Welcome to My World

[HKHaugan]

Faith 20 Welcome to My World

Remember when we mentioned that country song, “We Live in Two Different Worlds” back in Faith 11? There's another one that has the same feel. Read on. We'll get to it. But let’s continue this idea of loving God and loving our neighbor. There is a deeper meaning to the Great Commandment than we might first recognize.

When we survey the many teachings of Jesus they all have unique personal applications on how to love. Take for instance what Jesus says in regard to thieves. They come after people to steal, kill and destroy but He does just the opposite, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10 KJV).” It is that concept of life He offers which is quite different from the secular world, which is all about self-glorification and doing whatever it takes to achieve it even if it means stealing, killing and destroying.

The secular world operates on three levels, atmosphere, strategy and motivation. Let’s look at them briefly.

First, atmosphere.

We all know about the atmosphere of the secular world. It is a world without God. It is a ‘me-first’ environment. The secular world is built on pride, being first, getting what you can while you can, outdoing others and ‘doing unto others before they do unto you.’ Money, status, prestige, class, possessions, security and control are the goals of secular society.

Second, strategy.

Secular strategy is the clutching, grabbing, manipulative maneuvering that identifies the world operating apart from God. It can best be identified as a ‘fitting-in’ strategy. An individual uses his built-in talents to exalt himself. Those who employ this strategy are the thieves stealing, killing and destroying others to get ahead. For the most part it is a survivalist strategy. All you have to do is learn the best methods to achieve personal exaltation. This is the wisdom of the secular world at work.

Third, motivation.

This is where the secularist (those without God) is clueless. Being self-centered he doesn’t understand what is really motivating him. Without God as his point of reference he doesn’t realize that the atmosphere in which he is maneuvering is radiating spiritual darkness. He is spiritually blind. He can’t see invisible reality, the world as it really is underneath its physical covers. This makes him vulnerable in four ways.

First, his self-centeredness is driven by sin which is the powerful self-centering force driving his engine.

Second, an evil deceiver called the devil controls sin.

Third, the devil commands a cadre of evil spirits led by the spirits of fear and pride to encourage self-centered strategizing and behavior.

Fourth, he gets the secularist to think and believe he can maneuver himself into control and what he can’t control he can win by compromise which is just another self-deceptive strategy.

It is into this fallen spiritual world atmosphere, with its manipulative strategies and self-centered survivalism, that Jesus comes to offer His life as the eternal alternative to sin’s certain emptiness and the eternal aloneness of death. The life Jesus offers is an eternal relational life with God and others that can be experienced now, in the present. The invisible reality of God is ultimately more real than anything you can apprehend with all your senses.

There is, literally, a ‘world of difference,’ a world of eternal reality that existed before the universe came into being. That same ‘world of difference’ is what Jesus came to reveal and to share. It is a completely different world atmosphere; one of love, open interpersonal sharing, kindness, sound mind, putting Jesus and others before self. In it there is no fear, no sorrow, no tears, no regrets, no remorse, no guilt, no grabbing, no clutching, no insecurity, no ‘me-first’ strategies. All you have to do is compare the two worlds and choose.

But even more telling is the means Jesus used to appeal to each of us, His death on the Cross. He was willing to take on what we all ultimately fear and that is death. If He was willing to take the full force of all that death means---the world’s spiritual ignorance, hostility and condemnation to the final humiliation of the Cross after being pummeled by rejection, hate, injustice and political conspiracy, what is our response to be when we realize He went through all of this for each of us personally?

Now consider three things. First, wouldn’t His life as He lived it be worth considering as an alternative to what the world offers? Secondly, wouldn’t His life be worth considering especially when He rose from the dead to secure that reality for us? Thirdly, wouldn’t His life be worth considering as acceptable right now if it was offered? His Word offers this:

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God (John 1:12-13 NIV).”

Paul puts it this way: “"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom.10:8-13 NIV)."

Receiving Him is just a matter of asking Him and He does. He receives you. It’s that simple. That is when real life begins. Let’s put it this way. Each of us was born with a half-full glass of life. When Jesus is received He not only fills the glass right now, He keeps on filling it forever.

Now back to that old country song ‘Welcome to My World.’ When sung with Jesus in mind it becomes a very personal spiritual moment..

Welcome to my world

Won't you come on in
Miracles I guess
Still happen now and then
Step into my heart
Leave your cares behind
Welcome to my world
Built with you in mind

Knock and the door will open
Seek and you will find
Ask and you'll be given
The key to this world of mine
I'll be waiting here
With my arms unfurled
Waiting just for you
Welcome to my world

See what I mean? Welcome to Jesus' world of faith.