Concerning the World.

Christ shared fully in that creative work (John 1:1-3). All things were created by him and in him all things hid together (Col. 1:16-17). Our heavenly Father is creatively active in the world (John 5:17; 9:3-4) and will be triumphant over Satan in the world (Rev. 11:15; 12:10; 20:1-3). God loves the world and the peoples of the world (John 3:16). In Christ he reconciles the world to himself and has committed to us the ministry of recon¬ciliation (2 Cot. 5:18-19). Our “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20, NASB). We should seek the things that are above (Col. :1-3); but while we are in the world, we should cooperate with our heavenly Father in the work he is doing. The term “world” is used to represent evil, however, when the reference is to individu¬als or social structures that are alienated from God.

In this sense we should not love the things of the world (1 John 2:15), should beware of friendship with the world (I John 4:4), and should keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27). Christ wants us to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-16). Our Creator-Rede4emer, the sovereign God of the universe, is concerned about and has a purpose for every aspect of the life of the world he has made. We are responsible for caring for the world’s limited resources (Gen. 1:27-30; 2:15). Through our daily work, as well as through our home and our church, we should seek to extend his righteous rule (Matt. 6:33), knowing that his kingdom comes as his will is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).