Untitled article by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 22, 1915

A Separate People—No. 2

By F. M. W.

The Lord through his prophet declares of his church, “Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” He designed that his church should be a separate people, and that they should do a distinctive work. Directly and indirectly Satan has sought to corrupt the church and divert it from the work it was commissioned to do. He has sought to do this directly through corrupting worldly influences which lead to positive sin. Against these influences the Scriptures of Truth repeatedly warn. Our Saviour earnestly petitions the Father:—

“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17: 15-17.

The apostle John bears this warning:—

“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 passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2: 15-17.

Indirectly the enemy of all righteousness has sought to corrupt the church by leading it to compromise its position in forming affiliations with the world. The evil has not at first been apparent, but the fruits of these affiliations, when persisted in, have proved to be apostasy and separation from God. Against such association the apostle Paul utters a direct warning in the following words:—

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6: 14-18.

In this counsel is emphasized the idea of complete separation. The people of God must live in the world till the coming of the Deliverer, but they are not to be of the world; they are not to imbibe its spirit nor follow its practices. They are to stand among their fellows as separate and distinct in purpose and in character. Says the apostle Peter, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” In what particulars are the peculiarities of the children of God to be made manifest? “That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” The apostle Paul bears the same testimony in Titus 2: 11-14:—

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

With the plans and purposes, the pursuits and pleasures, of this world the children of God have nothing in common. They cannot consistently unite with the careless throng at the race track or in the theater, in the dancing hall or at the billiard table. In dress, in conversation, and in general deportment they must show that their affections are set on the things of God and not on the riches and pleasures of this world. To their fellows they have been made the ambassadors of the King of heaven, and in their lives they are to represent the principles of the divine government. In their labors for God they can know no man after the flesh. Their mission is to the people of every kindred and nation, of every color and social state. They recognize that “God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

The world is divided into classes. Political, social, and religious distinctions are observed. These distinctions cannot be regarded by the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of every class are afflicted with the same disease—sin. The heralds of the cross are to carry to them the one universal remedy — salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The people represented in this movement have been called into existence to do a specific work for this day and generation,—a work which no other religious body is attempting or professing to do. There is due the world today a message of warning pertaining to those things which are soon to come upon the earth. This message is designed as a message of salvation. It warns against the evils and the errors which are threatening the very existence of vital godliness. It calls the inhabitants of the earth to forsake the worship of man for the worship of God; to break from the thralldom of sin and accept the liberty that there is in Christ Jesus. It warns against the worship of the beast and his image and against the reception of his mark, against the great combinations of evil which will be formed in antagonism to the truth of God in the last days; and it develops a people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Rev. 14: 6-12.

To no other church, to no other organization, patriotic or political, has the giving of this message been committed. It is the distinctive work of the people connected with this movement. Seventh-day Adventists have been called into existence for the very purpose of sounding this warning. They must not in any way compromise their position or lower the standard which they have been set to maintain.

They cannot give the message from motives of patriotism or expediency. They bear a gospel of love, not of hate; of salvation, not of condemnation; of good will, not of class hatred or distinction. They are to seek to save their fellows of every class and persuasion. Jew and Gentile, Protestant and Catholic, heathen and Mohammedan. In this work of soul-saving they must keep so free from class and party spirit that their message will go unclouded and unencumbered, free and untrammeled, carrying the spirit of love and good will to all men. Their power in the proclamation of this message will be in direct proportion as they keep out of their lives every corrupting worldly influence, and in proportion as the movement itself maintains its high and holy character distinct and separate from every worldly affiliation.

F. M. W.