Alienation- the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved 2) loss or lack of sympathy; estrangement.
There are two types of alienation- that is of the world and that is of God.
Alienation, it's an uneasy feeling often felt and so hard to explain. Yet the Holy Bible declares this feeling is normal and confirmation is found throughout scriptures.
We know that alienation of God comes through sin. Yet, the other kind of alienation that I talk about is the separation from self and the love for the world. You become an alien and stranger to a world full of people that idolize themselves and foreign gods.
The world and it's ways has created it's own tower of Babylon with with a common speech and language. The language of self indignation and self righteousness. The speech is luring and seductive enticing you with whispers that speak to your lustful or material desires. After all they feel so good. This is not a preaching to condemn you for falling for the sweet desires of our fallen nature. It's actually to be expected and you would not be human unless you too had moments (days, weeks, years, decades) where you chased an idea that is from self and not from God himself.
One by one the devil has taken people to the top of a mountain and showed them all the kingdoms of the world (money, fame, sex, materials, power, control) and all their splendor and offered them up to each person to rule over. Each person loves those things, it's so easy to say "yes".
I'm not saying that you don't deserve or have to not "like" these things, they are Gifts from God- but "For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them." Luke 12:30
It's hard to say Good Bye to those things that feel so good- for a BETTER Promise! "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:4)
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble!(Matthew 18:7) The world can cause us to stumble. It's not hard especially as Christians that are actively enjoying all the great gifts,promises, joy, peace that God does give us while we are here. God us not calling us to forsake the beauty and majesty of the world in it's natural state, but instead the fashions, fads, false religions and the chasing after the wind (money, materialism, fame, power, control, sex, looks etc) All of us (Christians) also lived among them of the world at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25) Learning to say good bye to those things that didn't accomplish what they thought they could for you. You aimlessly keeping working harder and harder, you become poorer and poorer in spirit and in health and yet you wonder...."Can I give this up"and all that means is that you die to yourself and all the desires you keep chasing for yourself for Greater things that God may have in store for you. Many of you can't trust that....as if God ways and his plans to prosper you and lead into great ways is not enough?
You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Jesus spoke this to the Jews when he tried to explain where he came from. The same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead lives inside you. If you feel this same exact way - it's because the Spirit of Truth reveals this to your soul. The closer your walk with God the more alienated you become to the ways/passions/desires of this world. "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."1 Corinthians 2:12
Alienation for being a Christian!
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Therefore, What are we to do while we are here?
1)Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
3) say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11)
4) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
5) Stay away from immorality, greed, any kind of impurity, resentment, unforgiveness, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly, strife, murder, drunkenness, orgies, and the like, conceited, provoking, evil talk, suspicions, gossip, malicious talk, selfish ambition, hypocrisy.
WARNING_
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8) ALSO.........Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: (Colossians 2:20) That is to say do not let man made rules and regulations govern your relationship with God!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
My testimony is that I've felt alienated from this world since I was young. It was the Lord that led me to the revelation that I received my Holy Spirit at a young age and through my childhood I didn't remember that I took Jesus as Lord as young child and growing up I wrestled with the Lords spirit with my own. I wanted to love the world but I couldn't. I never felt like I saw the world the way other people had, and I still feel that way. I am a child of the Most High God and his spirit lives inside me and testifies with my fellow brother and sisters in Christ that this life is but a moment and not meant to be lives for selfish ambitions and pleasures that don't benefit my soul or the Kingdom. Surely God wants me to have Joy, Peace and Life abundantly and I do, but in not in sinful ways. No longer enslaved to the world but free in Christ to live a better way! Don't fight this feeling- accept this natural alienation as part of Christ and surrender more and more to the spirit and less and less of your fleshy desires. Let it heal your heart that the disdain in the world hurt your soul for a reasons that make complete sense. The pain and grief of this world grieves the spirit and for Great Purpose. Do something about this pain you feel for the world and spread the Good News of Jesus to everyone lost, hurt and wandering soul. God Bless You and may the Lord keep revealing your direction and may you always feel alienated from this as you are connected to Christ.
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