Monday, February 28, 2011 - Dead to the World

      There was a time when I could hear a fly stomp across a windowpane but I was dead to the world last night. I slept through two earthquakes (4.7 and 3.8), the aftershock, a tornado watch and Tom and Nick yelling to each other in the middle of it all. 
      Being "dead to the world" can be positive or negative. It's positive when nothing going on in the world disturbs our peace in God's control. It's also positive when we "play dead" to the world's pressures to compromise Christ's commands and conform to cultural terminology such as calling abortion "choice," promiscuity "recreational sex," and homosexuality an "alternate lifestyle." The Judge has already judged these issues so we need to kill our useless tendency to judge others while also crucifying our sensitivity to incoming judgment, hostility, criticism, or ridicule from people who hate us for upholding God's judgments. 

 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. 

Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. 

Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  

Luke 6:37

    However, being "dead to the world" shouldn't mean I'm unmoved by the needs, lostness and hopelessness of people dying in their own helplessness. We're resurrected in Christ and we now live by His Power to lead people from death into eternal life. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." 

John 3:16-17

     In this new life born from death, God calls us to live as Good Samaritans who go those extra miles, pay from our own wallets, turn our cheeks to insult, pray for our persecutors, and forgive anyone who offends us. Jesus calls us to die to ego and live in the brokenness of sitting at the foot of tables, washing feet, touching lepers, loving outcasts, visiting prisoners, caring for widows and orphans, and accepting the "least of these" with compassion. 

     Being "dead to the world" and "alive in Christ" may lead the world to judge us as backwards, weak, or intolerant, but God sees us differently from His throne: 

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. 

For He has clothed me in a robe of righteousness, 

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

    Jesus slept peacefully through a storm that rocked the disciples' world because He was dead to the world and alive to God's Presence and Power in Him. 
"Now we can see that You know all things and that You do not even need to have anyone ask You questions. This makes us believe that You came from God.' 'You believe at last!' Jesus answered. 'But a time is coming, and has come when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me.'" John 16:30
Lord, rock my world with sensitivity to the peopel Christ showed sensitivity and help me "sleep through" the attacks from critics and what doesn't matter. Save us from lukewarm lives:  we want to live fully in You, fulfilling all You call us to do for anyone You put in our paths. We can't die to the world or to ourselves without Your resurrection Power working through us, so ignite Your Spirit in us as fully awake and responsive to You. 
In the Name of Jesus Who lived for You, died to the world and died for the world so we could live eternally in Your resurrection Power!
Inspired by Jesus Calling and My Utmost for His Highest
photo from photobucket.com