From the moment of our birth, we enter a world saturated with the influence of Satan and his demons, a six-thousand-year-old realm of deception and evil cultures created through a misled humanity. Unbeknownst to us, we face a dual threat from both demons and this corrupt world, quickly absorbing its self-centered and deceptive ways, losing our innocence in the process. This world, born from the initial sin of Adam and Eve under Satan's influence, continues to bind most of humanity in ignorance of their bondage to him. Yet, God commands us to come out of this world, a task that seems impossible since we carry its imprint on our perspectives, attitudes, and character wherever we go. We cannot physically escape Babylon, for it resides within us, a remnant of the communication we have absorbed from Satan's domain. However, escape is possible through a reversal of the process that entangled us in this world. By choosing to allow the law of our mind, inspired by God, to triumph over the law of sin and death, we can begin to break free, though it demands great sacrifice. The strength to make these sacrifices comes from a renewed relationship with the Father and the Son, made possible through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, which removes the barrier of sin and opens communication with God. This relationship is vital, as it provides the faith, vision, hope, and love necessary to counter the world's influence. Unlike the world, which lacks this connection and receives no truth from Him, we are granted access to His communication, tipping the scales in our favor in the spiritual war for survival if we continue to trust and believe. To come out of the world, we must increase our communication with God and decrease our interaction with the world's influences, stopping sin in our lives. God mercifully initiates this process by calling us, transforming our minds to think on things related to Him with newfound clarity. Like the apostle Paul, who submitted to God's will despite initial blindness, we must follow the path God sets before us, continuing the process He began by choosing to obey and maintain this vital relationship through consistent study, prayer, and obedience, ensuring that the communication we receive is from the Source of truth rather than the deceptive drumbeat of the world.

Coming out of the world means separating from its ways, values, and priorities, not withdrawing from its people or ceasing to pray for them. Believers are not of this world; their Kingdom and primary citizenship are in heaven, they are ambassadors for God's Kingdom, and they must not love the world's lifestyle (the cosmos), or the Father's love is not in them. They keep themselves unspotted, live holy lives, and take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. Yet they still live in the world and cannot avoid daily dealings with the uncalled, or they would have to leave the earth (I Corinthians 5:9-12; John 17:14-15). Light shines most effectively where there is darkness, so believers are the light of the world among sinners. Jesus is the model: He shared in no evil, yet He lived among the people, ate in the homes of Pharisees and tax collectors, and never acted like the Pharisees, the "separated ones," who said, "Keep to yourself." God hates that attitude. Separation from worldly ways does not forbid loving the world's people, as God gave His Son for the world. The world will hate believers because they are not part of its way of life, but they still hurt when others hurt. Coming out therefore includes praying for neighbors, leaders, and the nation, and longing for God's Kingdom to come.

The concept of 'World, Coming Out of' is a recurring theme that illustrates God's separation of His people from the world, which is often depicted as alienated from Him and under a curse. In the early scriptures, Israel's roots are traced to the world, yet they are called out of Egypt, symbolizing a separation from worldly influences. God establishes a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, distinguishing them as a nation set apart from the rest of the world, which is divided into those who have made a covenant with Him and those who have not. This pattern of separation continues with God's Son, Jesus Christ, who is called out of Egypt, out of the world, to serve as the Servant of all mankind. The New Testament further emphasizes this separation, portraying the world as an enemy of God, under the sway of satan, and at war with Him. Christians are viewed as aliens and pilgrims in this world, surrounded by its influences yet commanded to come out from among them and be separate, as stated in II Corinthians 6:17-18: "Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." The act of coming out of the world is not merely physical but involves ceasing to think, act, and hold the same attitudes as the world. God, like a concerned parent, desires His children to have minimal contact with the world's influences to prevent being pulled down by its temptations. Instead, believers are instructed to seek God and the place where He has placed His name, focusing their lives on Him rather than on worldly distractions. In the New Testament, the church's challenge is not physical idols or structures but the spiritual influences, attitudes, and practices spread by the gods many and lords many, as described in I Corinthians 8:5. These influences manifest in the world's institutions, government, education, religion, business, and social practices, contrasting sharply with the perspective derived from a fear of God. Christians are warned against friendship with the world, which is enmity with God, as highlighted in James 4:4, and are urged to draw near to God to avoid becoming worldly and returning to what they came out of. God's consistent attitude toward the world remains unchanged from the Old Testament to the New, focusing on the root spiritual causes of worldly influences under the New Covenant. The priority for believers is to seek first the Kingdom of God, recognizing that the world cannot be changed until God changes the hearts of individuals at His appointed time. Thus, the call to come out of the world is a call to prioritize a relationship with God over the futile efforts to reform a world destined for destruction, maintaining a distinct identity as His covenant people.

