By Emilie Gruben.
As a ship on a stormy voyage, the wood vessel crashes upon the waves. The water pours onto its deck, and lightning strikes at the mast, threatening to break the wood in half if it stays in the havoc any longer. But the ship keeps being tossed in the sea, moving to and fro with groaning and effort. But it doesn’t sink. No. The wood does not rust or bend in the water, nor does it sink when the water berates it. The mighty ship only sinks when water finds its way into it. When the water enters the ship, it does not leave. It stays inside, soaking into the precious cargo. The ship slowly grows heavier, until it stops fighting against the roaring currents. It can no longer move. The water takes over the vessel, and the ship sinks. The world is the water, and if we allow ourselves to let the world in, what will happen?
I heard this analogy years ago, and I don’t even know which person it was who told it to me. Maybe not as detailed as some, or more detailed than others; it gets the point across. We are in a sinful world, but we will only falter if we allow the sin to enter ourselves. We are told this in Psalms 1:1-2a. “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the LORD…”
Our path is not shared with the ungodly-the world, but with God. After our repentance and come to salvation, we know that we are no longer in the hold of sin, nor do we share anything in common with those who are not in Christ. We have put off the old self (Eph. 4:20-24), and entered into our newfound faith-a whole new life and self in Christ. We are not of the world, and will not speak in any way or understand it, as we did before. 1 Jn. 4:4-6 reads “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
We have chosen to be God’s, and cannot trust or love the world. Setting aside what is influenced by the world in how we dress and speak, where we go, what we listen to, who we know, and what we spend our time on, are all ways that we can honor God by dividing ourselves from. 1 Jn. 2:15-16 says “Do not love the world or the things in 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, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Providence will not be found in the world, nor will the things we pursue last. We put off the old, and set aside our want and worldly need for earthly possessions. As we know; our riches are where the heart lies, and the heart is deceitful (Jer.17:9.) We must not only know what is right, but take action.
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under that sway of the wicked one”-1 Jn. 5:19 To be in Christ is to not be of the world, and to despise it. But does that mean we hate everything in it, including the ungodly people? This is what gets most people, today. “You can’t possibly hate the sin while loving the sinner, because then you don’t love everything about them.” It is a faulty question and idea that tries to do as Satan did to Eve by planting doubt and rebellion. God told us to love but to discern and judge. If there was no love, then our actions for Him and goodness would have no meaning because we would not love Him. Our discernment and rejection of the world is what strengthens our faith. We could never love everything about anyone but God. Every fragment of our being as humans is sinful. We cannot love “everything” about ourselves, either, even in Christ, due to sinful rebellion and selfishness. This argument isn’t one that can be grounded, and should not take our mind or heart away from anything but pleasing God as we are instructed.
To not love the world is to reject every part of it. Nothing is exempt from God’s judgment, and neither should it be from our own. We cannot stand agasing one sin and problem, and then turn the other way to another, lest we be hypocrites in our lukewarmness. Rev. 3:15-17 tells of the importance of being truthful in our own sin and situations, and that if we do not fully commit to God then we will be “vomited” from His mouth. Worldliness is deadening for the soul and will lead to ruin.
Lot and his family fled the cities of Sodom and Gamoroha when faced with the treacherous sins that overtook it. They were told to flee from the destruction that would occur when caused by sin. But Lot’s wife looked back at the city, wishing to see what would happen to it-overtaken by the love of material things and worldliness. She disobeyed God’s command, and was turned to a pillar of salt. Another such example could be those whom Noah warned about the coming judgment of God, when building the ark, by God’s instruction. But he and his family were met with ridicule and rejection; their prideful love for their worldly lives and possessions too great to see beyond. They all perished in the flood.
Love of the world will lead to ruin, no matter what. We are warned countless times to flee from evil, and seek Christ. In no way, shape, or form, are we told that this decision to follow Christ will be easy. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober minded, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The world will never not be a dangerous, temptatious place. Even the Lord, Himself, was faced with temptation. There would be no threat if there was no appeal.
Whether it is in the hobbies we hone, the careers or dreams we pursue, the things we wear, or even what we put inside our body-if it is of the world, we must discern. Is it of Christ? Is it good, true, noble, or just? Will it benefit others, and lead them back to Christ? Love of the world will never benefit us. And if we love the world, we are not of Christ. And if we are in Christ, the world will not love or accept us, either. God says in Jn. 15:18-20 “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. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”
The world will not love us, if we are faithful. As in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
In our lifetimes, we will encounter unimaginable temptation from the world, but we must not give in. Once we give in, we cannot go back to who we were before. Worldliness is deadening. We cannot allow the world to sink our faith
I hadn't heard this analogy of a sinking ship before, but I love it SO much... wonderful article, Emilie!
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