Called to Be Separate

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them…. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”  2 Corinthians 4:3-10.

Here is the reason for the separation—the difference—between the followers of God and the followers of the world. The glorious gospel of Christ is present with the one group, and absent from the other. The glorious gospel has shone into the hearts of the one group, and “the excellency of the power” of God now transforms their lives. And what does this result in? A change of character. Although troubled and tempted on every side, they are not distressed. Their walk with Christ is not broken up by the drawings of the world or the desires of the flesh that press in their temptations. Although sometimes faced with perplexity, they are at peace. Their communion with God gives them an evenness of disposition that learns to ride out the storms. Even when mistreated by others or in difficult situations, they react as Christians. As they die to self daily, they live closer and closer to Jesus.

        When the Bible speaks of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, this cannot be done by putting on special clothes or by adopting certain reforms. It is relatively easy to change our outward appearance, and many times we can also modify our behavior so as to be in accord with accepted standards. But what about the heart? Who can change it? To be truly Christ’s, our heart must be changed. This means overcoming angry temper, irritability, unsubmission, complaining, pride, selfishness, unhelpfulness, disordered priorities, lustful thinking, and unspirituality in the strength of Jesus. Our outward profession means nothing if it covers up a heart where self is still on the throne in our daily interactions with others.

Paul wrote to us, “Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?... For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision…. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”  Romans 2:23-29. The outward symbols of conversion are necessary. However, they will accomplish nothing if conversion is lacking.

As Paul says above, it is possible to be outwardly a lawkeeper, to all appearances, but to be inwardly a lawbreaker. It is possible to take on all the outward forms of conversion, and still be unconverted. The danger is that the one involved may not even realize that he is not really converted. The god of this world (Satan) has blinded his eyes, and because the light of the glorious gospel is not shining in his life, it is too dark for him even to see his sins and his great need of Jesus.

When the glorious gospel light does shine into one’s heart, it is the power of Jesus, who “shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. In other words, the gospel saves us from the conquering power of sin. One may understand Bible doctrines, carefully live up to Biblical standards, attend uplifting meetings, and take part in active evangelism, but if there is no power to overcome daily temptations, that person does not really have the gospel. If sin is still having power over us, we are in need of the saving power of Jesus to transform us.

        “The want of genuine faith in our churches is making them very weak. There is a kind of faith that takes it for granted that we have the truth; but the faith that takes God at his word, which works by love and purifies the heart, is very rare. All who profess the truth are not converted, although they may think they are. Some mistake transient emotions, ideas, and fancies, or resolutions formed in their own strength, for conversion. But faith is a living, abiding principle…. Genuine, saving faith is inseparable from repentance and conversion, and will manifest the fruits of the Spirit. It is a continual, conscious trust in Jesus.”  Ellen White in Review and Herald, November 27, 1883.

            Having the truth is not enough. Thinking that one is converted does not necessarily mean that one actually is converted. When we have true conversion, there will be repentance, and a new life according to God’s character. An important part of this new life will be “a continual, conscious trust in Jesus.”

True conversion is not something that happens once. It needs to be an ongoing experience, happening every day. As long as we live in this world, we will have temptations to meet, from both within and without, and we need a daily surrender to Jesus so that we will be enabled to live a consistently victorious life. “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:10.

In order to have this daily conversion, the “continual, conscious trust” is necessary. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41. When watchmen would guard a city, they could not do this merely for an hour each day. The surroundings of the city needed to be watched constantly, day or night, for at any moment danger could approach. So our watching and praying needs to be continual. Although we will not be always praying with words in our minds, we do need to learn to be constantly aware of the presence of God. This is also called abiding in Christ. A wonderful experience awaits all who will learn to do this. The Bible promises, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:6.

            To truly overcome sin, we must abide in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 4, where we started our study, Paul echoes this theme. When the glorious gospel of Christ shines into our hearts, Paul states that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Verse 7.  As 1 John 3:9 says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Not only does the gospel shine into our hearts, but it remains there! This treasure, the presence and power of God, dwells in our hearts, which are like earthen vessels. The result is victory over sin and a consistently changed life. In fact, John says that one truly and consistently converted does not commit sin. This is true, since the gospel in the heart gives us power to overcome every temptation. 

Perhaps you have experienced this yourself. Has there been a day when you have stayed close to God in prayer, often lifting your heart to Him? When a temptation arose, you knew what you should do, and you found grace sufficient in Jesus to perform it. Have you also experienced hours when you went your own way, and found your unbridled tongue running where it should never have gone? Perhaps you began to defend yourself, or point out someone else’s failings, as you perceived them. Perhaps you began to complain, or to mull over the unfairness of another person’s course toward you. Perhaps you allowed yourself to become nervous and overwrought and to react impatiently or complain when something went wrong. Probably all of us can relate to these situations.

Thank God that there is an answer. However, I believe that it is, sadly, a very well-kept secret for many people. It is not often preached nor written about in a practical manner. It sometimes gets brushed aside by the serious doctrinal debates raging around it. Its necessity is often lost sight of in the hurry of busy evangelistic activities. And I fear that it is often forgotten when we are helping people to prepare for baptism. All in all, I think that this great secret has been terribly lost on the greater number of Christians. What is this great secret? The power of God, shining into our hearts and remaining there.  In other words, abiding in Christ, or continual watching and prayer.

           Something must be done about this problem. No longer should we allow the great Bible teaching of an abiding relationship with God to lie hidden. It must be brought to the front! Pastors, Sabbath School teachers, writers, educators, medical missionaries, Bible workers, counselors, and every church member must practice and teach it. If we hope to endure through the time of trouble, we need to grow up into this experience. And we need to share it with others, many of whom are struggling because they do not know how to have a personal relationship with God that can help them overcome sin.

God’s Word, from which the gospel shines into our hearts, includes so much. There are its precious truths and teachings, which we call doctrines. These enable us to safely escape from the deceptions of Satan, and instruct us in what God’s will is. There are the principles of holy living, which we call standards. These protect us from this wicked world, and show us how to cut out of our lives every vestige of anything that is destructive in its nature. There are the promises and encouragements. These inspire our faith and give us a handhold onto which to grasp with the hand of faith. Then there are the histories and testimonies that are woven through the Bible. The stories of others who have overcome or failed help us to copy their strengths and avoid their mistakes. All of these facets center around the plan of salvation. And the plan of salvation allows an individual human life to be hid with Christ in God, surrendered, abiding, and living righteously, above the dominion of sin.

Ask yourself: Have I lost sight of this central necessity? Could it be that the gospel is hidden to me too? Has the god of this world somehow been able to blind my eyes so that the glorious gospel of Christ has not been able to shine into my life?

        If you or I realize that the answer is yes, what must we do? Come to the Lord with a full heart of surrender. Open your earthen vessel, and allow God to clean it out and fill it with the treasure of His presence. Allow Him to change you and make you truly victorious over sin. Daily surrender yourself. God wants to transform each earthen vessel into a permanent dwelling place for His presence.