Things of the World. By Mark Mayberry 12/23/2012

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1 Things of the World By Mark Mayberry 12/23/2012 Introduction The world has three distinct meanings in Scripture, identifying (1) the physical realm, created by God, reflecting His glory and power; (2) the realm of mankind, made in God s image, which is the object of divine love; (3) the realm of Satan and sin, in rebellion against God, which is the object of His wrath. A concordance search of the Bible reveals many occurrences of the phrase of this world or of the world. What thoughts are thus communicated? What is God s assessment of the world? What blessings has Christ brought into the world? What is the Christian s relationship with the world? New Testament occurrences of this world (Matt. 4:8; 5:14; 13:22, 35; 24:21; 25:34; Mark 4:19; Luke 4:5; 11:50; 12:30; John 1:29; 4:42; 6:51; 8:12; 9:5; 14:30; 15:19; 17:6, 9, 14, 15, 16, 24; Rom. 1:20; 4:13; 10:18; 11:15; 1 Cor. 1:20; 1:27; 1:28; 2:12; 4:13; 5:10; 7:33; 7:34; 2 Cor. 7:10; Gal. 4:3; Eph. 1:4; Col. 2:8, 20; Heb. 4:3; 9:26; James 4:4; 1 Pet. 1:20; 2 Pet. 2:20; 1 John 4:14; Rev. 11:15; 13:8; 17:8). New Testament occurrences of the world (John 8:23; 11:9; 12:31; 13:1; 16:11; 18:36; 1 Cor. 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; James 2:5). The Problem: Sin and Satan The Wrong Master The kingdoms of the world are the rightful possession of Jesus Christ (Psa. 2:1-11; 1 Tim. 6:13-16; Rev. 11:15; 17:14). Psalm 2:1-11 (NASB95) 1 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us! 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. 7 I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware. 10 Now therefore, O kings, show 1

2 discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NASB95) 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about at the proper time He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. Revelation 11:15 (NASB95) 15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever. Revelation 17:14 (NASB95) 14 These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. However, the world is presently dominated by Satan, the Great Usurper (Matt. 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 1 John 5:19). Matthew 4:8-10 (NASB95) 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me. 10 Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. Luke 4:5-8 (NASB95) 5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours. 8 Jesus answered him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NASB95) 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 1 John 5:19 (NASB95) 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. The Wrong Care The world is filled with the wrong kind of care (Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:18-19; Luke 12:29-30; 1 Tim. 6:9-10). 2

3 Matthew 13:22 (NASB95) 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19 (NASB95) 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Luke 12:29-30 (NASB95) 29 And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NASB95) 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. The Wrong Sorrow The world is filled with the wrong kind of sorrow (2 Cor. 7:8-10; Gen. 4:13-15; 2 Sam. 13:1-4; Matt. 27:3-5). 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 (NASB95) 8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. Genesis 4:13-15 (NASB95) 13 Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. 15 So the Lord said to him, Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. 2 Samuel 13:1-4 (NASB95) 1 Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He said to him, O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me? Then Amnon said to him, I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom. 3

4 Matthew 27:3-5 (NASB95) 3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? See to that yourself! 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. The Wrong Philosophy The world is filled with the wrong kind of philosophy (Gal. 4:9; Eph. 2:1-2; Col. 2:8, 20-23). Galatians 4:9 (NASB95) 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? Ephesians 2:1-2 (NASB95) 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Colossians 2:8 (NASB95) 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:20-23 (NASB95) 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch! 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. The Wrong Wisdom The world is filled with the wrong kind of wisdom (Isa. 44:24-26; Rom. 1:18-23; 1 Cor. 1:18-31; 3:18-20). Isaiah 44:24-26 (NASB95) 24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, 25 Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness, 26 Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited! And of the cities of Judah, They shall be built. And I will raise up her ruins again. Romans 1:18-23 (NASB95) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 4

5 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (NASB95) 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside. 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (NASB95) 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness ; 20 and again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless. The Wrong Kingdom The world is looking for the wrong kind of kingdom (Luke 19:11-15; John 6:14-15; 18:36-37; Acts 1:6-8). Luke 19:11-15 (NASB95) 11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, Do business with this until I come back. 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, We do not want this man to reign over us. 15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he 5

6 ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. John 6:14-15 (NASB95) 14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world. 15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. John 18:36-37 (NASB95) 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, So You are a king? Jesus answered, You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Acts 1:6-8 (NASB95) 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? 7 He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. Under Divine Judgment As a result, the world and its ruler are under divine judgment (John 12:27-32; 14:29-31; 16:7-11; Rev. 20:10-15). John 12:27-32 (NASB95) 27 Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came out of heaven: I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, An angel has spoken to Him. 30 Jesus answered and said, This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. John 14:29-31 (NASB95) 29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. John 16:7-11 (NASB95) 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 6

7 Revelation 20:10-15 (NASB95) 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Answer: Jesus Christ The Life Jesus Christ is the life of the world (John 6:47-51; 14:6). John 6:47-51 (NASB95) 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. John 14:6 (NASB95) 6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. The Light Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:4-5). John 8:12 (NASB95) 12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. John 9:4-5 (NASB95) 4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. The Savior Jesus Christ is the savior of the world (John 4:39-42; 1 John 4:14-15). 7

8 John 4:39-42 (NASB95) 39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all the things that I have done. 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world. 1 John 4:14-15 (NASB95) 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. Jesus Christ takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29-34; 1 John 3:5). John 1:29-34 (NASB95) 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water. 32 John testified saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. 1 John 3:5 (NASB95) 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. The Realization Jesus Christ is the realization of a plan that predates the foundation of the world (Matt. 13:34-35; 25:34; Eph. 1:3-4; Heb. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:20-21). Matthew 13:34-35 (NASB95) 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34 (NASB95) 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NASB95) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 8

9 Hebrews 4:3 (NASB95) 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest, although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:20-21 (NASB95) 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. The Christian and the World Distinctive Christians must remain distinct from the world (John 15:18-20; 17:14-16; 1 Cor. 2:6-16). John 15:18-20 (NASB95) 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 17:14-16 (NASB95) 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (NASB95) 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him. 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 9

10 Resistance Christians must resist being influenced by evil (John 17:14-17; 1 Cor. 5:9-13; James 4:4-10). John 17:14-17 (NASB95) 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (NASB95) 9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. James 4:4 10 (NASB95) 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; and purify 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. Resolution Christians must resolve to be an influence for good (Matt. 5:14-16; Rom. 10:14-18; Phil. 2:14-16). Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB95) 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Romans 10:14-18 (NASB95) 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! 16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I 10

11 say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world. Philippians 2:14-16 (NASB95) 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. Conclusion God s people are often counted among the poor of this world (James 2:1-5), and even counted as the scum of the world (1 Cor. 4:11-13), yet they are heirs of the world (Rom. 4:13 18), having hope of the world to come (Phil. 3:17 21). Have you become a child of God? Are you walking in His pathways? If not, obey the gospel, while there is time and opportunity. James 2:1 5 (NASB95) 1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, You sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool, 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 (NASB95) 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. Romans 4:13 18 (NASB95) 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made you ) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, So shall your descendants be. Philippians 3:17 21 (NASB95) 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of 11

12 whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. 12