The children of the world are called the children of darkness. They are blinded by the God of this world, and are led by the spirit of the prince of darkness. They cannot enjoy heavenly things. The children of light have their affections set on things above. They leave behind them the things of this world. They fulfill the command: Come out from among them, and be ye separate. Here is the conditional promise: “I will receive you.” From the beginning, Christ has chosen His people out of world and required them to be separate, having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. If they love God and keep His commandments, they will be far from having the friendship, and loving the pleasures, of the world. There is no concord between Christ and Belial. (1T 279.1) MC VC

The prophet Ezra, and other faithful servants of the Jewish church, were astonished when the princes came to them saying: “The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations.” Ezra 9:1. “And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; should we again break Thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not Thou be angry with us till Thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O Lord God of Israel, Thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before Thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before Thee because of this.” Ezra 9:13-15. (1T 279.2) MC VC