see that Philippians 4:8 calls us to think “Christianly” about all things – seeking to discover the good in the bad, the treasure in the trash, the glory in the cross.

Nurturing Christlike Affections: Sharing the Compassion of Jesus

The chief emotion that the Gospel writers attribute to Jesus is compassion (Mt. 9:13, 36-38, 12:7; 14:14; 15:32; 18;27; 20:34; Luke 10:36-37; 15:20). Compassion is a compound world (“com” – with, together; “passion” – suffer) that literally means “to suffer with” another. It is to have one’s heart touched by another’s situation. It involves feeling with and for another – possessing a “heart of flesh” rather than a “heart of stone.” Compassion is only possible when one enters the world of another and walks in their shoes in order to share their burden. This is exactly what God did in Christ through the incarnation. For this reason, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-16).

When Jesus saw multitudes of people who were confused and aimless he did not display outrage, but instead, he felt compassion. “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Rather than condemning the wandering multitudes for their pathetic condition, he was heartbroken. These were the people he came to help. For this reason, he called his disciples to view the lost multitudes with eyes of faith. “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful; but the workers are few’” (Matthew 9:37). Near the end of his earthly ministry, he responded to Israel’s rebellion to his message with deep grief. “And when he approached, He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41). This tender compassion is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching concerning the good Samaritan (Luke 10:36-37) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:20).

If we want to reflect the heart of Jesus, we must nurture genuine compassion for others. Too often, our attempts at compassion are simply veiled forms of condescension or flat-out patronizing. Non-Christians easily spot these offensive attitudes. Our compassion must be authentic and real. In order to do this, we must truly listen and seek to identify with those we encounter without condemnation, condescension, or arrogance.

Brennan Manning exemplifies this radical compassion. He recounts a story to describe authentic compassion:

As we [Brennan and his wife] rounded the corner at Bourbon Street, a smiling girl, around twenty-one years old, approached us, pinned flowers on our jackets, and asked if we would like to make a donation to support her mission. When I inquired what her mission was, she replied, “The Unification Church.”

“Your founder is Doctor Sun Myung Moon, so I guess that means you’re a Moonie?”

“Yes,” she answered.

She had two strikes against her in my book. She was a pagan who didn’t acknowledge Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. And she was a witless, naïve kid who had been mesmerized by a cult. “You know something, Susan?” I said. “I deeply admire your integrity and your faithfulness to your conscience. You’re out here tramping the streets doing what you really believe in. You are a challenge to anyone who claims the name ‘Christian.’” My wife reached out and embraced her, and I embraced the two of them.

“Are you Christians?” she asked. We nodded.

She lowered her head and we saw tears falling on the sidewalk. A minute later she said, “I’ve been on my mission here in the Quarter for eight days now. You’re the first Christians who have ever been nice to me. The others have either looked at me with contempt or screamed and told me that I was possessed by a demon. One woman hit me with her Bible.” (Brennan Manning, Posers, Fakers, & Wannabes, 88)

The Reverend John Blanchard provides another story describing the nature of radical compassion and godly kindness.

The story is told of Dr. William Trumbull, who was traveling by train one day when a drunken man got into the same compartment. After a while, he drew a bottle of liquor from his pocket and offered Dr. Trumbull a drink. Dr. Trumbull replied, 'No thank you, I don't drink.' After taking some himself, the man settled back in his seat. Some time later he took the bottle out again and offered Dr. Trumbull a drink. He got exactly the same reply: 'No thank you, I don't drink.' After the same thing had happened a third time, something suddenly seemed to bring the man to his senses. Looking at Dr. Trumbull, he said, 'You must think I'm a beast.' 'On the contrary,' Dr. Trumbull replied, 'I think you are very generous.' The Christian man loves to make allowances for the ignorance and weakness of others, knowing how great need he stands in constantly of having allowance made for himself both by God and man. (John Blanchard, Truth for Life, 220)

In order to demonstrate christlike compassion, we must remember that the world is “lost” more than it is “wrong.”

Yes, of course, the world is wrong, but then so are we. Nor is the world wrong about everything, just as we Christians are not right about everything. We need to get off the morality track and back onto the gospel track... If we believe someone is wrong, and we are on a personal mission on their behalf, our purpose will be to set them straight. Such a tactical mission requires no personal involvement, it is devoid of compassion, and carries with it a spirit of arrogance... When you think of someone as lost, you have a different attitude toward her than if she is wrong. You don't try to set her straight; you try to find her and bring her safely home. (John Fischer, What on Earth Are We Doing?, 116-117)

We must never forget that the “lost” (one of evangelical’s favorite terms for non-Christians) are only mentioned in one chapter in the Bible (Luke 15) and in that chapter the three things that are lost – sheep, coin, and son – are intrinsically precious. To speak of the lost in a derogatory or condemning way is to completely miss the point of Luke 15.

Our stance is not “us vs. them.” We are called to demonstrate the inclusive love and open embrace of God to a wayward world. We have no right to demonize the world and excuse our lovelessness because of human sin and rebellion. Our message is not “I was wrong but now I am right,” or “I was immoral but now I am moral,” but “I was lost but now I’m found, blind but now I see.”

Our testimony should highlight God’s grace and truth, not our personal worthiness, perfection, or “rightness.” We are not better than others and we don’t have to prove it. Some Christians seem to be in a contest to prove to the world that they are “better” – that they have more fun, better marriages, more love, more success, and better coping power than the world. We should forsake such grandstanding. We have the same problems other people do – whether they are believers or not. Advancing in the Christian life is not about becoming better than others, but of becoming ever more aware of one's desperate need for God’s kindness, grace and love. Only when we feel this way will we be able to truly identify with others with compassion rather than condescension.

