Counterinfluence

As we go out to invade our culture with the good news of Jesus Christ, we must recognize that we are behind enemy lines. We’re in a hostile environment. For the most part, people are not always supportive of or receptive to what we have to say.

Without question this is a tricky balance. But here are the words of Jesus in a prayer that only He could pray to the Father. Referring to us, His followers, Jesus said, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. . . . Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world” (John 17:15, 18 NLT).

Did you catch that? Jesus said that He’s sending us into the world. Yet the Bible warns us that we shouldn’t be conformed to this world.

In 1 John 2:15–16 we read, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world” (NLT).

Yet Jesus said He was sending us into the world. So how does this work?

The apostle Paul shed some light on this for us. Writing to the believers in Corinth he said, “When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that” (1 Corinthians 5:9–10 NLT).

In another passage, Paul spoke of becoming all things to all people (see 1 Corinthians 9:19–22). The idea is that we want to influence the world—and not have the world influence us.

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