tervene. Israel’s history was check ered by sinning and desolation be cause the people failed to follow God’s instruction of separation. Yet, do we today profit from their costly mistakes? What a vastly different his tory would have been written about Israel had they obeyed the voice of the Lord. Is this true in our lives as well? Great hosts of backsliding believers weaken the church so that it has be come the “laughing stock,” and is even held in contempt by the very world with whom she is flirting. Don’t tell me that separation doesn’t matter. Centuries of historic facts do not permit such a conclusion. No Christian can have power and spirit ual influence while violating this fun damental law of the Lord. Temptation to worldliness derives its strength from the false idea that participation in the things of the world is neces sary to have a good time. How many young people have been so trapped. The devil is always a liar. Separation is healthful to our souls. May it be our practice and standard for life. T h e fin a l question remains con cerning our faith which centers on Christian service. This is sum marized in I Thess. 1:9, “Ye turned unto God from idols to serve the liv ing and true God.” The Christian way of life involves a supernatural nature. Christianity offers men and women an opportunity to do some thing tangible by way of expression. Eternity cannot even obliterate our efforts accomplished in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. A business firm has a motto which would be well for our lives as well, “Service is not a slogan, it is our busi ness.” It takes Christianity to lift service to the highest level where it becomes a spiritual activity demand ing spiritual vigor. Turning to God in repentance and faith precedes 35 CHRISTIAN LIVING SERIES Service
we rob ourselves of the very best the Lord has for us. A Christian is the very opposite of the worldly individual. He is never content with that environment. In or der to become a worldling, a Chris tian has to become untrue to his very nature. He does violence to himself. What concord can there be between opposites? The Lord Jesus Christ de clared, “I am not of this world.” As a result the world hated Him. What would you have thought of Christ had He led a worldly life? The thought is inconceivable. In speaking of His own the Saviour said, “They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.” “A Chris tian is not so much a person on this earth looking up to heaven, as he is a person in heaven looking down upon the earth.” Having the mind of Christ we think the same about the world as does Christ. We judge this world according to the standards of the Lord. God delivers us from the world by putting a new love in our hearts. The higher love excludes the lower. “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” “Love” means the constant drive and affection of the believer. Separation is being true to what one is as a child of God. The prince of this world is God’s great adversary. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is en mity with God. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.” Do you want to be lined up with the enemies of God? Medically we believe in separating ourselves from those who have con tagious diseases. Doctors are strong for isolation. This is not to cause trouble but rather to keep the germs from spreading.. Failure to recognize this fact in our souls has led to spir itual feebleness and failure. What brought about the need for the great flood of Noah’s day? The line of sep aration between the Godly and the ungodly had been erased. I t led to universal corruption. God had to in
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