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Chapter 17—Separation From the World
Dear Brethren and Sisters,
God designed that the light of the church should increase and
grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Precious promises
are made to God’s people upon condition of obedience. If, like
Caleb and Joshua, you had wholly followed the Lord, He would
have magnified His power in your midst. Sinners would have been
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converted, and backsliders reclaimed, by your influence; and even
the enemies of our faith, although they might oppose and speak
against the truth, could but admit that God was with you.
Many of the professed, peculiar people of God are so conformed
to the world that their peculiar character is not discerned, and it is
difficult to distinguish “between him that serveth God and him that
serveth Him not.” God would do great things for His people if they
would come out from the world and be separate. If they would submit
to be led by Him, He would make them a praise in all the earth. Says
the True Witness: “I know thy works.” Angels of God who minister
unto those who shall be heirs of salvation are acquainted with the
condition of all and understand just the measure of faith possessed by
each individual. The unbelief, pride, covetousness, and love of the
world, which have existed in the hearts of God’s professed people,
have grieved the sinless angels. As they have seen that grievous and
presumptuous sins exist in the hearts of many professed followers
of Christ, and that God has been dishonored by their inconsistent,
crooked course, they have been caused to weep. And yet those most
at fault, those who cause the greatest feebleness in the church and
bring a stain upon their holy profession, do not seem to be alarmed
or convicted, but seem to feel that they are flourishing in the Lord.
Many believe that they are on the right foundation, that they
have the truth; they rejoice in its clearness and boast of the powerful
arguments in proof of the correctness of our position. Such reckon
themselves among the chosen, peculiar people of God, yet they
experience not His presence and power to save them from yielding
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