— “The Bible calls us to live in the world, but never to belong to it.”
📖 Summary
Christians are not called to escape the world,
but to live in it as holy witnesses.
The challenge is not isolation or compromise,
but engaged distinction —
transforming the world without conforming to it.
“Holiness is not withdrawal from the world, but transformation within it.”
1️⃣ Introduction | “We still have to live in society, don’t we?”
Every believer must navigate jobs, culture, and relationships.
The question is not whether to engage, but how to engage faithfully.
God calls us to participate without assimilation —
to be in the world but ruled by heaven’s values.
2️⃣ Biblical Foundation
📘 John 17:14–16 (ESV) — “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
📘 Romans 12:2 (ESV) — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.”
📘 Philippians 2:15 (ESV) — “Shine as lights in the world.”
📘 Matthew 5:13–16 (ESV) — “You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world.”
→ Presence without compromise is the essence of holiness.
3️⃣ Theological Insights
📜 John MacArthur — The Gospel According to Jesus
“Separation from sin, not society, defines holiness.”
📜 R.C. Sproul — The Holiness of God
“Holiness means living by a different standard within the same world.”
📜 John Piper — Don’t Waste Your Life
“God sends us into the world to redeem, not to imitate it.”
📜 Abraham Kuyper — Lectures on Calvinism
“There is not a square inch of life over which Christ does not declare, ‘Mine.’”
📜 Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch.13 (Sanctification)
“True sanctification is not escape but endurance within a fallen world.”
4️⃣ False Views vs. Biblical Truth
| False View | Problem | Biblical Truth |
|---|---|---|
| “Christians must avoid the world entirely.” | Isolationism | “Be light in the world” (Matt 5:14). |
| “All culture is evil.” | Legalism | “Everything can glorify God if done rightly” (1 Cor 10:31). |
| “Holiness is private.” | Dualism | “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1–2). |
| “A little compromise is wisdom.” | Pragmatism | “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). |
5️⃣ Practical Application
1️⃣ Keep your identity anchored in Christ.
→ You live in the world, but you belong to heaven.
2️⃣ Engage culture redemptively.
→ Influence, don’t imitate.
3️⃣ Measure choices by God’s pleasure, not popularity.
→ Ask, “Does this glorify God or dull my witness?”
6️⃣ Conclusion
God doesn’t call believers to hide from the world,
but to shine within it.
Holiness is not retreat—it’s resistance and renewal through grace.
“True holiness is not separation from people, but separation from sin.” — Revito
Faith. Holiness. Mission. — Revito
🔖 Hashtags
#ChristianLiving #Holiness #John171416 #Romans122 #Philippians215 #Matthew51316 #JohnMacArthur #RCSproul #JohnPiper #AbrahamKuyper #WestminsterConfession #ReformedTheology #FaithHolinessMission #Revito
