Turning the page…
Turning the page…
Glory · The Holy Spirit
The world is the system of values, desires, and loyalties that operates apart from God; the kingdom of God is His rule and reign breaking in through Christ. They are opposed to each other. You belong to one or the other, and the Spirit convicts you of which one is shaping your life.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/world-vs-kingdom-of-god · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
John 18:33-38
As you read: Jesus before Pilate, explaining the nature of His kingdom.
33Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34Jesus answered him, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35Pilate answered, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?”
36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
37Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
1 John 2:15-17
As you read: The love of the Father versus the love of the world.
15Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.
17The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
Colossians 1:9-14
As you read: God has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Son.
9For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
John 15:18-25
As you read: Why the world opposes those who follow Christ.
18If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
21But all these things will they do to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.
22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23He who hates me, hates my Father also.
24If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.
25But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
When John says 'Don't love the world,' he is not talking about the physical creation, which God made and called good. He is talking about 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' the system of values that says pleasure, possessions, and status are what matter most. It is the world that rejected Jesus.
“Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.”1 John 2:15-17
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”John 15:18-19
Jesus said, 'The Kingdom of God doesn't come with observation,' but 'the Kingdom of God is within you.' It is not a territory or a political system; it is God's authority and reign, present now in the hearts of His people and coming in fullness when He returns.
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.””Luke 17:20-21
“for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”Romans 14:17
“But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”Matthew 6:33
When Pilate asked if Jesus was a king, Jesus said His kingdom was 'not of this world.' It does not advance by violence or politics, but by truth, love, and the Spirit. The cross looked like defeat; it was the greatest victory in history.
“Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.””John 18:36-37
“For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;”2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Paul says God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. The transfer has happened; you are no longer under that rule. But the old system still exerts pressure, and the Spirit convicts you of where your loyalties lie.
“who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;”Colossians 1:13
“in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;”Ephesians 2:2
“When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.”John 16:8-11
Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money. John says, 'If anyone loves the world, the Father's love isn't in him.' The two systems make competing claims on your heart, your time, your money, and your allegiance. There is no neutral ground.
““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.”Matthew 6:24
“Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.”1 John 2:15
“You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”James 4:4