October 4

The Christian is singular

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9).

Now, God’s views of almost every object differ widely from those of men. He Himself says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts: you judge according to the outward appearance, but My judgment is according to truth; the things which are highly esteemed among men are in My sight an abomination.” Now if the views of God differ thus widely from those of men, and if He imparts His own views to every person whom He favors with His gracious presence, then it follows that the new views with which such a person is favored must differ widely from those of all other men. And so far as he is influenced by these views, he will pursue a path different from them, for how can two walk together unless they be agreed? He will look at things unseen and eternal, but they live without God in the world. He will seek and follow the narrow way to life, but they are following the broad road to destruction. As these paths lead in opposite directions, those who follow one must be separated from those who walk in the other.
—Edward Payson.

When I was at Oxford, I never was afraid of any but the almost Christians. If you give way to them and their prudence an hair’s breadth, you will be removed from the hope of the Gospel.
If you are walking as the generality of men walk, you are walking to the bottomless pit! Are many wise, many rich, many mighty, or noble, traveling with you in the same way? By this token, without going any farther, you know it does not lead to life. Here is a chart, a plain, an infallible rule. In whatever profession you are engaged, you must be singular, or be damned! The way to hell has nothing singular in it, but the way to Heaven is singularity all over. If you move but one step toward God, you are not as other men are.
—John Wesley.

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