In our last blog, we talked about the danger of friendship with the Kosmos-the world and how God is a jealous God. We shared how important it is to be separate from the World’s system. It is also true that we need to use godly wisdom in navigating. Learning to live godly and yet love people and reach people for Christ. If we want to reach the world we can’t look like the world.
James 1:27 (NKJV)-27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Did you know that God loves the Kosmos? He loves people, saints, and sinners. John 3:16-17 (NKJV)-16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. God’s unconditional love for those entangled and lost in this Kosmos. Notice it says that God is not condemning the world but that the world through Christ might be saved. The world is the people that are on the earth. We are called to love people in the Kosmos. Yet we need to speak the truth in love when it comes to Christian values, morality, and even issues facing our country. We need to let people know that God loves them and that the sin that keeps them out of heaven is rejecting Christ and His offer of salvation. (John 1:29, Rom 6:23 Eph 2:13, 1 Tim 1:15). It is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. God proved His love by sending Christ!
The world’s system is its arrangement, the order of things, and human society without God. Its philosophy, values, ideology, it’s human wisdom and governments without God. Secularism, socialism, and communism affecting our culture more and more. That which is under the influence of Satan, and the demonic realm. ( cf. 1 John 5;19, 2 Cor 4:4, John 14:30, Matt 4:8-9, Eph 2:2, Eph 6:12, 1 Cor 2;12). Bearing the fruit of sin, corruption, deception, perversion, and the rejection of Biblical truth. ( 2 Peter 2;20, Phil 2:15, 2 Thess 2:10). 2 Peter 1:4).
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)-12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned–
We are in a spiritual battle. It is not Republican versus Democrat. It is good versus evil, light versus darkness. God’s Word defines what is good and what is not. What is sin and what is righteous. We must remember that when sin abounds how much more does grace abound. God is a merciful God. There is hope for our nation. The question that confronts us today is, can we overcome the Kosmos? The world system.
Jesus has overcome the Kosmos
John 16:33 (NKJV)-33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame the world system, He overcame sin, Satan, and the demonic realm. ( John 12:31, Col 2:15, John 16:11, Heb 2:14, 1 John 3:8). This is good news for us! We are joint heirs with Christ. This means we share in His victory. If He overcame we can too. We are to take courage, to be of good cheer in the finished work of Christ. What Jesus has done through the cross and His resurrection and ascension. As we face important issues in our country, we must continue to pray but also stand for truth and righteousness. To stand against lies and deception. We are not fighting people but fighting for the truth. To speak the truth in love. To live our lives based on the truth of God’s Word. This means we have to swim against the current ungodly culture. This takes faith, boldness, and courage.
We need to hate what God hates and love what God loves.
We are to fight the good fight of faith! Notice it doesn’t say fight Satan or even fight people. The Word of God tells us to submit to God, resist, the Devil and he will flee. (James 4:7). He is already defeated, a non-issue. We can overcome the Kosmos. Look at 1 John 5:4-5 (NKJV)-4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? The world’s system can’t keep us from heaven if we have received Christ into our hearts. It can’t keep us from our inheritance in Christ. All that Christ has provided for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. It can’t steal our joy, our peace, our health, our comfort, and our strength in Christ. We have authority in Christ to stand against the wiles, strategies, and plans of Satan and the demonic realm. ( Luke 10:19-20, Matt 10:1, Luke 9:1, Eph 6:1-12, Rev 12:11 2 Kings 6:16-17). The key is faith in the one who overcame! That is Christ.
Yes, there is indeed a lot of darkness, unrighteousness, corruption, lies, and deception in today’s culture. Satan is the Father of lies! (John 8:44). There is no truth in him. There is an anti-Christ spirit at work in the Kosmos today. 1 John 4:2-3 (NKJV)-2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. We shouldn’t be surprised when we see this. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that darkness would cover the earth. Isaiah 60:2 (NKJV)-2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; The Apostle Paul warns Timothy about the last days in 2 Timothy 3:1 (AMP)-1 BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. The good news is that Isaiah also tells us in Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV)-1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. Light will eventually win over darkness. The Gospel, the Good News is the answer for the Kosmos today.
Because Jesus is the light of the Kosmos , we are the light and salt of the Kosmos. The truth is that we are a restrainer, holding back the full force of evil and the anti-Christ spirit at work in the world. For example, it was through united prayer, compassion, sharing Biblical truth and values, perseverance, voting the right people into office, godly legislation, and advocacy for the rights of the unborn. That Roe versus Wade was overturned. Light overcame darkness. It wasn’t because people stood by, were passive but made a decision to fight for the unborn in a godly way. Shouldn’t we apply these things to the other issues we are facing in this country?
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
We can overcome because God by His Spirit lives in our hearts. The greater one lives within us. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ. (Eph 2:6, Col 2:10 ) He is above all principalities and powers. Above Satan and every demon. 1 John 4:4-6 (NKJV)-4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We can overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. ( 1 John 2:15-16). We can do so by walking in truth, walking in love, walking in the spirit, and taking our authority in Christ.(Rom 8:5). ( Galatians 5:16-18, Eph 5:8-11, 1 John 2:13-14). We need to use godly discernment when it comes to dealing with the Kosmos. We can receive that from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. (Heb 5:14 , 2 Tim 3:16).
Psalm 24:1 (NKJV)-1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. Even though there is sin, darkness, corruption, evil men, etc, the earth still belongs to the Lord. Deuteronomy 10:14 (AMP)-14 Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it. God has the final say even though the enemy pushes back. Yes, there are plans, plots, and undermining to destroy godly values and principles but truth and righteousness will eventually win. Psalm 2:1-4 (AMP)-1 WHY DO the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme?2 The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say,3 Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us.4 He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. We see the agenda of the far left, the progressive pushing socialism, and communism, and trying to rewrite our country’s Christian foundation and heritage. There is an outright assault on Christian values, pro-life, and antisemitism.
So much troubling our nation. Yet God is not blind to what is going on. God hasn’t forsaken our country. He is moving among His people and they are standing up to the culture. There is a Great Awakening taking place, the Spirit of God is moving. We are seeing pockets of revival in Churches and even in college universities. People are hungry for God, getting back to Church and being involved. Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV)-1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you! Let’s focus on the Word of God in these trying times. God has given us His promises to overcome! Let us be of good cheer, to have courage because Jesus has overcome the Kosmos! 2 Peter 1:4 (KJV)-4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world (Kosmos)through lust.
Can we overcome the Kosmos? Yes, we can!
- By being Born and receiving Christ into our hearts.
- Know your authority and position in Christ.
- Realize that we have the Spirit of God living in us.
- Know we are the righteousness of God in Christ.
- To put on the armor of God and don’t take it off.
- Realize that Satan is a defeated foe.
- Know that we are salt and light in the Kosmos.
- That we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
- To be lovers of the truth, focus on the Word of God.
- To engage in the culture positively. (Voting, school boards, etc)
- To have a Christian worldview.
- To continue to pray for all those in authority.
- To continue to walk in holiness and reverence for God.
In Christ’s Love;
Brent and Linda
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