In/Not Of

Unfortunately, for the masses trying to determine their reality, the greatest temptation of this age is illusion: the illusion of self, the illusion of value, and the illusion of desire. – Joshua Weir

There is a complication of illusion in our world today. When we talk about what is right, true, and good, we must orient ourselves toward an objective reality (an absolute truth that can be relied on). Lots of people in our world make up their own personal truths to live by, especially when it comes to what they want, what they think they deserve, and when they view themselves as more important than others. Unfortunately, if people believe only what they tell themselves, they create an illusion that lacks meaning or lasting purpose. Amid the pervasiveness of illusion, the ubiquity of questionable facts, and the fog of subjectivism in the 21st century, we need to understand the world as it truly is and ourselves as we truly are. It is the only clear path for our survival.

The world around us is often a place of ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is a place of strong opinions, passionate perspectives, and intense experiences that we navigate in our daily lives. As we listen to music, watch movies, read the news, and dive into social media, we realize that many things in this world are calling for our attention and trying to convince us of what they deem important. These things can affect our relationships, our mental health, our friendships, our family, our education, and our personal well-being. With knowledge coming from every direction, it is hard to make sense of what is true and what is not. In today’s world, this is further complicated when people use a combination of truth and deception to sway others toward a particular perspective. This is often called propaganda or the spread of misinformation (the first is intentional, and the second is unknowingly). It is an age of ideological conflict, a civil war of belief, and a battle of principalities and powers for what is right, true, and good.

Unfortunately, for the masses trying to determine their reality, the greatest temptation of this age is illusion: an illusion of self, an illusion of value, and an illusion of desire. In the 21st century, more people focus on their feelings than facts, often choosing their own wisdom over the truth. They would rather be right than do the right things. They strive more to be important than they do to be kind. They desire more autonomy than accountability and to pursue their own purpose regardless of the consequences. In this environment, people seek to feel good more than they seek to be good, and they will dismiss evils that align with their values for the sake of their freedoms. Many of them live by an idea of being true to themselves, whether or not they clearly understand who they are. Especially with the wide access to information, illusion has become the algorithm of life, giving us a custom experience of what the world thinks we should want, who we are, and how we feel. In light of this illusion, good and evil, right and wrong, and truth and deception all become perspectives, without any objective reality to override their opinions.

Over the last decade, the real truth has become harder to see and even more challenging to validate. Much of the information we trust comes from places like the internet, social media, entertainment, AI, celebrity opinions, and promoted news stories — where it is nearly impossible to know what is true and what is fake. For years, people have believed that search engines, wikis, and online forums dispense the truth; yet they never checked the sources of the information they found, often trusting unreliable (or bias-motivated) fact-checking organizations to verify it. Today, all of this is amplified by the authoritative voice of AI; the focus on speed, simplicity, and relevance over quality, wisdom, and truth; and a growing social media ecosystem that dictates what is important, what is popular, and whom to vilify or admire.

In addition, many people have replaced academic study and formal learning structures with rabbit holes of online videos or threaded commentary on crowdsourced platforms. Much of the exchange of ideas is riddled with opinions fueled by conspiracy theories, propaganda mixed with partial truths, and politicized sensationalism built on emotional nuance. This illusion is so pervasive that many cannot distinguish what is real, what is true, what is good, and what is right. It is no wonder that so many people struggle with identity and purpose. Their illusion has transformed them through self-validated opinions toward self-delusion. They unplug from reality to pursue an identity based in feelings and perspectives rather than truth or goodness. In declaring their personal truths, they lose themselves in a sea of subjectivism, treading the waters of relevance, impact, and meaning. They end up living in a state of disconnection from community, family, friendship, faith, and ultimately, the genuine reality of our existence.  

So, what are we to do? No one can amass enough information to understand everything or have all the right answers. No one can curb the anxiety of the constant state of being spread so thin. Rather than articulate a new, innovative strategy or unpack a revolutionary perspective, we must look to the authority on truth, beauty, goodness, and righteousness. He is the only source of hope to navigate the world as we know it.

In a world full of big questions, the first one is who is this authority that is so trustworthy? Well, quite simply, it is the Lord Almighty. The God who has revealed Himself throughout history, who created humanity in His image, and who calls people to understand themselves and the world as it truly is, rather than in the illusion the world purveys. This calling is for those in the world not to be of the world, but of the One who made them with a purpose for goodness, to live in His truth, and to know Him forever.

Two ideas stand out above the rest when we think of being in the world and not of it. The first one comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans, calling people to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, in Christ. Without being “In Christ,” we have no basis to understand anything as it truly is. Not only is the understanding of the Almighty higher than any human, but it is only through God’s indwelling Holy Spirit that we are empowered to see reality. The Bible says that the things of God are foolishness to the unbeliever, so if we are longing to have our minds transformed, the first step is to come face-to-face with the Almighty God (click here for more information about that).

The second part of this comes from living out of Christ as the center of your life, rather than yourself. Paul tells the Galatians that he has been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ, living in us. In the 21st century, a self-centric world dominates culture. Everyone bringing “main character energy” is missing the boat on the power that comes from living in a Christ-centric reality. This isn’t just a way of living; it is the world as it truly is. The God of the universe, who sent His Son to save humanity, didn’t do that so He could be all about you, your purpose, your mission, and your ambition; He sent His Son so that you could experience Him and be reconciled from a sinful existence to a restored life in Him. That means that in order to find Him, you have to deny who you think you are and your own centrality for what He thinks about you, and His centrality. The phrase that deals with this is found in Matthew 16, when Jesus calls for surrender and submission of self to His Lordship:

“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

This is a transformative reality that comes for those who are born again into Christ. They lose themselves, but they gain the richness of the Almighty in return. Identity ceases to be about their own main character status, and becomes more about the good of God’s purpose. This is the only way to live in the world and not of it. The influences of the world around us are ubiquitous; illusion, subjectivism, humanistic values, and self-important purpose blanket most of our world. If we do not deny ourselves for the sake of Christ, we will just assimilate into a world endlessly trying to live its best life, without any hope for what will last.

If you are searching for how to live victoriously in this world, click here to find out more. If you are searching for answers to some of the bigger questions in life, we have a resource in the book: In/Not Of  — Firm Foundations for Life. In our world filled with illusions, we all want a firm foundation for understanding reality as it truly is. The Bible tells us to lean on God’s understanding rather than our own, and that is always the best recipe for living in this world and not of it.