what does it mean for a christian to be no part of the world? & why is it important?

Question

(James 4:4) . . .Adulteresses, do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.

(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.

well nice answers, but what about scriptual answers? Did Jesus take part in politics? when they tried to make him king, he fled. see what Paul said about being part of the world
(1 Corinthians 5:9-13) . . .In my letter I wrote YOU to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, YOU would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, 13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselve. . .

Jesus said to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom, this is the Government that will solve mankinds problems
(Matthew 6:9-10) . . .“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your kingdom come. . . .

so what kingdom do you wish to serve? you can't be serving both, although at ro ch 13 it does tell christians to be submisive to the governments, because they are God's tools to provide public service until he destroys them & replaces them with his Government with Jesus as king

Answer 1

Christians reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens (as citizens of heaven). They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners. They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.

However there are limits. The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.

We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 2240-2242: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2.htm#2240

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Actually the scripture says to be IN the world but not OF the world. Sometimes we are all snared with our longings. We want things we don't have, we want more toys to play with, more food to eat, better housing, nicer cars, newer clothes. All of these things are okay as they go---but they are worldly things and not spiritual things. We are supposed to long for a closer walk with Christ and an understanding of the spiritual side of our nature. However, we look at what the world has and we want it. It is our HUMAN nature. We are IN the world and when we long for things we don't have and plot ways to get them---we are OF this world. But you already knew that right? Don't take your eyes off the cross and look from left to right. There will always be someone with more than we have. we shouldn't look on what they have with desire. :-)

Just my opinion and several books that comment on the books and scriptures of the bible.

Answer 3

If we were of the world, then the world would love us; but because Jesus has chosen us out of the world, the world hates us. (John). It hated Him first, and we are not greater than our Master. This world is not our home; we do not pin all our hopes on it as do many nonbelievers. Neither do we love this creation more than we love the Creator. We are just staying here temporarily, until we are called to our true home. And as beautiful and wondrous as this world is- no denying that- the next will far surpass it.

Answer 4

Many of the things of the world originate with Satan, that is why he was able to offer, as a temptation, the kingdoms of the world to Jesus. Therefore when we become overly involved with the things of the world, it can be a distraction that can interfere with spiritual things and cause us to stumble.

Answer 5

It means that we shouldn't involve ourselves in the world so much that our spirituality doesn't become crowded. Also, not taking part in this world's customs. Anything that is passing away in this system basically. Not to say jobs because we all need jobs to support ourselves but not to get to involved in it. Just look at Jesus' example and you will have your answer.

Answer 6

This is very difficult to explain to a non Christian. For a Christian it makes sense.
Our lives are for God. To love Him before everyone else and everything else. Then we are to love our neighbours as we ourselves would want to be loved. This is what the Christ taught us. But the world?
Well everyone who does not live in "the way", that is "the way" Yeshua, the Messiah taught, (Christian is a term that was first recorded from Antioch after the death of the Christ) is of the world, anything that is obstructive of "the way" is of this world.
Once we give our lives over to God we are assured a place in His kingdom, by His grace and our faith in the Messiah. It is not of this world.
A Christian or a non-Christian who is more centred on the job, the paycheque, the social standing of his circle, is living in this world, for this world. All that we need is given to us by God.
That is your faith in God.
If what we NEED is given, then trying to gain more by riches, social standing, properties, & possesions is not an act of faith but an act of living in this world. It is important for us to live for God, not for things, nor anything that pertains to the world and the pleasures of body and mind.
When Paul wrote to one of his parishes he had to tell them that we cannot judge those of the world because they do not know what we do. We cannot take ourselves out of this world because here we live in faith, we have to live with those outside of our faith by business, social, and educational and other transactions we have to live with everyone else with love. We cannot judge them. However ...we do have to judge one and the other of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is to help each other in our faith and Paul wrote out the means and manner in which we are to judge ourselves. But we cannot judge the world.
Not the jewels, nor gold, not the men of pagan temples nor prostitutes of mythical goddesses. We are not to do so. We are to let God do that because His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. He knows the world we live in far better than we could ever imagine. He will judge justly, and do not concern yourself of it, because those who deserve His grace will recieve it pagan or not. But only He knows them.
I hope this helps you.

Answer 7

My understanding of this is we should acknowledge we are spiritual beings not physical beings and our true home is not this world but when we are part of the holy spirit.

Answer 8

"This world" refers to the sin that is here: lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. If we are a part of "this world", then we are not a part of God.