The last revelation of the believer’s position to be mentioned here, is in regard to his service for the world.  The unbounded love of God has called him into fellowship with Christ in the great work of this age; and in that connection he is under commission to evangelize, by a process of witnessing, to the uttermost parts of the world.  In this undertaking he is promised the immediate presence of Christ, to whom all power, both in heaven and in earth, has been given (Matt. 28:18-20).  The language of the inspired Book describes such witnesses as “Ambassadors for Christ”:  “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Cor. 5:20).  And the ambassador’s message is also given in the next verse of the same passage:  “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (we who knew no righteousness).

Nowhere does the saint need more direct teaching of the Spirit than in regard to the relatioin he sustains to this world.  In spite of the similarity of his earth life to that of the world’s people, he must reckon himself to be dead in Christ and raised to newness of life.  Expecting the world to misunderstand him and even to hate him, he must “wisely walk before them who are without.”  He is called upon to “use this world but not to abuse it;” and that which is of itself pure and good may become undesirable to him at times, because its use would further the interests of Satan.

Some have taken the extreme position of assigning to Satan the material universe and everything that is in the world to-day; not recognizing the fact that no material or physical thing is evil of itself.  God created all things good.  Satan has created nothing, and his present relation to the world is only as a permitted usurper who appropriates and devastates the things of God in the interests of his own ambition.  He is the file-leader in a great and terrible rebellion against the government of God:  but the natural universe, like all the powers of the human mind and will, belongs primarily to God, the Creator; and by title of inheritance, they belong also, to the child of God:  “therefore let no man glory in men.  For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (I Cor. 3:21-23).  Yet, since Satan is making use of many good things to cover his evil purpose, the child of God must, for the present, discern the hidden evil and, in loyalty to his Lord, reject everything that may further the workings of Satan.  The Scripture is very clear on this point, and discusses one issue as an example of all similar issues.  This discussion in Scripture is of food which of itself is perfectly good, but may be a means of great harm when associated with the purposes of evil.  The passages are as