Have you heard the phrase “be in the world, but not of it”? Guess what! It’s not in the Bible. For the longest time I thought it was—and the sentiment is, but the exact phrase is not. Jesus, when praying for His disciples, says, “They are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” (John 17:14-16). In another instance, right after Jesus has instructed His disciples to love one another, He says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world . . .” (15:19).
Jesus emphasises that we do not belong in this world, while also praying that we are not to be taken out of it. From those verses came the phrase we know and love: Be in the world but not of it. Although it’s not in the Bible word for word, it’s a good thing to keep in mind. However, do we actually understand what it means?
Something I have come to realise is that we as Adventists seem to have “being not of this world” down pat, but we struggle a little more with the concept of being “in the world”. I’ve always equated not being of this world with my values and beliefs, remembering what Jesus has done for me and carrying with me the promise of a better world once Jesus returns. I think most people would agree with this. Being “in this world” has generally been interpreted much more broadly—there are varying opinions on just how far in the world we really need to be. Now we don’t really have a choice; we’re stuck here on Earth, sometimes an incredibly challenging thing to stomach. However, we are also incredibly blessed to have been created and given this beautiful world to call our home. Sometimes we forget that amid the pain and ruin. And sometimes we spend so much time looking towards heaven and the wonderful promise of eternal life that we forget to look around us, to be “in” the world and see the work that still needs to be done.
We are perfectly capable of holding tight to our beliefs and values while also letting people into our lives who may disagree with us. And through us being “in” the world, others may see how we interact with them and be curious about our faith. But we can’t lead people to Jesus if we refuse to mingle with the masses. And leading people to Jesus via mingling doesn’t necessarily mean calling people out for doing things we see as sinful. Leading with what it is we shouldn’t do as Christians is a great way to turn people away from the true message of Christianity: Jesus’ great love and sacrifice. Actions come later.
I find it interesting how Jesus prefaces His statement on the disciples not belonging in the world with talking about how love is what’s most important. Love God; love one another. To me it reiterates that this love is what separates us from the world—what causes us to be “not of” the world—but it is this same love that challenges us to be “in” the world, because those who most need to see evidence of that love are those who have not yet met Jesus.
And so it’s true—we don’t belong here, but we don’t belong not because we are somehow elitist and above everyone else, but because we hold tight to a promise that there is Someone who loves us despite our messiness and promises us eternal life with Him. So next time you’re doing your best to not be of this world, remember to also be in it.
Ashley Jankiewicz is an assistant editor for Adventist Record.
