What does it mean to be in but not of the world? This is a topic that has been pored over by scores of theologians, pastors, and philosophers. So, this one little blog post on the subject is clearly not exhaustive, but is perhaps a facet of the subject that can easily be overlooked. Let’s unpack some of the ideas and misconceptions about this phrase “in but not of the world.”
The exact phrase “be in, but not of, the world” is not technically in the Bible. The concept, however, very clearly is. This is called a “conceptual tenet” of the Christian faith—something that is clearly communicated as truth throughout the Bible but is not spoken directly in one little motto the way we put it on car decals and T-shirts. The Trinity is another example of this. The concept of a singular God in three persons is categorically and unmistakably communicated in both the Old and New Testament, but the actual word “Trinity” never shows up. The word “Trinity” was a conceptual declaration coined at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.
The preposition-heavy phrase “in but not of the world” is a conceptual declaration of multiple different verses. John 15:19, John 17:14-16, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 1 John 2:15, and James 1:27 are just a few verses that speak of how Christians are to be set apart from the world. But set apart in what way?
We as Christians often try to separate ourselves physically, or mentally through some form of social disengagement. We’ll watch only Christian movies, or only listen to Christian music, avoiding as much secular influence as possible. While this monastic view is not necessarily a bad thing, it has the wrong emphasis.
We cannot become physically separated from the world while we are still living in our bodies. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 5:10, the apostle Paul tells his readers that in order to avoid greedy, sinful, and idolatrous people, “You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.” The Greek word for “world” is kosmou, from which we get our word “cosmos” and refers to the entirety of creation. So, clearly, moving our location is not the answer to being in and not of the world. Let’s look at Romans 12:2 for some reference on this:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2 KJV
The way we are supposed to “not conform” to the world does not speak about our location, or even our actions, but our minds. We are to change the way we think. The way we think comes from what we allow to influence us, so doing something austere like avoiding secular music altogether can sometimes assist in how we think, but it is not the action itself that is going to change us to be not of this world. It is how we respond to what is around us that should be our focus. As J Warner Wallace says in this article, “It’s one thing to be located in these [secular] environments; it’s another thing to draw from them as a source for information and behavior.”
The New Living Translation of Romans 12:2a provides additional insight on the importance of controlling how we think. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Italics added) The NLT is a functional equivalence translation, which means it is not designed to be word-for-word from the Greek, but thought-for-thought. “Change the way you think” is a pretty clear thought communication for “renew your mind.”
When you focus on getting your mind right—having the mind of Christ—your actions will line up because you will become more like him. What is His mind like?
Is His mind fearful and anxious? Is His mind bitter or offended? Is His mind worried?
Do you ever say you “have anxiety,” or you “are so afraid” of such-and-so? We try to separate ourselves physically, trying as hard as possible to inundate ourselves with a Christian-only influence, but we’ll simultaneously walk around feeling and speaking bitterness, anxiousness, and fear.
As Christians, we are called to stand out. We’re not supposed to look like the world, we’re supposed to be different! We are God’s own chosen people, set apart for Him! 1 Peter 2:9 and Titus 2:14 even use the word “peculiar” in the KJV. When the KJV was translated, the English word peculiar meant “exclusive and unique property,” not “super weird and unrelatable.” If we are His exclusive and unique property, do we have reason to be anxious or fearful? Should we be worried, bitter, or offended?
Let’s renew our minds to be more like Him. The next time you have a worried, anxious, or fearful thought, capture it like it says to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5. Make that thought obedient to Christ. Be not of this world by changing how you think to be more like Christ thinks.