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Christians must be different from the world
pastor corner

Today it seems that more and more people have less interest in God and more interest in worldliness. As this is happening preparing for eternity seems to be less important to many people. If one desires to live in eternity with God, they must search for and follow the steps of Jesus. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1 Peter 2:21).

Peter wrote to Christians who were suffering persecution and needed to have their faith bolstered.

John the apostle revealed that there is a battle being fought every day. It is a battle that involves everyone on the face of the earth.

The world is full of temptations. Today there seems to be less time for the home, family and God. A struggle goes on to provide and maintain a standard of living and the proper spiritual nurturing.

Some families get so caught up in the things of life that they fail to see the importance of preparing for eternal life.

John wrote, “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 (1 John 2:15-17).

So many today have been taught that there is no God. Evolutionary thought has left many without any desire to serve God.

When John spoke about the world, he specified three things, “the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.” These three are the subtitles for every sin known

to man. Eve fell to temptation by these things (Gen. 3:1-6). It is by these things that man is drawn away by temptation and into sin.

James states that lust, when it is conceived, brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death (James 1:1315).

Today it is easy to get caught in the same trap just like Eve. Prestige, money, things – all are seen to be so important. Newer phones, computers, cars, etc. – all seem so important, when they are just things that one day will be worthless. Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1-11) with the same ideas – lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life. Jesus used the scriptures to answer the temptations.

This shows just how important the knowledge of God’s word should be to all. In the Old Testament the prophet Hosea wrote for God that the “people were destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).

This may be one reason the Apostle Paul was instructed to tell the young man Timothy, “Study to show thy self-approved of God” (2 Tim. 2:15).

The things of this life will not last forever. Things that today seem so important will one day be destroyed.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Only those who have sided with the God of heaven by obeying his word will have a home in heaven for eternity.

All must choose which side of the battle they want to be on God’s side or on the side of Satan.

Study the Bible, believe in Christ as the Son of God, repent of the sins, be willing to confess Jesus as the Christ before men, be baptized for the remission of sins and then live a faithful life for God every day.

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