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for rheirs is rhe lcingdom of heaven"
(Mate. 5:10).
Remember, He said, "In rhe world,
ye shall have uibularion ... " and also
prayed ro His Farher, saying
" !
have
given rhem thy word; and rhe world
harh haced rhem, because they are nor
of the world, even as
1
am nor of rhe
world" Oohn 17:14). Chrisr rold His
disciples ro separare rhemselves from
rhe sociery around them - ro come
out of rhe world, and ro do, believe
and pracrice differenr things.
Norice rhe strong language abour
rhis in God's Word!
"Ye adulterers and adulrcresses,
know ye nor rhat rhe friendship of
rhe world is enmiry wirh God? Who–
soever rherefore will be a friend of rhe
world
is
rhe enemy of God" Oames 4:4).
John commands rrue Chrisrians,
"Love
not
rhe world, neirher rhe
rhings that are
in
rhe world. If any
man !ove che world, rhe !ove of rhe
Farher is nor in him. For all rhat is in
rhe world, the lusr of rhe Aesh, and
rhe lusr of rhe eyes, and rhe pride of
lifc, is nor of rhe Farher, bur is of rhe
world. And rhe world passerh away,
and the lusr thereof: bur he rhar
doerh rhe will of God (which will is
expressed in His Word] abiderh for
ever" (1 John 2: 15-17).
Do mosr "Cbrisrians" roday really
COME OUT
of the world, separaring
rhemselves from üs customs, irs
habirs and its ways? Do mosr real ly
become so srrikingly different rhar
rheir former business associates, rheir
relatives, neighbors and friends are
acrually srartled by rhe grear change
in rheir lives?
Paul says, "1 beseech you ... rhar
ye
presenr your bodies a living sacri–
fice ... and be nor conformed ro rhis
world: bur be ye rransformed by the
renewing of your mind, thar ye may
prove whar is rhat good, and accept·
able, and perfecr will of God" (Rom.
12: 1-2).
God thunders His warning
rhrough John,
·'Come
0111
of her,
my
people, rhat ye be
not
parrakers of her
sins, and that
ye
receive not of her
plagues" (Rev. 18:4).
34
Tf you really come our of rhe world
- you will suffer persecurion!
Jesus said so.
Norice ir. "Think
1101
rhar I am
come ro send peace on earrh:
1
carne
not
to
send peace, bur a sword. For
1
am come ro ser a man ar variance
against his farher, and rhe daughrer
againsr her morher, and the daughrer
in law againsr her morher in law. And
a man's foes shall be rhey of his own
bousehold" (Marc. 10:34-36).
If you really begin ro change - if
you really surrender your life ro God
- if you really begin ro do as Chrisr
did, ro
live as
He
lived
-
you will
be
persecured.
And if you're nor being persecured,
rhe chances are, you are nor a Chris–
tian!
"Blessed Are Ye"
Jesus goes on ro describe how
really converred ones will rejoice
when rhey receive rhis persecurion
rhar comes from living righreously,
godly, in rhis presenc cvil world.
He says, "Grear is your reward in
heaven, for so persecu red rhey rhe
prophers which were before you!"
Yes, grear, and incomprehensible is
che reward of God's rrue sainrs,
reserved for rhem in heaven, which is
ro come clown our of heaven, co rhis
earth!
Jesus cells us ro pray, "Thy king–
dom come," nor rhac we'll go ro ir.
"Thy will be done in earch, as ir is
in
heaven" (Mace. 6: lO).
How plain are rhe rrue reachings
of Christ!
And how dífferenr from wbar
you've grown up belíeving and
assuming!
Yes, ríghr here in rhe beacirudes,
rhe "Sermon on rhe Mounr," you can
see clearly rhe majority of professing
Chris tians jusr do not bcl ieve or prac–
rice whar Chrisc said!
The W orld Deceived
lr's shocking, bur ir's rrue. Mosr
professing "Chrisrians" today are nor
really pracricing Chrisrianiry! Insread,
hundreds of rhousands are believing
and pracnctng rhe same old pagan
cusroms which Christ and che
apostks vigorously condemned - and
all rhe while calling ir ··Chrisrianiry."
Your Bible said rhis presen r gener–
arion wou Id be almos
e
cocally
deceived. Chrisc said, "Take heed rhar
no man
deceive
you, for
MANY
shall
come
in
my
name
[
coming as if rhey
were rhe servanrs of Chrisr), saying,
l
am Chrísr; and shall deceive many"
(Marr. 24:4-5).
Chrisr saíd only a very few - rhe
very elecr of God, who were being
kepr from rhe clever deceprions of
Sacan - would not be deceived. "For
there shall arise false Chriscs, and falsc
prophers, and sball shew grear signs
and wonders; insomucb rhar. if ít
were possible, rhey shall deceive rhe
very elecr" (Mate. 24:24).
Sacan has deceíved rhe world - and
God has wamed repeatedly rhrough
rhe New Tescamenr thac rhis would
be so - in chis age, now. In Revela–
rion rhe rwelfrh chaprer, rhe devil is
descríbed as a great dragon "which
dcceivcrh che whole world."
Either rhis world is deceíved, or
your Bible is nor rrue!
Bur rhe Bible is rrue - and rhis
world is in rhe grips of a rremendous
decepríon. A deceived person doesn't
know he's deceived. He is sincere!
Bur he's sincerely wrong!
And so it is rhat scores. hundreds
and rhousands of sincere, well-mean–
ing people - believing chemselves ro
be in a "saved" condition, belicving
rhey are "Christian" are acrually in
racir disagreemenr wich real Chrisrían–
iry.
Do you see how differenr rhe real
Chrisrianiry of rhe Bible is from
roday's professing brands? May God
help you ro really see, and
change,
before ír's roo lare!
O
Ambassador College has pub–
lished literature discussing sub–
jects directly related to rea l
Christ:ianiry. Write for "What
ls
Rea.l Repencance?" and
Al/ About
J17
nter Bnptism.
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972