Holiness is essential to the Lord’s support

“Love not the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15)

I believe if we were more separate from everything unsuited to the Lord, that He would be very manifestly with us. We cannot come near Him if we are in darkness or defilement. He does not cease to care for us, for He never leaves us, but we cannot be near Him, or in communion with Him, with unwashed feet.

If we do what is wrong we are unrighteous; and if we associate with the one who is unrighteous, we are unholy. If we were walking in holiness the Lord would very markedly help us. I think there may often be an honest course as far as conduct is concerned without holiness; we cannot understand holiness, the separation that suits Him, but as we are with Him.

Moses on the mount learned what suited Him. I do not know the holy except as I am in the holiest. I believe it is here we are hindered. The Lord cannot come up with us without first chasing away all that is unsuited to Himself. We often want Him to adopt our order of things. This He cannot do; but He, blessed be His name, insists on our adopting Him and His order of things; and this necessarily at the expense of all that is of the flesh and defiling.

A man might be conscientiously right in his own conduct, who yet was defiled because of his associations; therefore it is said, “Touch not the unclean thing”. If I were thoroughly separate from the world that rejected Christ, how could I use it in any way for Him? Could I ask the world or its wall to bear a placard for Christ? I have to introduce a new power; or rather, the new power, the Holy Spirit, supports me, the servant of Christ, gifted by Him who is above all power, to do His work here.

Is not the Spirit of God enough to do Christ’s work? How then can using the world that rejected Him be tolerated? The Lord cheer your heart, and strengthen your faith, and you will find that you have not counted on Him in vain.

J.B.S.