A Christian Needs Not "Go Out Of The World"
Paul said, "Have no company with fornicators"; he meant with fornicators in the church — "not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world for then must ye needs to out of the world." Paul here explained what he meant when he said, "Have no company with fornicators." It behooves us to learn what the inspired writers meant by what they said.
The problem of the Christian being a Christian, without going out of the world, remains. The difficulty of maintaining proper relationship with secular affairs and demands, keeping them in proper proportion, is constantly with the Christian. This problem of gaining and maintaining the proper balance between the secular and the spiritual is ever current. The thoughtful are concerned; they study the problem, pray, and apply the truth to their lives and thus experience growth. The thoughtless are indifferent to the problem, they simply drift along indulging their wishes and become so gross of heart as to be impervious to the needs of the soul. Soul culture has no appeal to such. On the other extreme, there is an "otherworldliness" that would disregard secular demands to the point of being utterly impractical. To completely practice their concept one must needs go out of the world. God's approval is neither for the worldly nor for the hermit soul.
The will of God is: "Work not for the food that perisheth, but for the food that abideth unto eternal life..." (John 6:27) "Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on...." (Matt. 6:25). "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matt. 6:19). The apostle Paul's scathing criticism of some was that "they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 2:21). He also lamented that "Demas forsook me having loved this present world" (11 Tim. 4:10).
But on the "other face of the coin" the will of God is: "Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need" (Eph. 4:28); "if any man will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all but are busybodies" (11 Thess. 3:10,11); "but if any provide not for his own, and especially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever (I Tim. 5:8); "faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works (profess honest occupations) (Titus 3:8); "for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (II Cor. 12:14).
How is it possible for the Christian to "work not for the food that perisheth" and at the same time not be guilty of "walking disorderly"? How can a Christian parent discharge his duty of providing for his children and yet "work not for the food that perisheth?" In the first place, it needs to be understood that the Christian can and must "work not for the food that perisheth" and work to provide for his own and them that have need. It is possible for a Christian to "work" and at the same time "work not." The unity of the faith is in no way impaired by this seeming contradiction. There are many cases in the Bible where the lesser is denied in order to emphasize and point up a more important truth, which, if not presented in such a startling and attention getting manner, would be neglected. In these cases the denial is not intended to be absolute; attention to the physical and temporal is not forbidden in these forceful presentations of the more important and enduring spiritual and eternal things. A good illustration of this is found in I Pet. 3:1-4. Here the apostle indicates the superlative value of "the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit." The passage must be wrested to give comfort to the theory and practice of nudity — yet the apostle wrote "whose adorning let it not be...putting on of apparel."
Certain guide lines must be followed in arranging ones' "life that now is." We need to learn that first things must come first. We need also to learn what things are first. Along with this we must learn that "second things" also have a proper place. Some have erred by denying in their thinking any place to the things which are in the Scriptures assigned second place. Second place is not to be construed as "no place"! "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," but remember that one is walking disorderly if he fails to make proper provisions for the secular needs. "All these things shall be added unto you" by God, through your "working with your hands that which is good." "The man that will not work" has no ground to expect "all these things" to be added unto him.
A Christian can accentuate the spiritual and eternal without eliminating the physical and temporal. This poise is a mark of a mature Christian. Prosperity and good health are not scorned in the Bible when soul prosperity also prevails. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (III Jno. 2).