Thoughts for the Quiet Hour - June 13
To be holy, we must be a separate people, living in the world but not of it, just as oil and water cannot be combined.
D.L. Moody emphasizes the call for believers to be separate from the world, drawing parallels from the unique geographical positioning of God's ancient people. He illustrates that just as they were surrounded by barriers, Christians today are called to live in the world but not be of it, maintaining their holiness and sanctification. This separation is essential for true spiritual identity, akin to oil that can mix but not combine with water, highlighting the importance of living a distinct life in faith.
Text
Come out from among them, and be ye separate. --2 Corintians 6:17
With all the world in his choice, God placed His ancient people in a very remarkable situation. On the north they were walled in by the snowy ranges of Lebanon; a barren desert formed their eastern boundary; far to the south stretched a sterile region, called the howling wilderness; while the sea--not then, as now, the highway of the nations, facilitating rather than impeding intercourse--lay on their west, breaking on a shore that had few harbors and no navigable rivers to invite the steps of commerce.
May we not find a great truth in the very position in which God placed His chosen people? It certainly teaches us that to be holy, or sanctified, we must be a separate people--living in the world, but not of it--as oil, that may be mixed, but cannot be combined with water. --Guthrie
Sermon Outline
- The Position of God's Chosen People
- The Importance of Separation
- The Example of Oil and Water
- Oil and water cannot be combined
- So too, we must be separate from the world
- The East: Barren Desert
Key Quotes
“Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” — D.L. Moody
“To be holy, or sanctified, we must be a separate people--living in the world, but not of it--as oil, that may be mixed, but cannot be combined with water.” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- We must make a conscious effort to separate ourselves from the world's sinful influences and live according to God's Word.
- Living in the world but not of it requires discipline and self-control.
- Our separation from the world is necessary for our holiness and purity.