Discovering God’s Will in the World: Embracing God’s Mission

We sometimes get our mission backwards. Jesus calls us to “go out” into the world rather than to “bring people into” the church. Jesus prayed to the Father, “As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).

We have a mission and executing the mission does not primarily take place within the confines of the four walls of a church building. If our mission was simply to “be good” until we die, then we could justify limiting our contact with people. But this is not our calling. Our calling is to go into all the world. This is where real ministry really happens. We are called to invade our present social networks – our homes, our families, our schools, our workplaces – and be salt and light in the midst of them.

We need not fear doing this. God’s work is not limited to the church and church activities. God is at work in all the world. Although some Christians talk about “bringing people to God” or “bringing God to people” the truth is that we don’t bring God anywhere. We only discover God already at work everywhere we go and encourage people to recognize this reality and respond rightly to it.

Paul demonstrated this at Athens where he found himself surrounded by pagan idols (Acts 17:16-34). Chuck Smith Jr. writes

Paul not only entered the marketplace, but he also “looked carefully” at the Athenian objects of devotion. Perhaps some of their statues or shrines would have been blasphemous or lewd by Christian standards, and perhaps that had something to do with the fact that he was “greatly distressed” at what he saw. But this was the culture of the people he wanted to win, so he studied their objects of worship in order to know how to introduce the gospel to them... Paul… looked for a place within the culture where the truth of the gospel might match the context of the people’s lives.” (Chuck Smith, Jr., The End of the World As We Know It, 192)

Paul sought a point of entry to introduce the gospel. Paul did not have to “bring God” into the situation because God was already at work before he ever arrived – even in and through the idolatrous practices of pagan people! Paul used an idol’s altar as his entry point to begin his gospel presentation (Acts 17:23). In the midst of his presentation he favorably quoted a pagan poet, affirming that truth had been communicated through the pagan poet’s words (Acts 17:27-28; cf. Titus 1:12).

We are missionaries in our culture. Like good missionaries we must strive to know our culture and seek entry points within it. A major part of missiology (the science of Christian mission) involves studying and embracing another culture in order to find ways to communicate the gospel to it from within it. The technical term for this is “contextualization.”

Seeking to know and understand culture seems romantic when it is done with cultures other than our native culture. I have known people who are separatists within their own culture – refusing to analyze and understand it – but completely embrace the importance of analyzing and understanding foreign cultures. This is strange to me. If a Christian seeks to analyze and understand American culture they are often considered worldly compromisers. If a Christian does the same with Asian culture, they are praised as compassionate and concerned missionaries. This double-standard has got to go!

We must learn to walk in two worlds. We will never be quite at home here, but we must learn to live and love here. We are resident aliens called to seek the good of our present home. We must strive to know the pulse of this world without fully embracing its priorities and pursuits. We must be in the world but not of it. This is God’s will for us. We must embrace it.

Be Really Radical – Think, Love, Live Like Jesus!

It is common to hear passionate Christian leaders call people to be “sold out” for Jesus – to be really radical for Christ. Usually this call infers separating from contemporary culture in an endless parade of pietistic practices – more prayer meetings, more church attendance, more “Christian” activities, etc.

I’m calling you to be radical, but in a completely different way. I call you to:

• See God in all things, not just so-called “Christian” things.
• Love God always, not just at Christian events and with Christian people.
• Find God at work everywhere, not just in the church.

It is not “radical” to hole oneself up in a Christian ghetto with one’s head in the sand and curse the darkness. This is not the way of Christ. Involvement in the world is not a necessary evil – it is our mission! We are called to make Christ known in the world. Certainly it is safer to imbibe the sanitized Christian subculture, but we are not called to be safe – we are called to give our lives for the good of the world.

Jesus calls us to “open our eyes and look to the fields.” (John 4:35). Jesus said this to his disciples after his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus openly opposed ancient cultural conventions and Jewish sensitivities by plainly speaking to a woman in the middle of the day – and a half-breed, impure, ungodly, lawless Samaritan woman at that. Even worse, she was a woman with a notoriously bad reputation in her community.

However, Jesus did not see with the same eyes of his world or his culture (even his religious culture). What Jesus saw and what his disciples saw were two completely different things. When Jesus looked at the immoral Samaritan woman, Jesus saw a person needing compassion and love. The disciples, on the other hand, saw a person to be despised and judged. The disciples saw only a woman – even worse, a Samaritan, an adulterer, perhaps even a whore. Jesus saw a potential worshipper!

We are called to be the soul of the world – to give and bring life to the carcass of a world alienated from God. We can only do this when we, like a soul to a body, are completely engaged with our culture. This is the phrase – “like a soul to a body” – that an ancient saint named Diognetus used to describe Christian participation in the world. We can learn much from this saint who provides us with one of the earliest descriptions of how ancient Christians lived out the injunction to be “in the world but not of it.” Pay careful attention to how Diognetus describes Christians as people who clearly participate in their world while remaining distinct.

For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric life-style. This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection of ingenious men, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do. But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign. They marry like everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring. They share their food but not their wives. They are “in the flesh,” but they do not live “according to the flesh.” They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws. They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted. They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything. They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated. They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life. By the Jews they are assaulted as foreigners, and by the Greeks they are persecuted, yet those who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility.

In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but is not of the body; likewise Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.

© Richard J. Vincent, 2004