For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things
which are not seen are eternal. 2 COR 4:17-18. "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?" ~ Romans 8:24.
A worldly person runs after things of this world: laws/rules, rituals, traditions, customs, practices, policies and all such works. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ~ 1 John 2:15. Jesus came to abolish the things of this world, the 'law' of this world and replace it with mercy and grace. Being born again, you become an alien of this world and its worldly things. Being born again, we begin to have the mind of Christ and look for eternal presence in Him letting go of the temporal. Yet, our bodies dog us. We do what we hate and not what we want as Paul also recognized in himself. However, being born again, we know that greater is He who is in us than He who in the world. We in Christ will and can overcome the world; there is no sin that we cannot overcome in Christ Jesus.
It is through our choosing Him to hear His voice (He draws us) everyday that we draw nearer to God. And, when we have setbacks, we give thanks as we feel that pain of any loss of the Holy Spirit. Even in that loss, we are renewed by it as becomes a thorn in our flesh, an affliction, which drives us to pursue the Lord even more to overcome it. We grow out of love and in Grace , we grow up from and or grow out of this world (no longer babies taking just milk but pure milk of the Word) and in love with God ~ Jesus Christ.
So... "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" ~ Romans 12:2.
"For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the
world" ~ 1 John 2:16.
"Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord" ~ 1 Peter 2:1-3.
As Christians, those who partake in the Body of Christ, are called to serve! Not be served. Many churches serve us, they serve our needs/wants. We have need of a pastor/priest telling us how to be good. We want happy music, ritual and tradition to create a path that serves us as we think it is right in our eyes. We defend our church as its practices seem to serve us best in that respect. This, in fact, is disrespect to Christ - our being served. That is not what Christ calls us to do. We are called to serve Him, not to be served by others. What does that mean? It means we are called to spread the Word of God to all creation! To live as Christ, sharing in His body and in Him made righteous being able to forgive those who trespass against us, able to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and able to love our neighbor as ourself.
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