[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 11, Issue 3, 1994. David W. Cloud, Editor. All rights are reserved. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org. FOR CANADA the subscription is $20 Canadian. Send to Bethel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9075, London, Ontario N6E 1V0. The Way of Life Internet web site is http://www.wayoflife.org/.]

The WCC Ecumenical Press Service for March 1-9, 1985, contained a "vision of the Young Men's Christian Association (YWCA) in contemporary Asia." The YWCA is a member of the World Council of Churches. Christopher Duraisingh, professor of theology at United Theological College in Bangalore, India, is the author of the article:

"Forms of distorted and exclusive emphasis on redemption that lead to a spirit of separation of Christians from all else must be questioned.... Any emphasis upon the doctrine of redemption to the exclusion of the doctrine of creation must be questioned. When we understand the doctrine of creation RIGHTLY, WE KNOW THAT WE BELONG TOGETHER ALONG WITH OUR NON- CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO GOD. WE CANNOT ARTIFICIALLY SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE REST OF THE HUMAN COMMUNITY IN THE NAME OF EXPERIENCE OF REDEMPTION. ... As we seek co-operation with persons of other faiths in Asia, we will be led to understand the nature of the church anew as well. WE SHALL REFUSE TO UNDERSTAND THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD IN ANTITHETICAL xbV(2 TERMS...."

The Bible very plainly DOES understand the church and the world in antithetical terms. The Apostle John wrote "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 Jn. 5:19). James said, the "friendship of the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4). The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (Jn. 17:9). The Bible does not say that non- Christians are brothers and sisters in God. On the contrary, the Bible says of those who are outside of Christ that they are "of your father the devil" (Jn. 8:44), "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1), "children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2), "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3), "having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12), "far off" (Eph. 2:13).