not loving this “kosmos”

⁴ 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. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” ⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; andpurify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

James 4;4-10

¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17

In the above passages the word “world” does not mean the earth. But it means the “kosmos (greek)” the order of things. And when mentioned in these contexts of not loving the “world”, it means not loving the current order of things. So when Christ came revealing the Kingdom of God He offered an alternative “kosmos”, an alternative order of things. An opportunity to be involved in the “kosmos” of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus says in Matt 24 that not everyone who cries out “Lord, Lord” will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but those who do God’s will.

In our current circumstances there are many opportunities to do good, or to do religious acts. Jesus did not say that those actions would get you anywhere, He said it would be those who do God’s will. So how do we do God’s will?

¹ Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

The above passage tells us that the surrender of our bodies to God is the first step that will lead away from the trappings of the order of this world and into the knowledge of what God’s will is. Then we will have the opportunity to do God’s will.

This is a personal message to you. You were made to walk in the joy of relationship with God and with Him do the things He created you for. Some may hear bondage when they hear this, it’s not. I believe it’s God calling you out of others shadows. Out from behind those who seem “impressive” or those who are “religious”. Being impressive is being obedient to God who is unseen. We need to quit living in the order of things other people have created, live in God’s order for your life. Live for the affirmation of His pleasure.

As long as we’re living in the order of someone other than God, we’re living in less than the freedom and protection God desired to give us.

Get free, ya’ll.