“AND THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY…” I John 2:17
Not only is the world about to pass away but every person of this world and living by this world’s pleasures and compromises is going to be judged with it. Make yourself a list of everything that is of this world and greatly loved by this world and those are the things that will not be part of God’s coming Eternal Kingdom. When you are finished then separate yourself from all those worldly things and you will be ready for God’s Holy Spirit to possess you and to go in the Rapture. This separation must be the work of Christ’s Grace and the cleansing of His Blood or it is nothing but self-righteousness.
Apostle John echoed this wonderful truth in his First Epistle. He said, by the Holy Ghost, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (I John 2:15-17)
The church world has become so worldly that the world is perfectly ready to be churchy. The mega-religions (churches, ministries, etc.) are a perfect picture of this sad development. Big time religion has replaced old-time religion and even the secular world knows it’s all a sham. The power of the Blood is still mighty to transform. The beauty of this transforming power is that Christ becomes the center focus of those it touches. This is not a redemption that starts without and works inward but it starts within and works outward. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new“. (2 Cor. 5:17)
Romans is the book called “The Romans’ Road,” but those that walk it must receive all of it. The Spirit said, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin“ (Romans. 6:6). This life is absolutely the greatest life of our human existence. Anything less is sub-human and misses the precious glory of our Lord.
The Kingdom God is presently rising in spite of what we see in the natural. In fact it has always been true that the darkest moments are just prior to the dawn. When sin gets so arrogant and haughty, that’s when God the Father says, “That’s enough.” I like what Peter said on the day of Pentecost as he preached his mighty sermon. He made it clear that the entire plan of God was on target. “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.” (Acts 2:33-35)
When I read that passage this morning as I was before the Lord, my spirit leaped with joy. This world and the worldly crowd does not appreciate the Godly saints that do not want the world and it’s compromise. They do not just reject us, they hate us. We are a sore thumb to them and they want to destroy us. Be sweet while they fester, we will be out of here just before most of them implode. Many will already be judged even before our escape.
Consider everything that has so captured the imagination of our present society. Take every expression of the world and consider how little of it will fit the coming Kingdom of God in the Millennium and in New Jerusalem and the entire Redeemed World. The entertainment world of night life, drinking, dancing, and often immorality will be non-existent shortly. The jewelry and cosmetic industries will be out of business. The immoral dress styles and all their designers and manufacturers will be bankrupt. The tobacco and alcohol crowd will be assigned to the region of the damned.
The producers of smut will be in the Lake of Fire along with every corrupt soul. The Saints will be beautified with the glory of righteousness. There will be no effeminate men and masculine women dressed in the cross-cultural styles of a debauched society. I guarantee that every one of you know this already when you dare to really think biblically. Listen to this breathtaking Word from Jesus Christ. “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)
Everything this world and the worldly crowd love and chase are things the Bible says are an abomination. You can actually judge right and wrong to a great degree by what the world thinks. If they love it you should run from it. Sure we live in this world and we must use certain things for a normal existence. Jesus prayed for us like this. “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:15-17)
The Methodists under John Wesley lived this separated life or they were not allowed to be Methodist. Dwight L. Moody would walk to preach on Sunday before he would pay to ride a carriage on the Lord’s Day. On and on we can trace Christianity when it was real and when society was being shaken to the teeth by Holy Ghost conviction. When separation from the world returns to the Saints, the Spirit of conviction will shake our communities. Nothing else will survive the coming upheaval.
Joseph Chambers