SEPARATING FROM THE WORLD AND REFORM

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God stays for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17.

TWO PROCESSES NEED TO BE EXPERIENCED IN US

“I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil.” John 17:15.

“As I saw the dreadful fact that God’s people were conformed to the world, with no distinction, except in name, between many of the professed disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus, and unbelievers, my soul felt deep anguish. I saw that Jesus was wounded and put to an open shame. Said the angel, as with sorrow he saw the professed people of God loving the world, partaking of its spirit, and following its fashions, “Cut loose! Cut loose! lest He appoint you your portion with hypocrites and unbelievers outside the city. Your profession will only cause you greater anguish, and your punishment will be greater, because ye knew His will, but did it not.

Those who profess to believe the third angel’s message often wound the cause of God by lightness, joking, and trifling. I was shown that this evil was all through our ranks. I saw that there should be a humbling before the Lord. The Israel of God should rend the heart, and not the garment. Childlike simplicity is rarely seen; the approbation of man is more thought of than the displeasure of God.” –Messages to Young People, p. 129.

Questions to think about:

What kind of processes do we need to experience?

Which will is more important, ours or God’s?

What sin can we practice daily thinking that we can joke and trifle with the people around us?