Christians are constantly faced with difficult choices about the nature and extent of participation in this world. "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20), but we still live here for now, and must necessarily engage in activities peculiar to this world. It is no small challenge to engage in this world, and at the same time keep our focus on heaven.

We are told not to be conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2). But we must not take this to mean that we must never engage in the world because we are also to let our lights shine in the world (Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 3:15-16). This cannot be done if we become hermits with no contact at all with worldly people.

What is the extent of this worldly engagement? Are we free to engage in anything and everything offered by the world? No doubt there is some disagreement among Christians about the extent of involvement in various areas of this world. There is also some room for judgment; and we wish to offer here some basic principles for making these decisions.

No Sinful Participation

It should be axiomatic for Christians to understand that if a particular activity involves sin, then it must be avoided. This is where the "in the world but not of the world" adage holds true. If an activity means participation in sin, then the solution is clear: "Do no be bound together with unbelievers…" (2 Cor. 6:14ff). Where sin is involved, the only option we would have to obey or disobey God. Further, if we are unsure about engaging in a particular activity in the world, then we should not presume to do it anyway. Engaging in something while entertaining doubts about it is a violation of conscience. This, too, is wrong.

The principle, then, is to avoid sin: "abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). Then, avoid that which you are not certain about. Everything we involve ourselves in should be done with the understanding that we are to maintain personal holiness, then we are to be proper examples in upholding God’s truth to the world.

The Lord First

When we are convinced that an activity is not wrong in itself, there is another guiding principle to keep in mind. The Lord comes first in everything! Again, that should be obvious enough. But there is what I refer to as a "respectable worldliness." These are matters that may not be inherently wrong, but we become so consumed with them that we put them before our service and commitment to the Lord. For example, though there may be nothing wrong with recreational activities (e.g., fishing, or golf for us preachers), if we become so engaged that our service, attendance, giving and work for the Lord begins to suffer, then we have crossed the line and become too worldly. We must never become so involved with something, no matter how good we may deem it to be, that we put it before Christ.

Some Areas of Engagement

With these two principles before us (no sin, and nothing before the Lord), what are some areas of engagement in this world? I do not believe that any of these areas that we will mention here are inherently sinful. But all of them are subject to the abuses mentioned above. So we must be cautious and think through our level of engagement to make sure that we are putting the Lord above all.

1. Work. We are required to work (Eph. 4:28). We don’t have the option of refusing to work in order to stay out of the world (cf. 2 Thess. 3:6ff). But there are multiple types of work situations we may choose. Some of them are sinful, and we should avoid these (e.g., should a Christian be a bartender or run a casino?). There are many honorable job situations, so why should we put ourselves in an ungodly atmosphere for the sake of earning a few bucks? Yet, even among the honorable professions, it is possible to let your job become more important than the Lord. "But I have to make a living" is not an excuse that allows one to neglect service to the Lord (cf. Luke 14:16ff). Don’t let your work consume you so much that it becomes the most important matter in your life. We should also be reminded that if our purpose in our work is to get rich, we ought to check our attitudes about what is most important (1 Tim. 6:9, 17-19). Should you take a job that involves you in sin? Should your job, even if honorable, become the number one matter in your life?

2. Education. Education comes in many forms (academic to hands-on). You can teach yourself and you can learn from others. In the broad sense, this is a necessary part of life. We all must learn. But think about academic education for a moment. Is there anything wrong with secular education (i.e., English, History, Science, etc.)? We think not. But can these be taken too far? Can our involvement in education become wrong? Like anything else, if we put more emphasis on this than on our service to God, then yes, we have gone too far. If we let it distract us from serving the Lord, then it is a stumbling block. Spiritual education is more important than anything else. Growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord should be first (2 Pet. 3:18). All the secular education in the world will not get us to heaven. So once again, it is a matter of priority. Parents need to think about this with their children. Do you push your children to excel in secular education, but give little attention to their spiritual growth? Are you more concerned about their getting degrees than with their faithfulness to God? And one caution about education: be careful how you hear. There is so much out in the world of education that can lead us astray. We need to make sure our focus stays on the truth of God’s word.

I applaud Christians who are involved in education (teachers, etc.). If you do this, then do it with the understanding that you are still a Christian who is to be a beacon to the world. There are many problems in education. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Don’t let yourself imbibe the humanistic philosophies of our modern world. Be a Christian first, and don’t leave your service to God on the doorstep of secular education.

3. Government. Can a Christian be involved in government? Once again, as long as the activities are not sinful, and if you don’t let it become more important than God, then there is nothing inherently wrong about involvement. What righteous principles are violated, for example, by exercising a citizen’s right to vote? Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship (Acts 22). Joseph and Daniel both rose in political power, even among wicked rulers. But they all maintained their holiness in the process, and this is where engagement must be measured. If you feel that you must lie and cheat to rise to power, then you cannot do it. If you get involved in the support people who stand for unrighteous practices (e.g., abortion, homosexuality), then you ought to reassess your stance. When you go to the voting booth, you are still a Christian and need to make your choices accordingly. Don’t vote your pocketbook! Think of the Lord first, His morality, His ethics, and His wisdom. Then do what you can to influence this nation for what is good and right. The most patriotic thing you can do is to live a life consistent with God’s word because Christians are the salt of earth; and righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34).

4. Community and Recreation. As Christians, we are part of various communities. Again, it is fine to be involved in community service so long as we are avoiding sinful practices and keeping the Lord first. Recreation can be good for us (physical exercise, etc.), but we have become a nation mad about it. No matter how you slice it, nothing will make ball games or social events more important than God and His work. If we start missing our classes and assemblies because of games, we have to ask, what has become more important to us? I enjoy sports as much as the next person does, but frankly, it doesn’t matter who wins that big game in the ultimate scheme of things. We need to keep our focus on God and His word. Recreation and community activity should never displace our work for God.

Conclusion

I believe that Christians have plenty of room to act in this world. No matter what we do, though, God and His word must temper these activities. Christians are to maintain a biblical worldview, keeping focused on Christ and running the race with endurance (Heb. 12:1-2). Engagement is necessary, but there are limits, and we must be careful that we do not overstep the bounds and start conforming ourselves to the worldliness of unbelievers. We are citizens here, but with limits; our true citizenship is in heaven. In the final analysis, what kind of spiritual citizen are you?