By Corbin Naekel.
I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. – John 17:15-17 NLT
One theme that is carried throughout scripture is that God has called his people out of this world, to be set apart from it. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people were a clear, distinctly separate group from the other people of the world. These distinctions were in the form of race, religion, culture, and language. It was plainly evident who was a Jew and who was not.
Christ, through his amazing work, transcended those attributes, allowing people of every color, creed, and nationality to be able to come to know God. His Elect no longer adhered to the traditional attributes of the Jewish people, however we are still called to be separate and distinct from the world. Through our actions and behavior, namely Love for the Father and Love for one other, Christians distinguish ourselves from the world.
Reading the Bible daily is one way I remain connected to the Kingdom of God. It reminds me that while I am in this world, I am no longer of this world. The Scriptures provide several resources that are desperately needed to navigate this life; how and when to pray, instruction and reproof, guidance and wisdom, and hope for what’s to come. The Bible helps ground me in the Eternal and in doing so, equips me for living for Christ today.
Corbin works as a computer administrator and has been attending Grace Hills for just over two years. He, his wife, Lyndsey, and their three boys live in Bentonville.