Jesus has rescued us from thIs present evil age

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Gal. 1:3 NIV)

Don’t be resigned to evil

I’ve heard some Christians say they are frustrated with the evil they see all around them. Then they say, “Oh well, it will all be okay in the ‘sweet by-and-by’ when we all get to heaven.” Yes, that will surely be a glorious day without a doubt. But, a Christian should never be resigned to the evil that is around them. The above passage states that Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from the present evil age. Notice that it says “present” evil age. That’s the evil around us presently, right now. Even though evil exists in our world, Christians should never give into it. Instead, they must work to expose evil and defeat it. Christians should represent Christ in this world and affect everything they do through righteous decisions and actions. In other words, they should be like Jesus in this world. 

“…we live like Jesus here in this world.” (1 John 4:17 NLT) 

We are not of this world, yet we are in this world to do what God has created us to do  

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Christians must be willing to get actively involved, “in” the world to some degree and to some extent in order to fulfill their God given assignment. 

Therefore…

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt. 5:14)

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 6:11)

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor.  11:1)