By his death on the Cross and his glorious exaltation to the Father's right hand, Christ has been made
Lord over the whole world, even though his dominion is not universally acknowledged (Philippians 2:9 - 11).
We would undoubtedly stop short of longing for the early death about which Paul speaks, but we share the same temptation, to retreat from the
world into a churchly style of life which equates Jesus» presence with the church and not the
world and which unwittingly denies God sovereignty
over the
whole world of which he is creator and
lord.