OUR BATTLES AGAINST THE WORLD (continued)

God's battle instructions...

"Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13. Don't think that you should be accepted by the world. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." John 15:18-19. His kingdom is not of this world, John 18:36. Our citizenship is in heaven, Philippians 3:20. We are in the world ... but we are not of the world, John 17:14-18. You are an alien and stranger in this world. Don't expect to feel like you are at home. You are not home yet.

"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:3-4. Do not be entangled in the affairs of everyday life. This does not mean that you should not be involved in life. However, it does mean that you should not allow your activities, possessions, and relationships to prevent you from obeying God. Entanglement in the world causes some Christians to be unfruitful, Mark 4:19. If you are too busy to do God's will ... you are too busy doing the wrong things. Make the most of your time, Ephesians 5:15-16. Entanglement in sin will pull you down. In addition, entanglement in good things could prevent you from doing God's best. How much surgery is needed on your entanglements? Do you need minor or major surgery? Don't be entangled. Be available.

"Do not love the world, nor the things in the world." 1 John 2:15. Our devotion to the temporary things of this world can cause us to ignore the eternal things ... God, His Word, and people. A good test of this is the use of our resources, time, and money. As Jesus said, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:20-21. Loving the things of the world is very dangerous. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4. Don't love the world.  Love God.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2. Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold. Don't get caught up in what everyone else is doing or not doing. The world is pursuing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Be different from the world. Spend time in God's Word. Renew your mind. Set your mind on the things of God. Don't be conformed. Be transformed.

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IN THE WAR 3    PAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15    
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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.