The world system’s, influence and attitude towards the believer apart from Mr. Flesh is another reason why Jesus instructs every disciple to take up his cross daily.
The world system affects your daily practice of your faith as long as you are living in the world.
The world system is an organized system of doing things. It is the culture and manner of life developed by successive men who have lived in the flesh and under the control of the devil.

It is the system of doing things as agreed upon by men obeying their human nature as influenced by the devil. This system is set up by the devil using the men he controls their lives because of sin to live contrary to God’s own way.
The world system has always been in opposition to God, causing men to forget or neglect God while diverting their attention to material and visible things of this world thereby the spiritual and invisible things of God are unnoticed to them.

The world system is a global issue; it does not depend on colour or race and affect every man born of a woman. It is the world’s lifestyle and Satan is the head and brain behind this system. Anybody that does not comply with this system is subject to persecution, ridicule and intimidation.

The three basic issues that form the pillars around which the world system contains and is sustained are:

• The lust of the flesh
• The lust of the eye
• The pride of life

“For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life- is not of the father but is of the world”. 1Jn 2:15-16

THE LUST OF THE FLESH

The lust of the flesh is all about what to eat, what to put on, shelter and whatever will satisfy the human nature. The world system keeps the flesh going because he is comfortable with it. This deceitful lust has been the strategy of the devil from the beginning and it continues to corrupt man on a daily basis.

THE LUST OF THE EYES

This is the second thing the devil used in the beginning to wreck men’s lives. He is still using it even now both in the world and in the church. The eye is not tired of seeing flashy, beautiful and appealing things. The natural man’s eye is spiritually blind so the devil devises every means to make sure he satisfies the natural man’s eye with what he sees. Man wants to go in for the latest in town, not minding the durability, strength and quality of the latest compared to the former.
These days, some women almost walk naked on the street with indecent dressing, their hair do call for attention. Some outstanding men in the Bible fell victims for the lust of the eye.
Examples are Solomon and King David.
Solomon who married seven hundred wives and three thousand concubines made this statement.

“Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them, I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure”. Eccl. 2:1-10.

David also fell for Uriah’s wife because she was beautiful to look at.
The world system has seriously crept into the church, there is competition, rivalry and personal advertisement in the church. The world system is never in agreement with God’s system, so if the world system is allowed to settle in the church, it will obscure God’s system and distract people’s attention to error.

THE PRIDE OF LIFE

The pride of life is the third thing that sustains the world system. Pride is the feeling of self-impression, self-worth, self-achievement and self-superiority.
Everybody has a way of boasting about himself, the unenlightened sinner will boast of his name, background and achievement, the believer will boast about his exploit in God’s work even though he does this by God’s grace upon his life, the timid man makes sure he avoid all the avoidables so as to appear strong before men.
The world system is actually built around the flesh giving each man the expression for his self-life.
Let us now see what the Lord is asking us to do.

LOVE NOT THE WORLD

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom. 12:2

The world system and God’s own kingdom lifestyle cannot co-exist so God demands that you should not be conformed to the world. The world has its own mould and is always seeking to squeeze the believer into it. The world system is everywhere and at all level of life. The only way of escape is to refuse to conform. Renew your mind, concepts and aspirations with the word of God.

Let the attitude of mind be changed, that you may approve what is excellent and in keeping with the perfect will of God. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world (NEB)

A true disciple must take up his cross daily to confront the world system and break it hold. Once you hold that daily as the yardstick to measure your every action, your decision and your choices in life, you are directly assaulting the world system, you are declaring the world system with all its contents as wrong and unnecessary and that one can live a fulfilled life outside the world system. Don’t be ashamed of the cross, use it effectively to silence the world. Insist on Jesus life-style to avoid being squeezed into the world’s mould.

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TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY

The issue of the cross should be raised daily. For you as a believer to be kept alive after salvation is for you to live the kingdom lifestyle as opposed to the world system. Prove to the world that there is a better life to live outside the things the devil is parading before the eyes of men in the world. Let us turn the world system upside down, and set the right side up – the kingdom lifestyle – for which Jesus is the pattern and perfect example. Paul did it and we can equally do it by living out the life (the kingdom lifestyle).

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” Acts 17:8

Jesus our master did not borrow anything from the world so the church does not have any right whatsoever to borrow anything from the world, the church has lowered her standard to compromise with the world methods of advertising, worldly pursuit of money, fame and whatever appeals to the eye. Let us return to Jesus’ way of life doing the work of the kingdom as we look unto Him.

“The prince of this world cometh but has found nothing (of his) in me” Jn. 14:30

No believer can outgrow carrying of the cross since the world system gets more sophisticated because of increased knowledge. You cannot outgrow the world system. Paul after many years of preaching still had to contend with the system, this time in the religious circle

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world had been crucified to me and i to the world. From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” Gal. 6:14,17

It is an established fact that our natural man (Mr. Flesh) was crucified with Jesus on the cross. At the same time, we need to see the cross as the same instrument that crucified the world to us. This is the second application of taking up the cross daily. The cross also crucifies breaks and renders the world impotent and irrelevant to us. We ought to use the same cross to crucify the world system.
Paul concluded this matter in a victorious manner.

“Whether a man is circumcised or not, circumcision is of no importance. What matters is the creating of the new man all over again. Mercy and every blessing on all those who will make this the rule of their life and conducts, and on God’s Israel in future, let no man go on making things difficult for me, for the scars I bear on my body brand me as the slave of Christ” Gal. 6:15-17 (Barclays)

Finally the daily cross is the mark of identification we bear with our Lord Jesus. It is our public announcement to the world saying

“I am dead to the world system, I am only alive, responsive and responsible to the Lord Jesus and Him alone. I am crucified with Christ; - it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me.”

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