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Messages to Young People
genuineness of their faith will be proved. They profess to be looking
for the Son of man; yet some of them have been a miserable example
to unbelievers. They have not been willing to give up the world, but
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have united with the world in attending picnics and other gatherings
for pleasure, flattering themselves that they were engaging in innocent
amusement. Yet it is just such indulgences that separate them from
God, and make them children of the world.
Some are constantly leaning to the world. Their views and feelings
harmonize much better with the spirit of the world than with that of
Christ’s self-denying followers. It is perfectly natural that they should
prefer the company of those whose spirit will best agree with their
own. And such have quite too much influence among God’s people.
They take part with them, and have a name among them; but they are
a text for unbelievers, and for the weak and unconsecrated ones in the
church. In this refining time these professors will either be wholly
converted and sanctified by obedience to the truth, or they will be left
with the world, to receive their reward with the worldling.
God does not own the pleasure-seeker as His follower. Those
only who are self-denying, and who live lives of sobriety, humility,
and holiness, are true followers of Jesus. And such cannot enjoy the
frivolous, empty conversation of the lover of the world.
Separation from the World
The true followers of Christ will have sacrifices to make. They will
shun places of worldly amusement because they find no Jesus there,—
no influence which will make them heavenly minded and increase their
growth in grace. Obedience to the word of God will lead them to come
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out from all these things, and be separate.
“By their fruits ye shall know them” (
Matthew 7:20
), the Saviour
declared. All the true followers of Christ bear fruit to His glory. Their
lives testify that a good work has been wrought in them by the Spirit
of God, and their fruit is unto holiness. Their lives are elevated and
pure. Right actions are the unmistakable fruit of true godliness, and
those who bear no fruit of this kind reveal that they have no experience
in the things of God. They are not in the Vine. Said Jesus, “Abide in
Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it
abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the