"Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself:thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy
gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien:for thou art a holy people unto the
Lord thy God" (Deut. 14:21).

In this verse the marked distinction between the Israel of God and the stranger is strikingly
presented. The grand fact of Israel’s relationship to Jehovah marked them off from all the nations
under the sun. It was not that they were, in themselves, a whit better or holier than others; but
Jehovah was holy, and they were His people. "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

Worldly people often think that Christians are very pharisaic in separating themselves from other
people, and refusing to take part in the pleasures and amusements of the world; but they do not
really understand the question. The fact is, for a Christian to participate in the vanities and follies
of a sinful world would be, to use a typical phrase, like an Israelite eating that which had died of
itself. The Christian, thank God, has gotten something better to feed upon than the poor dead
things of this world. He has the Living Bread that came down from heaven_the true Manna; and
not only so, but he eats of "the old corn of the land of Canaan," type of the risen and glorified
Man in the heavens. Of these most precious things the poor unconverted worldling knows
absolutely nothing, and hence he must feed upon what the world has to offer him. It is not a
question of the right or the wrong of things looked at in themselves. No one could possibly have
known aught about the wrong of eating of any thing that had died of itself if God’s Word had not
settled it.

This is the all-important point for us. We cannot expect the world to see or feel with us as to
matters of right and wrong. It is our business to look at things from a divine standpoint. Many
things may be quite consistent for a worldly man to do which a Christian could not touch at all,
simply because he is a Christian. The question which the true believer has to ask as to everything
which comes before him is simply, Can I do this to the glory of God? Can I connect the name of
Christ with it? If not, he must not touch it.

In a word, the Christian’s standard and test for everything is Christ. This makes it all so simple.
Instead of asking whether such a thing is consistent with our profession, our principles, our
character, or our reputation, we have to ask if it is consistent with Christ. This makes all the
difference. Whatever is unworthy of Christ is unworthy of a Christian. If this be thoroughly
understood and laid hold of, it will furnish a great practical rule which may be applied to a
thousand details. If the heart is true to Christ, if we walk according to the instincts of the divine
nature as strengthened by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and guided by the authority of the
Scriptures, we shall not be much troubled with questions of right or wrong in our daily life.

(From Notes on Deuteronomy .)