TWO WORLDS

Growing up we live in several worlds, the physical world is common to everyone.

Children live a in an additional world created by their imagination where they can’t distinguish the real from the imaginary. Some have imaginary friends they talk to as if they were real.

This doesn’t necessarily stop as we mature. Both men and women fantasize about the opposite sex. They create romantic situations with people who have no interest in them whatsoever.

In almost every area of our life the real world is comprised by an imaginary one. When the imagination starts to function it requires a new world in which to develop and expand; for if it doesn’t do this it will lose its essence and disappear.

Jesus issued a statement that was a concept that was dealing with two realities which defines the Christian’s existence;

John 17:14–15 (NIV) 14 I have given them your word and the world (system) has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Jesus spoke of being in the world’s system but at he same time he was not part of it. He was saying he could function within this system and still not have the nature of the world which is a sin nature.

He succinctly stated that we as believers had the same separation from the world as he had.

This being true the question is “How then should we live?”

Paul realized that this was an issue in the Christians life, a paradox that the Christian must solve in order to receive the full benefit of conversion.

Paul understood that was a soulical problem and knew in order to overcome this problem they must have some instructions to help them.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.

Beware of vain imaginations. Sometimes the things that we think and believe to be true are assumptions, or presumptions that we have created in our own minds.

It's very difficult to recognize truth from deception in this area. What we perceive to be true is not always what is true. These conceived thoughts begin to produce seeds of deception that the enemy has subtly planted in our minds. They are mere suggestions that over a short period of time can give birth to lies, evil thoughts, and desires.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds :) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

It is interesting to note that when the apostle Paul talks about spiritual warfare the first weapon he mentions is casting down imaginations.

What are imaginations? Webster's New World Dictionary includes in the definition, "The act or power of forming mental images of what is not actually present." Also, "The act or power of creating mental images of what has never been actually experienced."

Therefore imaginations are unreal and dreamed up. They have not been actually experienced. The truth is that most imaginations are lies.

Part of the mind renewal process is recognizing where vain imaginations are taking us they are most always bad. Prior to the flood it states that the people on earth were controlled by "Every imagination of the thoughts of his (man's) heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

It would be profitable to ask yourself; do I really realize that I am in the world but not of the world and see if what you do conforms to who you are. It may be you still have some work to do, so on with the mind renewal process.

Some thoughts have been gleaned from others.