You’ve probably heard it a million times. You’re listening to a sermon and the speaker says something along the lines of, “In the world, people think this, but the Bible teaches we should think . . .” What do they mean when they say, “the world?” Aren’t we all in the same world, on the same planet, breathing the same air? Aren’t you and I living in the world too?

Same planet, different worlds

The point the speaker is likely trying to make is not about the physical planet we all live on. It’s that two people (or groups of people) can live on the same planet but in different worlds. In other words, their focus in life is on two completely different things  (see the illustration below for a humorous example . . .)

While the guy and the gal live on the same planet, their minds are in two different worlds. He’s thinking about her and she doesn’t even know he exists (BTW—I know it feels that way sometimes guys, but I’m sure she knows you exist. But that’s a different article . . .)

The point is, while we all live on the same planet, some people live in different worlds.

When ministers talk about the world versus you and me, they are often trying to point out that there is a difference between our mindset and the mindset of most others. But before we get into those details, there’s something we should understand about this comparison. It shouldn’t be thought of as an adversarial sort of relationship, or that we are in some way perfect and without fault.

Sometimes there is a tendency to categorize the world as “bad” and the Church as “good.” Generally speaking, those in the world don’t follow God’s will or laws, and we in the Church do—or at least try to. But we have to be careful about making too broad a generalization. Not everyone in the world is an evil, horrible person bent on destruction. In fact, most are quite the opposite. You probably have neighbors, teachers and even family who aren’t in the Church who are good people, who want to do what is good and right. But at this moment in time, they simply don’t understand God’s way as you do. We must always remember that it is Satan the devil who is the real enemy: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Likewise, we need to make sure we don’t think of ourselves as perfect and without faults. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Not everyone in the Church (including you and me) is always the best example. We’re all human; we all make mistakes and sin. Of course, we repent and seek God’s help to overcome our problems, but the point is, just like we can’t blatantly label everyone in the world as “bad,” we must recognize that no one in Church is always “good.”

Our World

Even though not everyone in the world is evil and no one in the Church is perfect, there’s no doubt that there should be a difference between us and the world. Jesus Christ talks about this quite a bit on the night before He was crucified. In John 15:12-14, He says, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

I think one of the first things that begins to separate us from the world at large is how we view this command. Most people view it in a negative way, like a person giving a dog a command to go fetch. There’s a tendency to think that it means we’re lower than the other person, like a servant. But Jesus Christ explains that is not the case: “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (verse 15).

Of course, we are under Christ and God’s authority, but we’re more than just a simple minion who does the bidding of his master. Christ says that we are His friends, and that all things He has shared with us come from God the Father. You probably look at your parents much differently than you might a teacher or supervisor at work. Hopefully, you have good teachers and supervisors who treat you well, but they’re just not the same as your parents. You know your parents love you and always have your best interests in mind. If they ask you to do something, like cut the grass, clean the living room, etc., you know that it is in your best interest. They’re not just trying to get you to do their work for them—they’re instilling lessons on taking care of a home and being responsible.

Christ goes on in verses 18 and 19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Hopefully, you haven’t experienced the kind of hate that Jesus Christ felt from the world, but chances are, you’ve felt a little discomfort. Like when people ask you why you can’t play football on Friday nights, or why you are eating those weird matzos for lunch during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It might not be downright “hate,” but it illustrates a simple point: the world does not think like you and I think.

Where do you live?

As Jesus explained on the night He was betrayed, we think differently from most people. That’s because of the awesome blessing we have to know and understand God’s plan for mankind. That single fact changes how we look at and think about everything. That’s what makes us different than the world.

Of course, one day, all mankind will have an opportunity to know the wonderful truths you and I know and live by today. But until then, there is a difference between us and everyone else. Paul summarized it this way in Philippians 3:20: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” We look and see the events of this world and understand that they are temporary. As wonderful as our country is, it’s nothing compared to the coming Kingdom of God.

Until then, it can help to understand the difference between the world and you and me. While we shouldn’t be judgmental of others, or feel that we are perfectly righteous in some way, it is important that we understand why we are different from others. You and I have been called friends of Jesus Christ, and so we know the future plans for all mankind. Let’s be grateful for this blessing, and look forward to the day when we can share this joy with the entire world!