Embracing A Healthy Detachment from This World

One of the most difficult things I have seen Christians struggle with is having a healthy level of detachment from this current world. When I say world, I am referring to “world” in the biblical sense of the following verse:

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 NKJV)

The world in the sense of the current temporal system of living as governed by the present ruling powers. The bible uses world also in reference to creation, as well as the inhabitants of the world, which is why context is so important in understanding the bible. Many misunderstandings have occurred from people not interpreting scripture in the context of where it was written. The Bible itself is one whole context not to be divided into two contexts, as many people misunderstand the relation between the New Testament and the Old Testament. Writings in the New Testament are just enlightened views of the Old Testament. Christ in the New Testament is the fulfilment of the Old Testament. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.

So, when you understand scripture in the proper context, you can see how the Apostle John can exhort us not to love the world, even though GOD so loved the world that HE gave His only begotten son. On the surface these two ideas could seem to conflict but when you look at the context of 1 John, you see John is referring to the anti-Christ order that rules the world in these last days. Where as John 3:16 is referring to the entire human family the world consists of.

That being said, we must love and care about the people of this world while despising the selfish and materialistic systems of this world that oppress and exploit them. The real contradiction is seen in those who are in allegiance with this current oppressive system while professing to love GOD who is in the process of replacing it. You can’t love this present order while also loving the Kingdom of GOD that is replacing it. Why? …Because the ruler of this world is at war with the King of the world to come. You have to choose sides. In fact, you have already. Christ says, if you are not gathering with Him, then you are scattering abroad.

Christ taught a parable in Matthew 13 about the Lord of harvest. The Lord of harvest advised to let the wheat and tares both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest He would say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The sword of truth empowered by the Holy Spirit is separating the tares from the wheat. This is why the world is so intolerant of judgment today. The enemy wants to keep the influence of the tares mingled among the wheat, creating confusion and trying to darken the light of truth but the servants of Christ are sanctifying the harvest with the word of truth. The true gospel of Christ fosters a healthy detachment from this present world. If you are a true servant of Christ, it is likely you have been accused of being judgmental and divisive because you are proclaiming a truth that distinguishes darkness from light and relaying the mandate to choose a side, and to be hot or cold. This is what it takes to facilitate the different bundles in the harvest.

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30 NKJV)

That which is spiritual is first and afterwards it is manifest in the physical. Though we are all in the earth together, the people of GOD are becoming detached. As their minds are being renewed, their hearts with their affections are shifting from this world to a focus on the eternal things of the Kingdom of Christ. The scripture says that the Holy Spirit fills our heart with the revelation of our restored heritage in GOD so that our hearts cry, Abba Father. The significance of this is that the foundation of our identity shifts from this physical world to the spiritual realm of heaven where we were truly conceived. The bible says GOD knew us before we entered our mother’s womb. Selah.

³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:37-39 NKJV)

If Christ is saying don’t let your affections for your immediate family keep you from your new heritage in Him, how much less do you think He regards your feelings for the country where you have citizenship or your political affiliations. We have to take up the cross and deny everything of the old man that we might lay hold on all the blessings of the new man. You don’t just need saving a little bit or mostly, you need a total makeover. If you don’t realize that, then you will fail the transformation of the cross and you will end up as a carnal Christian, just using the name of the Lord in vain, and there are many in this condition.

Christ has given the criteria and it is the same for everyone regardless of how you may feel or think. We should all give heed to the words of the voice which thundered from the glory cloud, recorded in Matthew 17:5.

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”