Are you "IN" or "OF" the world?

What does it mean for us to be “in” the world but not “of” the world? This thought has been bouncing around in my mind the past couple of weeks. But really how can we be “in” but not “of”?

Let’s start with Jesus’ words from John 17 :14-19
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 " Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. NASU
There are a couple of things we should notice from Jesus. First, He mentioned that He has given us God’s Word. Clearly this is for our use. We can never know what we are to do if we never read God’s Word.
Second, Jesus shows us that we are hated by the world, because we are not “of the world.” We are just like Jesus. But, Jesus reminds us that He does not want us removed, in fact He states that we are to be “kept” from the evil one.
Third, we are sanctified by the truth of the Word of God. This goes back to the first statement he made, He has given us God’s Word. My youngest son is a auto technician and he has a huge cabinet of tools. How foolish if we attempted to do his job without touching those tools. Yet, sadly as Christian’s we often attempt to go through life without using all the “tools”.
Lastly, Jesus tells us that we are sent into the world. Sent with a purpose! What we need to do to understand our purpose we need to think of the things that Jesus did. Talking with an unmarried woman by the well, eating with tax collectors, simply stated Jesus talked and walked among sinners. In Mark 2:17b Jesus said “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NASU Jesus’ ministry was to be for the sinners and that is what we need to be doing as well. I asked what does it mean to be “in” the world but not “of” the world. Now is the time when you have to answer that question. Do I go into the world or do I avoid being around those “sinner?” But you might be in a more difficult spot, you could simply be “hanging up” your faith when you go out into the world. The people you are with might not even know that you trusted Christ as Savior.

Christ tells us that He sent us, now the choice is up to us, will we really go “into the world?”