Hi Brian!
I was reading Charles Spureon's Evening Devotional and wanted to share this with you!
"And God divided the light from the darkness." — Genesis 1:4
A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural estate he was subject to one principle only, which was darkness; now light has entered, and the two principles disagree. Mark the apostle Paul's words in the seventh chapter of Romans:
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members."
How is this state of things occasioned?
"The Lord divided the light from the darkness."
Darkness, by itself, is quiet and undisturbed, but when the Lord sends in light, there is a conflict, for the one is in opposition to the other: a conflict which will never cease till the believer is altogether light in the Lord. If there be a division within the individual Christian, there is certain to be a division without. So soon as the Lord gives to any man light, he proceeds to separate himself from the darkness around; he secedes from a merely worldly religion of outward ceremonial, for nothing short of the gospel of Christ will now satisfy him, and he withdraws himself from worldly society and frivolous amusements, and seeks the company of the saints, for
"We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren."
The light gathers to itself, and the darkness to itself. What God has divided, let us never try to unite, but as Christ went without the camp, bearing His reproach, so let us come out from the ungodly, and be a peculiar people. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners; and, as He was, so we are to be nonconformists to the world, dissenting from all sin, and distinguished from the rest of mankind by our likeness to our Master.
There IS a point to be made here for separating from the DEEDS of darkness, but if/when the believer separates himself FROM the world, then where will his 'ministry' ever manifest and bear fruit? After all, every believer has been called into the full time "Ministry of Reconciliation"(2 Corinthians 5:18)! That is, telling the world of their need for a Saviour, and then introducing them to JESUS! No, JESUS said THIS to the Father in John 17:15-18:
15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. AMP
The world is where we are needed. And NOT just from a pulpit or "preaching" on a street corner, although IF Holy Spirit directs you to, then there is great reward in your obedience! BUT, we have found that MOST of the time people will listen to people they know, trust and are familiar with, such as co-workers, classmates, and friends. Your life shines through all that you all do and the way you carry yourselves and CARE! Your love, respect, care, hard work, discipline, commitment and PRESENCE is what reaches the heart of people to where they desire to know what makes YOU, YOU! You all do it so well! Through your place IN THIS WORLD! Role models!!! We love you all so much! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Never Walk Alone":
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