For those of us who faced the challenges of coming out of traditional Christianity, the realization that something did not align with God's word was profound. We were not rebelling or rejecting God, but as we began to read the Bible for ourselves, the disconnect between scripture and the traditions we grew up with became evident. Coming out was not about joining a new religion or converting to Judaism; it was about returning to God's true Sabbath, to the faith once delivered, to the system He designed. It was about walking the same path Jesus walked, the path of Abraham, Moses, and the apostles, returning to God's way rather than creating something new. God pleads with His people in Revelation 18:4 to come out of the systems of this world, to remove themselves from beliefs built on foreign traditions. This call is not for rebellion but for a willingness to listen, to trust Him enough to obey, and to worship Him on His terms. It is faith lived according to God's way of life, a daily decision to stay focused on truth, consistent prayer, and study, proving all things under the authority of the pure, whole word of God, rather than the authority of men or the nostalgic trappings of the season that satan uses to draw us away.

God's people are called to come out of modern Babylon, the corrupted environment of this age that constantly challenges those in covenant relationship with Him. This command, addressed specifically to My people rather than all who dwell on earth, urges separation from a society marked by moral decline, gross sins of human nature, and an alluring yet rotten core that hides the stench of death beneath wealth, music, and false promises of ease. Babylon offers only a quantity of life without true purpose or quality, fostering a culture of death where men drift from one day to the next, seeking self-satisfaction through the way of get while exerting little effort to serve God or measure their days rightly. This drifting exposes saints to cross-contamination from surrounding perversion, misinformation, and ungodly activities that gradually appear normal, as well as exhaustion that leads some to feel abandoned. Like a ship without an anchor, such a life lacks protection and risks falling short of the promises. In contrast, God provides strength through the superior covenant in Christ, who speaks directly as High Priest, intercedes faithfully, and sanctifies those who hold fast. Those who give earnest heed to His words, remain tethered to God's will, and labor patiently enter His rest, the singular hope prepared for the people of God rather than the world's incomplete notions of salvation already achieved at death.

God's people must separate from the pagan customs of the world, and New Year's Eve is one of them. God's year begins in spring with Abib, marked only as a time reference, never with a party. The January 1 celebration descends from Mesopotamian renewal festivals and the Roman Saturnalia, with its drunkenness, sexual license, and human sacrifice, and later became an occasion for persecuting Jews. Its fruit remains bad: hangovers, adultery, drunk driving, and accidents. Churches that took over pagan festivals did not purify them; the Saturnalia remained. Believers are therefore not to claim that living in modern America allows them to change with the times, because God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). He commands, "Don't learn the ways of the heathen" (Jeremiah 10:2), and told Israel not to follow the customs of Egypt or Canaan (Leviticus 18:3). Christ condemned worship that teaches the commandments of men as doctrine (Mark 7:7). Christians are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2), and they are not to love the world (1 John 2:15). Revelation 18 calls God's people to come out of fallen Babylon, whose nations drank the wine of her immoral lust, so that they do not share in her sins or her punishment.