A Peculiar
People
By Mrs. E.
G. White
From a sermon
delivered in Copenhagen,
Denmark, October 12, 1885.
"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." Titus 2:11·14.
All Heaven is interested
in our salvation, and I would that our minds were spiritualized, that
we might fully realize this great fact. Although Christians will experience
trials and difficulties, they should be the happiest people on the earth;
for if they are obedient children, they can address God as their Father
and Friend. "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear him." God has a deep interest in those who are striving
to obey His precepts.
Although the children
of God may at times be placed in situations that are trying and full of
sorrow, they need not imagine that the Lord has forsaken them. Joseph
was cast into prison without any provocation, and it seemed that God had
forgotten him; but Joseph trusted in the Lord. He had been true to the
Lord under temptation, declaring, "How then can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against God?"
And the Lord did not
forsake him. Heaven gave him wisdom to answer the tempter, and a firm
purpose to resist evil. If one of us were called to go through such trial
as Joseph endured, would we have borne [it] without complaint and murmuring?
He forgot his own trials, and sought to help others. Even in the prison
he made himself a necessity and a blessing.
Look at the case of
Daniel in Babylon. He was surrounded with all the luxury of the king's
court, but he refused to participate in the banquets of extravagance.
He would not defile himself with a portion of the king's meat, or take
of his wine. When men have the principle that will enable them to stand
amid temptation, as did Daniel, the God of heaven will look upon them
with approval, and will send them needed help and strength at the moment
of their trial. If Daniel had weakly yielded to temptation to indulge
appetite, he would have placed himself in a position where he could not
have received the wisdom and grace the Lord had for him. He would have
brought upon himself physical and mental weakness.
God does not take
any man into connection with Himself, to give him wisdom and grace, unless
He places himself in right relation to the precepts and principles of
truth. Man has a work to do to close the door against temptation. He must
build a wall around himself, and then God will train his powers for the
highest use. It is not possible for us to tell what a man may become,
and what he may achieve through the power and grace of Christ. The reason
why we are so weak in moral power, is that we are continually venturing
on Satan's ground. We should be careful where we go, and see to it that
we take no backward steps. For when professed Christians do not live up
to the light that God gives them, they can do more harm than open sinners.
When Daniel had been
exalted in the court of Babylon, he was not free from trial and temptation.
The wise men of the court were filled with envy, and plotted for his destruction.
. . .
Through the trial
that was permitted to come upon Daniel, great good resulted to the nation;
for it gave opportunity to call the attention of great and small to the
fact that God was able and willing to save him who trusted in Him. Daniel
showed to the nation that Jehovah was a living God. He brought out chapters
in his experience showing that God had manifested Himself to His servant
in a remarkable manner. He told them how he had stood before them as a
prophet of the Most High God, and that no earthly power had the right
to interfere with a man's personal relation to his God. Thus God was manifested
above every king, emperor, or statesman, as the one to be honored and
obeyed.
Daniel was counted
peculiar, and every man who makes God his counselor, and who seeks Him
in simplicity of heart, will be counted peculiar by the world. But this
is the faith we need, this is the experience that we must have; for Christ
has died to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify unto Himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works. We should live with an eye single to His
glory, and then we shall be able to gain the victory over the world. We
must come out from the world and be separate, if we would be the sons
of God, the heirs of heaven. If we do this, we shall enter in through
the gates into the city, we shall have a right to the tree of life, and
we shall see the King in His beauty.
Published in
The Signs of the Times, November 4, 1889
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