In the World, but Not OF the World...

This phrase relays such an interesting concept to me. And in my many years of growing up in church, I have heard this phrase more times than I can count.  However, it hasn’t been until recently than I have begun to look deeper into what it actually means.  In my personal experience as well as in the time that I have spent working with and teaching youth, I have discovered that repeating this phrase is quite simple, however, its the “living it out” part that gets most of us at some point or another.  So what does it actually mean to be IN the world but not OF the world? Two little bitty prepositions that change the entire meaning of the phrase.

“IN” is used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, limits or a period of time.

“OF” is used to indicate distance or direction from, separation, deprivation; to indicate derivation, origin, or source; to indicate cause, motive, or reason; to indicate apposition or identity; to indicate possession, connection, or association. 

Wow! What we can learn just from looking at the definitions of 2 simple prepositions!

“IN” shows a form of inclusion, which is evident when we look at living IN the world.  We are enclosed within the space of the world or earth. There is no way we can escape it even if God wanted us to.  However, He specifically placed us here to not just survive the world but to radically change the world. 

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

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)

In these two scriptures, God specifically tells us that we are to be known as “NOT OF the world.” He makes it clear that we have been called to stand apart from the world.  He wants us to distance and separate ourselves from the rest of the world.  When you are of the world, it shows that your source and motive arises from the world.  But when you think about it…and you are no longer OF the world but OF Christ…your origin, source, connection, and reason is found in Christ and in Christ only.  So my challenge and prayer for you and for myself…to become OF Christ, so that everything that I do is motivated by Him and originates in Him so that everyone knows that I belong to Him.