In The Word But Not Of The Word

In the word but not of the word.

Does that look right to you? Or is something missing?

If you've been around Christianity for a while, you've probably heard the expression: "In the world but not of the world." The expression is often used as a Christian cliche to give license to doing the things that our non Christian neighbours do, so long as they don't become a bad influence on us. Thus one would be in the world, doing the "safe" things of the world, without being of the world, being influenced negatively by the actions of ones self or others.

But now I'm wondering how often Christians are just as guilty of being in the word but not of the word. Meaning, that one would read the Bible but not be transformed by the message of it.

How often do we read the words without considering their weight?

How often Christians read words that could potentially be life changing but remain unmoved?

That's being in the word but not of the word.

I think simply being in it, without allowing God to speak to you through it, is pointless. It's the religion that Jesus spoke against and leaves so many people distrusting and dissatisfied with the Church. Yes we need to be in the word, but we just as much need to be people of the word.