In singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Col. 3:22, 23.

Where sin is cherished in any form, we are double minded in serving God. We are not altogether committed to Christ. Out sins may be cast down without being cast off. They may be dislodged in part, without being destroyed. Great is the deceitfulness of sin. If all our partially buried idols could be resurrected, if all our secret sympathy with sin could be discerned and acknowledged, we might be shocked to find how adulterated is our profession of the Christian faith

Wherever we find strength and beauty of Christian character, we may be sure that they spring from the roots of the heart that have struck deep in everlasting truth and love of Jesus Christ. Our life is independent of outward circumstances and what men think. We are no longer moved by every wind of doctrine, nor captivated by lurid literature or corrupting movies. We make no surrender whatsoever to immoral practices approved by law and organizations. The life and beauty of the mountain flowers are safe against the wind and the storm because they are set in the clefts of the rocks. The Christian with singleness of mind is united with Christ, our Rock and our Fortress.

We need to see the importance of complete consecration to Christ. A secret clinging to sin means weakness, peril, and ultimate failure. "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). It discolors our judgments, saps our will power, impedes our spiritual progress. The day will come when our secret sins and motives will be set in the light of God's presence. We may disguise our sins before men. We may seek to hide and excuse our compromises. But there comes a time when we can no longer conceal our divided heart.

The consecrated Christian regards the good, the pure, the honest, the beautiful with enjoyment and enthusiasm, the evil and the ugly with abhorrence. We find disloyalty impossible, not only when it involves poverty and sacrifice, but when it is profitable. Paul speaks of our "being dead to sin." How completely this truth cuts us off from sin. How utterly it separates us from all ungodliness.