In Galatians 6:14 (AMPC) the Apostle Paul says,
“But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!”
If you are constantly moving against the current and wondering why, meditate on the above passage for a moment. Here is relief and rest for your forward-moving soul.
You are (have been) sanctified and consecrated—purified by Himself, baptized, cleansed, raised to a new life in Christ Jesus, and set apart for His holy use. Therefore, there is (and must be implied by this passage) a line of separation—a holy shield, a thin but solid veil—between yourself and the fallen world. Things will naturally be different for you and perhaps—no, likely, foreign to both your will and the perceptions of other people. It may almost translate as non-sensical. But to God Himself, it makes perfect eternal and temporal sense. All things fitting into a plan…
“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28, AMPC).
The line of separation is the boundary between good and evil.
Purity means no mixture.
If you have arrived on the other side, Paul’s side, of Galatians 6:14, constant and all-pervasive TRUST in God to be your Providence is required. His power overrides all, and you are well kept.
It is a goal of born-again Christians—those who have been set apart from the world and seated with Christ in heavenly places—to not fight the Galatians 6:14 fact of the new life. Rather, we are to thank God we are kept separate from all sin (whether perceived or not), because His line of separation honestly is what keeps us alive.
The same also frees us up for His use.
“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us” (1 Corinthians 13:12, MSG)!
Living in a perpetual, agitated state (dismayed about the “peering into the mist” pathway of following God’s garment hem through this world) is an indicator that we have not accepted God’s hedge of spiritual protection. He really does have actual, everyday leadership of our lives. “He reigns” is literal, and He is closer than a very good-hearted, very protective brother (Proverbs 18:24). Peace comes in to view when we remember all of the dangers God has mysteriously saved us from. How has He done so without careful and constant watch, and a very close presence to us?
As we walk through this world toward Heaven, we are to entirely forgive those who have harmed us in the past, but not necessarily forget to the point that we go back. Consider these warnings:
“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32).
Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
We are to go forward in God, but to have the strength to do so, we must have a solid perception of His all-encompassing Spirit, His strength, and His wisdom. It is crucial to a forward-moving faith that we remember the illustrious acts of the Lord (see Psalm 118:17)! We are to heal from the past and keep walking into the mist, completely content to follow God through our faith, leaving all the reasons why to Him.
WHEN YOU FEEL LOST IN THIS WORLD,
REMEMBER ALL GOD HAS SAVED YOU FROM.
It will be easy, then, to realize He is holding your hand now. You may be separated from the world, but you are entirely with Him—a worthy trade. You can take that next step in reassured confidence that He is indeed with you always. You are not lost; you are found, and, to your credit, He won’t ever let you go.
“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13, KJV).
“For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.
And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes?
And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease” (Mark 5:28, 30, 34, AMPC).
Due to the line of separation, the hedge of our protection, God so graciously provides for us, we can say of the sin of the fallen world, “Far be it from me…”
As Christians, at times, our worldly successes can be ill-defined. We glory in things other than Christ; we compete; we get discouraged and dejected. We don't somehow belong. But, to simply walk in faith, and to walk in love, is a sure win, a good fit. Today, decide to glory only in Christ. And as for your walk into the mist, against the world's current: Pray, continue.
When you follow God you are indeed going the right way, for the right reasons, with the right One.
Bible Translations:
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. lockman.org
King James Version (KJV), Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.