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What makes the children of God so strange?
(J. C. Philpot, "The
Precious Trial of Faith", 1865)
"To God's elect, strangers in the world." 1 Peter 1:1
Strangers!
What makes the children of God so strange?
The grace of God which calls them out of this wretched
world. Every man who carries the grace of God in his
bosom is necessarily, as regards the world, a stranger
in heart, as well as in profession, and life.
As Abraham was a stranger in the land of Canaan;
as Joseph was a stranger in the palace of Pharaoh;
as Moses was a stranger in the land of Egypt;
as Daniel was a stranger in the court of Babylon;
so every child of God is separated by grace,
to be a stranger in this ungodly world.
And if indeed we are to come out from it and to
be separate, the world must be as much a strange
place to us; for we are strangers to . . .
its views,
its thoughts,
its desires,
its prospects,
its anticipations,
in our daily walk,
in our speech,
in our mind,
in our spirit,
in our judgment,
in our affections.
We will be strangers from . . .
the world's company,
the world's maxims,
the world's fashions,
the world's spirit.
"They confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth." Hebrews 11:13
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