God Calls Us to Live a Separate Life

We see as we follow the life of Jesus Christ, that He had a group with Him, a multitude around Him, and that He wasn’t afraid to hurt people’s feelings. We see Him if He wants to get in a little closer place. He picks out three and starts out with them. We would have wondered if it wouldn’t have caused a split, but Jesus was willing to risk that.

Jesus did the same thing in Jairus’ house, showing us plainly that He had certain things to do. He only permitted a few to go with Him. It is true He did not let all see the favored things, but those three chosen ones.

We see the same thing in Elijah taking the child into the bedchamber. God sent back life in the body. We see Peter in the same setup. Peter, realizing that conditions might not be right, takes the first course of action, puts everything out and gets down to pray. There is a lesson in that for us.

We find ourselves regretting because of the departure of someone, that as far as faithfulness goes, they weren’t with us anyway. Jesus was willing to cut down, then He said, “Where two or three of you are, and if two can be in one accord and agree, the Father in Heaven shall do what they ask. But, first, the others must be put out.”

I believe God is trying to show us it is necessary to live a separate life. It is best to separate from hindering people, and we will be, if we don’t go on. It is impossible to have the same yielded manner if you withhold.

Those in the room when Jesus went in, they weren’t in the spirit of the thing. They were there for death. He was there for life. Jesus had to have people with Him, thinking along the same line. Peter didn’t have anyone with him who was like-minded. He put them forth and prayed.

The challenge comes to us quite a lot to say, “You are not able to move heaven even after hindering people are gone.” Why is it? Then, as it seems conditions seem ideal, we haven’t received the power to raise the dead. It is because there need not only people to be put out, but things in our own lives.

We, too, have things left in our lives, that while they are not enemies, they are neutral things, but we find ourselves putting time and interest in many, many things. Our lives are shuttered up by these things which remain. Things step in that are there to carry along, and all such things take up room.

It is alright for fleshly man to have a dozen interests but until we get in the place where Christ is all, we will not be able to work for Him, as these worked. If we are afraid to hurt others, but the real truth is we don’t like to hurt ourselves. There are things we could very well put out. I believe there has got to be further house cleaning, for quite likely, there are other things to be cleaned out—possibly not gross things—but the fact remains we are challenged to do great things.

We may blame it on the people, or the weather, but there is another line of life which that never enters. If we are speaking spiritual things mixed with natural, and the fact that we preach a gospel that is repellent to natural man, and that we are independent, these things mean something in the natural. But if we live in this place with God, we talk little about the natural things.

Somehow things are done when we get in the place where we should be. Peter faced that dead body, but somehow it was done. He presented the fruit of the victory. He had something in him that looked beyond. We need not expect God to work, until we arrange circumstances to fit the moving of the Holy Ghost. God will not work with us until everything is put out. If you limit God, He will work with you in a limited way. We ask God to go beyond limits we make, but he won’t. When He brings us into place where He wants us, we can do something to glorify Him.

Something had to be done before Peter prayed. We don’t have to worry with hangers on, a cold night will do that. We make out we would love to go farther than we do. Of course, the reason the church doesn’t work like this today is because they are a mixed company. But where He gets just two to agree, that is a tremendous job.

We are more different on the inside than we are on the outside. Only the Spirit coming in and putting out will leave us pretty much the same. There are many things to agree upon. This is possible, I believe it is, probably. I know God will have such a company. God is bound by laws He has made, He can’t break them. Everybody must fulfill the Law God has set down.

Jesus could have healed the girl with the people in there, but He did not do it. We don’t know whether Peter could have or not. But first, he set the stage. He cleared the room, and in a few moments, it was all over. I believe God works quickly. All this imagining that God is a long drawn out affair is not right.

The reason he is long is that we are not ready. Where could you get in the world and have exactly a square deal? But God gives us a square deal. He has asked us to prepare for His coming in our lives.