The Bible School Messenger
January 1942
****************
We find ourselves at the close of the year 1941 in a
world where evil is contagious, and is spreading from nation to nation. Hatred
discord, and confusion. It is a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds
and thick darkness" definitely mentioned by the prophet, “There hath not
been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it even to the years of
many generations." (Joel 2:2) Zephaniah calls it "a day of wrath, a
day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of
darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness." (Zeph.1:15)
It is a fitting description of our present time. Thus we find ourselves
in" a crooked and perversed generation" (Phil.2:15) And Paul leaves
us a timely exhortation -"that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons
of God, or "irreproachable children of God in the midst of a misguided
generation among whom ye shine as lights, exhibiting the Word of Life.”
(Diaglott) These testimonies reminds us that darkness covers the earth and
gross darkness the people in a world of sin and wickedness.
We cannot help being in the
world- But we must not be OF THE WORLD. This world has in it much evil; it is
the condition of men in the world. Jesus does not remove men from the world,
but he does not want evil to triumph over them. He plainly tells us “I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep
them from the evil.” While this world is the environment of life, it is not the
controlling force. We must be separate- We have been taken out of the Gentiles
by the Gospel. Today we face a personal test, in proving that we are not of the
world. Will merely the claim that we are not of the world convince a judge of
that fact? No, it will require to be demonstrated by our very life and actions.
It begins by following the exhortation of Paul- “Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers”.
If that exhortation is carried
out, we will not have fellowship with darkness- no fellowship with wrong-doing
and no part with an infidel. You are the Temple of the Living God, for the
indwelling of His Spirit. This cannot be done unless a man is holy-separate
from the world.
D. W. Bughman, Editor
The Christadelphian Bible
School Messenger, January 1942, p. 17