Defiance

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. (2 Corinthians 6:17)

In a time when conformity to a certain established standard of living seems to be the order of the day, and a culture of complacency eaten deep into the fabric of society, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine what is wrong and what is right. Especially because, for the most part, the concept of right and wrong is whatever some man defines it to be. For himself and for society.

Like soldiers in a military formation would move in no other direction but that to which the sound of a commander dictates, the world has assumed the position of a marching band and is digging away at the rhythm of whatever new thing comes onboard. It is almost as though humans have lost their ability to choose. They go where trend and culture say go, and in most cases, these destinations become lands of no return.

A critical look at the man of today would quickly reveal how much of the exercise of his will he has abused. Or rather, lost. From one seeming innocent compromise to another until he became nothing like what was originally created. Suddenly, the “dictator” has become the “dictated”. The “ruler’ has become the “ruled”. The “owner” has become the “owned”. And I can go on and on about how low the man condescended and ceded authority to a system he was called to exercise dominion over.

And although this departure from the original intent of God for the man seems to be producing some fruits, the grand plan is to project the system of the world as profiting and keep the man feeding on crumbs until he loses sight of everything else that there is to be desired in God. Which by the way, already belongs to him (the man).

This was the case with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Satan wasn’t going to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world simply because Jesus didn’t know those things belonged to his father. But if he ceded authority by bowing in worship, then the material riches of the world would be all that Jesus would ever have, which in this case were only crumbs compared to the crown of glory he stood to gain if he defied Satan.

The call today is unto much more than just a sober reflection, but for a deliberate decision to break out of an ungodly order and insist on a pattern found only in Christ. And the principle by which this insistence can be done is a defying principle. Whether we admit it or not, the world is set on a trajectory and anyone who must attain any form of relevance within the context of the world system must subscribe to that path. And need I mention that the commodity with which you trade in this system is your soul?

As subtle as the impact may seem, the target is for you to eventually arrive at a state where you lose every sense of identity.

So, when scripture says “…we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:16 Paraphrased).” it simply means that “the world” in its context has a culture that you must fight to stay separate from. A system you must insist to never be influenced by. A nature you must refuse to put on by reason of the many who have chosen to wear it.

And much more than stay separate from the system that runs the world, you must determine to be the light that pushes back the tides of darkness. If covetousness is the prevailing thought within the system, choose the path of contentment. If immorality governs the heart of everyone around you, choose to be Holy. If hate reigns on every street, choose to spread the love of God everywhere you go. If selfishness has become the drive for what people do, decide to be selfless. By all means, determine to go in the opposite direction of where the world is headed.

But a guarantee you must carry at the back of your mind as you make the journey of defiance is that you will become the target of the world. As darkness is averse to light, so is the world averse to whatever stands as a system of judgment and a provocation for her conscience. They will hate you because you compel them to live in truth, but compel them you must anyways.

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:11–12 NLT)

Shalom!

Biyama Joseph

#TheInfluencer