Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate," says theLord. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."- 2 Corinthians 6:17The church's mightiest influence is felt when she is different fromthe world in which she lives. Her power lies in her being different,rises with the degree in which she differs and sinks as thedifference diminishes.This is so fully and clearly taught in the Scriptures and so wellillustrated in Church history that it is hard to see how we can missit. But miss it we do, for we hear constantly that the Church musttry to be as much like the world as possible, excepting, of course,where the world is too, too sinful....Let us plant ourselves on the hill of Zion and invite the world tocome over to us, but never under any circumstances will we goover to them. The cross is the symbol of Christianity, and thecross speaks of death and separation, never of compromise. Noone ever compromised with a cross. The cross separated betweenthe dead and the living. The timid and the fearful will cry "Extreme!"and they will be right. The cross is the essence of all that isextreme and final. The message of Christ is a call across a gulffrom death to life, from sin to righteousness and from Satan toGod. (-The Set of the Sail, 35, 36).
_________________SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
Amen. I had the experience of sorting through my church's Lost & Found recently. I had passed it many times and been grieved by what I saw. The world was so present from the styles of lost clothes to the toys and the books and videos. Then there was the irony of how long these items have been sitting there. My fellowship lies between blue collar and middle class but to have so much that you do not realize when something is missing smacks of materialism and running after the world. I am reminded of the connection made between the appearance of godly women and the gentle and quiet spirit they possess as described in 1 Peter 4. It is amazing how often the correlation is neglected. I fear we, myself included, are so prone to rely on peer pressure not only for direction but motivation as well. I was asking a sister about why the clothing styles of the ladies have changed in our fellowship and if it was due to the Word. She sheepishly admitted that it was a matter of the status quo and not obedience to the Lord. I often fear what the fruit will be, not only in nmy own life but also in those around me, as a result of my failure to separate from the world inside and extension, on the outside. Oh to be free from this body of death!
This is a good word, enlighten in reading it.
_________________JAMES F JARJOU
love tozer one of my favorered preachers ,
Bless GOD!!
Dare to be different and God will use you in a way that will bring praise to your King. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.