Focus: Otherworldly People

Text: Mk.10:43

"But so shall it not be among you..."

Christians are known as the people of the other world. Having been once "enlightened… tasted of the heavenly gift… made partakers of the Holy Ghost," and having tasted of the "good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," they live for that future world (Heb.6:4,5).

Jesus Christ says to us, "You are not of this world," and to Pilate, He says, "My kingdom is not of this world." The Christian is in the world, but not of the world. In Eph.6:12, Paul says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." This Scripture makes us understand that we live in a world system that is diabolically organized and presided over by Satan, whom Paul and our Lord Jesus Christ describe as "the god of this world," and "the prince of this world." In this world we practice holy worldliness.

The Christian faith creates its own culture and way of life. Christians are known as the people of the Way. We live differently from the world's way of life.

Paul says, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal.6:14). The believer and the world are dead to each other. No charm exists anymore between them. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "But so shall it not be among you..." The paradigm has shifted for the Christian. He no longer lives by the world's standards and ways of doing things. 

The Christian no longer uses power abusively or arbitrarily. He no longer uses power to dominate, manipulate, maltreat, terrorize, nor victimize others. He uses power for what it was originally meant for, which is for the service of men and nature. 

Jesus Christ says, "Be not ye therefore like unto them…" (Mt.6:8). In the Old Testament, God said to Moses, "They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee" (Ex.23:33). Again, He said, "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee" (Ex.34:12).

In the days of Samuel, the people of Israel wanted to be like others nations. They said to Samuel, "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations… That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles" (1Sam.8:5,20). 

We cannot afford to let the surrounding cultures determine how we lead our lives. 

God instructs us, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2Cor.6:17). Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; He dictates for us how to live. He says, "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (Jh.13:15). He served His disciples and washed their feet, and then instructed them to replicate it among themselves. Peter buttressed the same point in his epistle. He says, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1Pet.2:21). After telling the story of the Good Samaritan, He commands the lawyer to go and do likewise, meaning that our loving and caring must transcend racial boundaries. 

Our neighbor is anyone who is in need of our help regardless of his social or racial differences (Lk.10:37).

Concerning love, He says, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; AS I have loved you, that ye ALSO love one another" (Jh.13:34). He is our new standard of living and loving, and when He leads our lives by His dictates we become "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Lk.2:32). Men see our good works and glorify our God. As Christians we are unique in this world. We are the otherworldly people. We are heavenly citizens living on planet earth as our workplace.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter