"And those who use this world as not misusing it.
For the form of this world is passing away." (I Corinthians 7:31)
What is meant by the believers' use of the world? How can this be measured according to their faith and hope for eternal life? In some verses of the Holy Bible the world was considered as worldly lust, as mentioned in the epistle of the Apostle James, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4). In the Apostle John's first epistkle, he said, "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."(I John 2:15-16).
True believers must avoid these three points, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, because they are used by "… the ruler of the world" (John 14:30) to entice his prey, for these are not of the Father. These three points cover all the falls of the human being through the flesh, the spirit and the soul. The lust of the flesh takes hold of Man "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." (Galatians 5:17). The lust of the eyes is linked with the spirit and the spirit is linked or rather attached and bound to specific places, people or things. For example, we find people attached to certain programs in the Television, or to watching certain celebrities, or specific things. The pride of life is linked to the presumption of the soul. However, we must follow the Lord Jesus who said, "… the ruler of the world is coming and he has nothing in Me." (John 14:30). Therefore, our use of the world is temporary and for the glory of God, and we must not rely on what we use because these are transient things, but do as the Apostles, who "When they had brought their boats to land, they forsook everything and followed Him." (Luc 5:11). They had what they used in their daily life, but when He, who "All things were made through Him." (John I:3) called upon them, they left everything and followed Him.
The world had ended for the believers, as St. Paul said, "…upon whom the ends of ages have come." (I Corinthians 10:11), although this was two thousand years ago, but it was the end of ages for the Redemption of humanity had been disposed, and as the Lord Jesus said, "… because the ruler of the world is judged." (John 16:11). If he had been truly judged, he had no more authority as he had previously pretended when he said, "For this has been delivered to me, and I give to whomever I wish." (Luke 4:6). If he had been judged, then it was impossible for the temporary matters of the world to be true, but were only apparent for their fate was extinction, "For the form of this world is passing away." (I Corinthians 7:31). If this is the case then how can we rely on things untrue? We must rather leave these matters and all our life in the hand that can use them and lead us to His Eternal Kingdom that abides. St. Basil said, "The wise one dreads only the fear and wishes only the rational. He therefore does not fear pain and does not wish for the continuance of the pleasures of the world for they rapidly vanish. If he does not fear pain, he will endure it, and if he does not wish for pleasures, he will not ask for them." One of the Fathers said, "The true wise person is not the one who rejoices with the pleasures of the world and who deplores some of its calamities and is afflicted by them. But the true wise person is the one who does not rejoice with pleasures and who does not grieve for the calamities, but who knows the beginning, and what is expected at the end."
If we see the prophecies which were meticulously realized, and the things and signs announced by the Lord Jesus happening now, in our present time, we must be alert to the extinction of the world, "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (I John 2:17).
Copyright © 2007 Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A. The above article may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A. |
