For God so loved the world…oYe are in the world, but not of the world. Two scriptural truths that carry with them a tension.

John 16:8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment: (AMP)

So the world is the target of the Holy Spirit’s salvation and of the His conviction. So, when we attempt to remove the conflict, this verse helps us see why we are not to be of the world. Jesus tells us in Vs’s 9&11 as He continues his message.

John 16:9 about sin [and the true nature of it], because they do not believe in Me [and My message]; (AMP)

We were at one time among them.

John 16:11 about judgment [the certainty of it], because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged [and] condemned. (AMP)

So, even though Jesus died for a world that He loves. This world does not follow Him, but instead follows Satan. You and I because we do believe are called out of the world, because it does not believe, but instead follows Satan.

So are we to just let Satan and his followers walk over us and have no participation in this worlds affairs? God’s people on this earth have always experienced the worlds opposition. His people have been promised blessing and dominion on the earth if we love Him and obey Him.

America was colonized by believers who came here to escape religious persecution. We were blessed by God with a constitutional republic. The constitution declares all men to be free to choose their religion and their politic. This form of government went along with God’s ongoing willingness from the time of creation to allow man the freedom to choose between Him and the world led by Satan. When we choose to follow The Messiah, the Son of the living God, we are partakers in a heavenly kingdom, one which we are to pray will one day come on this earth. But are we to influence its coming?

2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! (NASB1995)

Here we see that we are to look for and hasten it’s coming. We are to be used by the Holy Spirit Who is in us to do His work. Our life is to be a conviction for the world under Satan’s control. We are to live before men in such a way as to cause them to either hate us or want to have what we have. We are to stand against evil and for the good. If you don’t like that, you possibly are still too close to the world.

If you have bought into the idea that the world has of you, where they are believing you to be a white Christian racist; then you are a “Christian” who denies the truth of the word of God. For, God holds no one responsible or accountable for the sins of ones fathers. We are responsible only for our own sins. If you are a Christian then you have sought forgiveness for your sins and you are a new creature in Christ Jesus.