Thomas Oliver
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).
Our life does not belong to it.
Our blessings do not spring from it.
Our joys do not depend upon it.
Our home and our treasure are not in it.
Our life does not belong to it. We are born from above and our life belongs to heaven. Death reigns in this world, but life in that. Our life is a life out of death — the death of Christ, He is our life. He lives unto God and we are alive unto God in Him — the Victim once, the mighty Victor now. He remains forever, and we are associated with Him for eternal ages.
Our blessings do not spring from it. While for earth temporal mercies are, given to us our true blessings are spiritual and in the heavenly places in Christ. They are based upon redemption and are the fruit of the counsels of God the Father, they express the riches of the glory of His grace and are according to the good pleasure of His will. They are boundless and embrace intimacy of affection with the Father and the Son, membership of the body of Christ, and conformity to the image of God’s Son in heavenly glory forever. He has also given unto us His Spirit, and what an inconceivable blessing is this, by whom we know the things that are freely given to us of God, and can know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge, and be filled into that fathomless ocean of blessedness — all the fullness of God.
Our joys do not depend upon it. The Christian’s joy is joy unspeakable and full of glory. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the reconciliation. In His presence is fullness of joy, there are pleasures for evermore; and in that presence we may already dwell in spirit.
Our home and our treasure are not in it. Earth is not our rest — the Father’s house is our true, our much desired home; there love will rest eternally, and Jesus our Lord and the treasure of our hearts will be the adored and worthy Center of all that raptured throng.
“There with unwearied gaze
Our eyes on Him we’ll rest,
And satisfy with endless praise
Our hearts supremely blest.”