November 20

“The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:14

From the standpoint of God's choice of us, we are “taken out of” the world; but from the standpoint of our new life, we are not of the world at all, but from above. As the people of God, heaven is not only our destiny, but our place of origin. This is an amazing thing, that in you and me there is an element that is essentially other-worldly. So other—worldly is it that no matter how this world may progress, that element in us can never become like it. The life we have as God’s gift has no correspondence with the world, but is in perfect correspondence with heaven.

Though we may mingle with the world daily, it will never let us settle down and feel at home there. As soon as the world meets in us that which is of the divine nature, its hostility is at once aroused. This is not surprising, for let the world evolve how it will, it can never produce one Christian.