Flee the world, flee Judgment

If a person strives to survive in this world, he should strive even more to escape judgment and attain salvation in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ).

By LLOYD RUBEN I. CASTRO

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES warn that the world will end in a terrifying way. And it is near.

Anyone who remains to be of the world will not be saved. The Bible declares that the world will pass away:

“Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. … The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but he who does the will of God lives forever.” (I John 2:15, 17 Good News Bible)

Therefore, if one belongs to the world, he will pass away along with the world. He will not be saved.

So as not to suffer the fate of the world, the Bible instructs us to not love the world. We should flee the world to escape judgment.

World under God’s judgment

The world and everything in it that people desire will pass away because it is under God’s judgment:

“Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God’s judgment.” (Rom. 3:19 gnb)

God will mete out His judgment on the whole world on the Day of Judgment:

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (II Pet. 3:7 New International Version)

God decreed that the whole earth will be burned on Judgment Day. All ungodly men will be destroyed on that day. If one remains to be of the world, he is included among those considered ungodly who will be destroyed.

The world is under God’s judgment because of its sins (I John 2:16). The world is sinful, for which it will be judged and destroyed by God.

Some may ask why the people of the world will not be saved when many of them also have their respective religions. Given that that may be true, God, however, does not recognize the religions of the people who are of the world:

“That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12 New King James Version)

The Bible describes the people of the world as “without God.” This means that they are far from Him and are His enemies:

“At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.” (Col. 1:21 gnb)

While many cannot accept that they are far away from and are enemies of God because they also recognize Him, the Bible, on the other hand, says that that is merely a claim:

“They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good.” (Titus 1:16 gnb)

Those who say they recognize God but are far from Him merely claim to know God. In truth, they deny God by their evil deeds. Some of the evil deeds committed by people of the world were enumerated by Apostle Paul:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (II Tim. 3:1–5 nkjv)

Those who do these belie their claim of knowing or recognizing God. According to the Bible, they have a form of godliness but they deny its power. Thus, their religion is false and their religiosity is merely in form and lacks substance. They deny the power of the true religion and of the true God—and this is none other than His words written in the Bible.

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

II Peter 3:7

New International Version

How to be delivered from the world

In order to be saved on the Day of Judgment, it is first necessary that one be rescued or saved from this evil world:

“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father.” (Gal. 1:4 American Standard Version)

The people who have already been delivered or saved from this evil world are the ones for whom Christ gave or offered Himself in order for their sins to be forgiven.

Many people—those who are of the world—believe that they have benefited from Christ’s death or that they are included among those saved from this evil world. However, those who have truly been saved from this evil world have been transferred to the kingdom of the Son:

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13–14 nkjv)

Those transferred to that kingdom of the Son, Who is Christ, have redemption through His blood. What Christ redeemed with His blood is the Church Of Christ alone:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation)

Sin is the reason the world has been under God’s judgment. That is why one should first be saved or taken out of the world. From there, he is to be transferred to the Church Of Christ because it is here where he is redeemed and forgiven of sin.

Thus, in order to be saved from this evil world and, most of all, from perdition on the Day of Judgment, one should follow this instruction of Christ:

“I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe. …” (John 10:9 Revised English Bible)

One has his part or role in his being transferred from the world into the Church Of Christ. He should heed the instruction of Christ to enter the fold or flock through Him. The flock is the Church Of Christ (Acts 20:28 Lamsa).

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:13–14

New King James Version

In another illustration by Apostle Paul, those who truly entered Christ became members of His body, which is the Church:

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” (I Cor. 12:27 King James Version)
“And He is the head of the body, the church …” (Col. 1:18 nkjv)

Thus, in order for man to be saved from this evil world and, most of all, on the Day of Judgment, he needs to become a member of the true religion. It is not enough that one leaves a false religion; he must join the true Church Of Christ.

Waiting for Christ’s return

To remain in the Church and his hope for salvation, one ought to live the life that God expects of those He has saved from the world:

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age … who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:12, 14 nkjv)

God expects them to shun “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and “every lawless deed.” Thus, they should completely renew their lives. To be able to fulfill this, they “should live soberly, righteously, and godly” by following the righteousness or words of God, which make one holy (Rom. 1:16–17; John 17:17).

Since they are no longer of the world, their way of living should no longer be that of the people of the world. They should no longer commit sinful deeds, such as fornication, gambling, alcoholism, and drug abuse. They should value God’s instructions or commands, such as faithfully attending the worship services (Heb. 10:25), being prayerful (Luke 18:1), loving and helping their brethren (I Pet. 2:17; I John 3:17), giving voluntary offerings (II Cor. 9:7), sharing their faith (Matt. 5:14–16), and submitting to the Church Administration (Heb. 13:17).

God also expects those whom He has saved from the world to live uprightly and in holiness because this is the proper way of waiting for Christ who will bring their salvation on His Second Advent, which is the Day of Judgment (Titus 2:12–13).

This is why Church Of Christ members reach out and bring people to salvation by convincing them to flee from this evil world and by inviting them to become members of the Church Of Christ, while they depart from the evil works of this world so that they themselves will be assured of salvation on the Day of Judgment. ❑

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