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“Be Not Conformed“, October 30
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2
.
Christ never leads His followers to take upon themselves vows that
will unite them with those who have no connection with God....
Between the worldly man and the one who is faithfully serving God
there is a great gulf fixed. Upon the most momentous subjects—God and
truth and eternity—their thoughts and sympathies and feelings are not in
harmony. One class is ripening as wheat for the garner of God, the other
as tares for the fires of destruction. How can there be unity of purpose or
action between them? ...
We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We
are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come
not near to me, for I am holier than thou.” We are not to shut ourselves
away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the
precious truth that has blessed our own hearts.... But if we are Christians,
having the spirit of Him who died to save men from their sins, we shall
love the souls of our fellow men too well to countenance their sinful
pleasures by our presence and our influence.... Such a course, so far
from benefiting them, would only cause them to doubt the reality of our
religion.... We should be firmly rooted in the conviction that whatever
in any sense turns aside from truth and justice in our association and
partnership with men, cannot benefit us and greatly dishonors God.
The work of God for the salvation of the human family is the one work
of supreme importance to be carried forward in our world. When men are
willing to count all things but loss that they may win Christ, their eyes
will be open to see things as they really are. Then they will turn away
from the earthly attractions to the heavenly....
“They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts,” of the obedient, “in that
day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth
his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between
the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not” (
Malachi 3:17, 18
).
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