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Dare to be Different, June 9
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
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Those who claim to know the truth and understand the great work to
be done for this time are to consecrate themselves to God, soul, body,
and spirit. In heart, in dress, in language, in every respect, they are to be
separate from the fashions and practices of the world. They are to be a
peculiar and holy people. It is not their dress that makes them peculiar;
but because they are a peculiar and holy people, they cannot carry the
marks of likeness to the world.
As a people we are to prepare the way of the Lord. Every iota of
ability God has given us must be put to use in preparing the people after
God’s fashion, after His spiritual mold, to stand in this great day of God’s
preparation.... Many who suppose they are going to heaven are blindfolded
by the world. Their ideas of what constitutes a religious education and
religious discipline are vague, resting only upon possibilities. There are
many who have no intelligent hope, and are running great risk in practicing
the very things which Jesus has taught that they should not do, in eating,
drinking, and dressing, binding themselves up with the world in a variety
of ways. They have yet to learn the serious lesson so essential to growth
in spirituality, to come out from the world and be separate.
The heart is divided, the carnal mind craves conformity, similarity to
the world in so many ways, that the mark of distinction from the world is
scarcely distinguishable. Money, God’s money, is expended in order to
make an appearance after the world’s customs; the religious experience is
contaminated with worldliness, and the evidence of discipleship—Christ’s
likeness in self-denial and cross bearing—is not discernible by the world
or by the universe of heaven.
The question to be settled is, “Are we willing to separate ourselves
from the world, that we may become children of God?” This is not the
work of a moment or of a day.... It is a lifelong work. Love to God must
be a living principle, underlying every act and word and thought.
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