DO THE WILL OF GOD

                                                               By A. W. Tozer
 

              Let an apostle say it for us: "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 for ever"                  -  - 1 John 2:16, 17

             This is the world by which we may test the spirits.  It  is  the  world  of  carnal enjoyments,  of  godless pleasures, of the pursuit of earthly riches and reputation and sinful happiness.  It carries on without Christ, following the counsel of the ungodly and being animated by the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience  (Eph. 2:2).

             Its religion is a form of godliness, without power, which has a name to live but is dead. It is, in short, unregenerate human society romping on its way to hell, the
exact opposite of the true Church of God, which is a society of regenerate souls going soberly but joyfully on their way to heaven.

            Any real work of God in our heart will tend to unfit us for the world's fellowship. "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" (1 John 2:15). "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14).

             It may be stated unequivocally that any spirit that permits compromise with the world is a false spirit. Any religious movement that imitates the world in any of its manifestations is false to the cross of Christ and on the side of the devil and this regardless of how much purring its leaders may do about "accepting Christ" or "letting God run your business."

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          Yours in Christ,
           Paul N. F.