In The World

[Jesus said,] “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”

John 17:15-18

Jesus has sent us into the world. That is our assignment. While we are in the world, he has made provision for us to live in the world and still be protected from its warping influence. What is that provision? His Word.

The Word of God acts in our lives like the pitch that covered Noah’s ark, sealing it and keeping the water from penetrating. God’s Word fills in the gaps, covers us, and protects us from worldly influences.

We must not be so afraid of being contaminated by the world that we run away and hide. This is not what Jesus called us to. He called us to be his agents in the world. Philippians 2:15 tells us to “live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” We can’t do that in hiding.

God has placed us in the world strategically. Our life’s vocation is to become like Christ right in the middle of the mess. We don’t tuck ourselves away so that we can become like Christ without opposition. We don’t hide our light under a bushel so nothing will threaten it. Growth in Christlikeness is cultivated right here in the middle of the muck. And like a tree that grows stronger as it is blown by the wind, our own growth is enhanced when the opposing forces of this world bump up against us.

Jesus promised that he has made provision to protect you in the world. You can trust him. Take advantage of his provision by marinating your life in his Word. Let it soak in and flavor every aspect of your life.

Here I am. Send me. I will be salt and light to the world for which you sent your Son.

We should not ask, “What is wrong with the world?” for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, “What has happened to the salt and light?”

John R. W. Stott(1921–2011), English minister and writer