It is the spirit of the world ruthlessly invading our daily life that is harmful to our real welfare and not the world itself. What is the world and its spirit where we cannot avoid the former while the latter should be avoided? St. Paul explains it in his first Letter to the Corinthians, ch. 5, verses 9-13. The believers are expected to shun those among them who are loose livers not those outside the believing community who are loose livers, grabbers and swindlers or idolaters. The reason for this concession to the believers is that otherwise they would have to get out of the world that is not possible. Although both believers and non-believers are living in the world, the former are expected to be guided by the Spirit of God while the latter may be led by the spirit of the world.
"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:12). God has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ and as a guarantee for the same sealed us with His own Spirit who dwells in our hearts (2 Cor. 1:22). The believers, therefore, are expected to live far removed from the spirit of the world. The Spirit of God in us supplies the antidote to wean us away from the spirit of the world that tries to cling to us as a result of our dealings in the world. The Spirit of God washes us clean from our tendency to be inordinately attached to things and people in the world. When we are detached from the harmful effects of our attachment to the world, we are able to live in the world without worldly spirit. St. Paul brands even our sorrow into healthy or harmful depending on the spirit that rules in us. "For the wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret, but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death (2 Cor. 7:10).
The reason why the sorrow that is borne in God's way is healthy is because of its beneficial effects on the person concerned. It brings a change of heart in the person that helps him or her to renew the entire life taking it to a new and higher level. Such a person defines his or her life in terms of love that transforms the person. Such persons reach a higher level of maturity whereby they become happier and abide in an atmosphere of joy and peace. Just the opposite is the case with persons who bear their hurt or sorrow in the worldly manner leading them to unhappiness. They are worried about the ill consequences they have to suffer and think of only protecting their own selves. Unfortunately, the basic law of life applies to them negatively: " If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it" (Luke, 17:33). Obviously, the reference here is to eternal life to gain which we have to moderate our life in the world.
The same is the reason why Jesus rebuked Peter immediately after praising him for his true faith in the Messiah that was revealed to him by God. " But Jesus turned and told Peter, 'Get behind me Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!'" ( Matthew, 16:23). What was Peter's fault to earn so severe a stricture from the one who knew him thoroughly? Peter was ruled by the spirit of the world, put into him by Satan, in presuming to boldly advise Jesus to avoid all suffering and death on the cross predicted by him. Peter unknowingly became a stumbling block in a matter so close to the heart of Jesus that his reaction became swift and vehement. What was the sensitive issue involved? It was the Will of the Father for Jesus to become the sacrificial Lamb for the redemption of the entire Universe! It was not that Jesus was fond of suffering and death as may be seen in his prayer at the Garden of Gathsamene. There he keenly prayed and supplicated his Father to take away the chalice of painful death if it was possible with the proviso that the Father's Will should prevail. Apparently the prayer of Jesus was not heard by his Father and yet really it was heard. (See The Letter to the Hebrews, 5:7). (To see how, go to the next Post on 'The Resurrection').
"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:12). God has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ and as a guarantee for the same sealed us with His own Spirit who dwells in our hearts (2 Cor. 1:22). The believers, therefore, are expected to live far removed from the spirit of the world. The Spirit of God in us supplies the antidote to wean us away from the spirit of the world that tries to cling to us as a result of our dealings in the world. The Spirit of God washes us clean from our tendency to be inordinately attached to things and people in the world. When we are detached from the harmful effects of our attachment to the world, we are able to live in the world without worldly spirit. St. Paul brands even our sorrow into healthy or harmful depending on the spirit that rules in us. "For the wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret, but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death (2 Cor. 7:10).
The reason why the sorrow that is borne in God's way is healthy is because of its beneficial effects on the person concerned. It brings a change of heart in the person that helps him or her to renew the entire life taking it to a new and higher level. Such a person defines his or her life in terms of love that transforms the person. Such persons reach a higher level of maturity whereby they become happier and abide in an atmosphere of joy and peace. Just the opposite is the case with persons who bear their hurt or sorrow in the worldly manner leading them to unhappiness. They are worried about the ill consequences they have to suffer and think of only protecting their own selves. Unfortunately, the basic law of life applies to them negatively: " If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it" (Luke, 17:33). Obviously, the reference here is to eternal life to gain which we have to moderate our life in the world.
The same is the reason why Jesus rebuked Peter immediately after praising him for his true faith in the Messiah that was revealed to him by God. " But Jesus turned and told Peter, 'Get behind me Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!'" ( Matthew, 16:23). What was Peter's fault to earn so severe a stricture from the one who knew him thoroughly? Peter was ruled by the spirit of the world, put into him by Satan, in presuming to boldly advise Jesus to avoid all suffering and death on the cross predicted by him. Peter unknowingly became a stumbling block in a matter so close to the heart of Jesus that his reaction became swift and vehement. What was the sensitive issue involved? It was the Will of the Father for Jesus to become the sacrificial Lamb for the redemption of the entire Universe! It was not that Jesus was fond of suffering and death as may be seen in his prayer at the Garden of Gathsamene. There he keenly prayed and supplicated his Father to take away the chalice of painful death if it was possible with the proviso that the Father's Will should prevail. Apparently the prayer of Jesus was not heard by his Father and yet really it was heard. (See The Letter to the Hebrews, 5:7). (To see how, go to the next Post on 'The Resurrection').
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