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Severed from Earthly Things, June 11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them.
Ephesians 5:11
.
Many professed Christians are well represented by the vine that is
trailing upon the ground and entwining its tendrils about the roots and
rubbish that lie in its path. To all such the message comes, “Come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (
2 Corinthians 6:17,
18
).
There are conditions to meet if we would be blessed and honored by
God. We are to separate from the world and refuse to touch those things
that will separate our affections from God. God has the first and highest
claims upon His people. Set your affections upon Him and upon heavenly
things. Your tendrils must be severed from everything earthly. You are
exhorted to touch not the unclean thing, for in touching this you will
yourself become unclean. It is impossible for you to unite with those who
are corrupt, and still remain pure. “What fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
and what concord hath Christ with Belial?” (
verses 14, 15
). God and
Christ and the heavenly host would have man know that if he unites with
the corrupt, he will become corrupt....
All our actions are affected by our religious experience. If our experi-
ence is founded in God; if we are daily tasting the power of the world to
come, and have the fellowship of the Spirit; if each day we hold with a
firmer grasp the higher life, principles that are holy and elevating will be
inwrought in us, and it will be as natural for us to seek purity and holiness
and separation from the world as it is for the angels of glory to execute
the mission of love assigned them.
Our consecration to God must be a living principle, interwoven with
the life and leading to self-denial and self-sacrifice. It must underlie all
our thoughts and be the spring of every action. This will elevate us above
the world and separate us from its polluting influence.
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