(2 Tim 1:15 KJV) This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from
me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
(2 Tim 4:10 KJV) For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is
departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
We see in the above two verses that the Apostle Paul had suffered in the area of
abandonment. He assessed that many whom he thought were his co-laborers, just deserted him
and went back into the world. Now in the case of Demas, he is mentioned three times in
Scripture, and it isn’t till we get to Second Timothy, we see that he had deserted
Paul and went back into the world. These are incidents with three men who, at this point,
were probably not saved. So then it would figure that they would have more love for the
world than the things of God.
What about the true child of God? Is there a responsibility to separate from the things
of the world? God commands His children in many places in the Scriptures to separate from
worldly things which could draw a believer back into a sinful lifestyle or cause a
believer to lose their testimony. God is so strong on the issue of Christian separation
that He even commands us in Scripture to separate from a brother who is not ordering their
life according to the Scriptures.
(2 Th 3:6 KJV) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the
tradition which he received of us.
When we speak of separation, I am sure that one of the first things which pops up in
your mind is a Monastical lifestyle where we shut ourselves off from the world. Well, this
is not what the Scriptures speak of. Once in a while, it does not hurt to come apart for a
while and refresh, but no matter where we turn, we will still see the influence of the
world around us. The Apostle Paul knew that no matter where you went, there was the world
and all its philosophies waiting to devour the Christian. Paul knew that we must rub
shoulders with the unbelievers in this world, but the Bible also tells us not to
fellowship with them in any way which would hurt our Christian walk.
(1 Cor 5:9-11 KJV) I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
{10} Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. {11} But now
I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a
fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat.
Anytime a Christian compromises in any manner with the world, it weakens their walk.
Homogenization is for milk and other liquids and not for the Christian. Homogenization is
an interesting method, plus it gives us a mighty principle. In the process of
homogenizing, there is a reduction of the liquid to the smallest particles possible so
they will evenly blend or uniformly be distributed throughout the whole liquid. When you
look at milk in a glass container, what do you see? You see a uniform white liquid from
top to bottom in the container. In other words, the milk you have on the top of the glass
will be the same as the milk you have on the bottom of the glass, because it is a uniform
blend.
Now what does this teach us? It teaches us that if we accept the smallest compromise
without checking ourselves, we will tend to homogenize false beliefs or inappropriate
lifestyles into our Christian walk without realizing that we are self-destructing. False
beliefs and lifestyles will then be a part of our life. Then when it is challenged by
other believers, the false beliefs will be defended. On the other hand, if we homogenize
true beliefs into our thinking, the Christian will become stronger and will be able to
separate from the false.
Let me inject one thing here that needs to be addressed. When one is pondering
separating from something biblically unbefitting, whether it be a church, teacher, or
sinning brother/sister, a judgment must be made before one separates. There are many
Christians today who claim that we are not to judge. This is erroneous because judgment
must be made before any actions are taken. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit knew this principle well.
(1 Cor 5:12 KJV) For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not
ye judge them that are within?
Here Paul is telling the Corinthians that it is their responsibility to do the judging.
The word for "judge" in 1 Cor. 5:12, is the Greek word "krinw"
(krino) which means, "to decide between, distinguish," and also carries the
meaning of "separate." This idea that we are not to judge, is foreign to the
Scriptures because if we would judge teachings or lifestyles first, we would save
ourselves much heartache. This principle also applies to false teachers and teachings.
They cannot be separated. Many of us have heard that God loves the sinner but hates the
sin. This is nowhere found in the Bible. At the beginning of this article, Paul named
three people who abandoned him. There was no separation of sin and sinner. It is
imperative to name false teachers and teachings to warn other Christians to avoid them. It
is the same with the unbeliever. On Judgment Day, God is not going to separate the
unbeliever from their sins. They are identified with their sins and because those
particular sins were committed by them, they will pay for those sins. There is no
separation of sin and sinner, and there is no separation of false teacher and teachings.
The Unwillingness To Separate
One of the characteristics of modern Christianity is the reluctance to separate for the
good of testimony and spiritual growth. When we talk about separation, it is not just for
a few hours or days. It is a seven day separation because even the slightest alliance with
false doctrines or philosophies can be detrimental. The type of separation which is called
for is more than just a bodily separation. It is a separation of mind and desire. The
Christian has the mind of Christ which means a different mind than that of the world. The
two cannot be amalgamated. (Phil 2:5 KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: One of the reasons it is so hard to get people to separate is that we
see famous evangelists and preachers push an ecumenical religion, and just because these
people are on TV or on radio, we tend to follow them. I do not understand why people
think, that just because someone is on TV or radio, that they possess some type of special
favor with God with special endowments. Every true Christian is commanded to be faithful
and separate, no matter what their position is.
God Commands Christians To Be Separate
Back during the times of Ancient Israel and Judah, God had strictly forbidden them to
make pacts or to meld with the foreign and pagan nations which surrounded them. (Deu
18:9 KJV) When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt
not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. God wanted to protect them
from the heathen idolatries and ideologies which pervaded those nations. It is also
interesting to note that God never rescinded that command for His people to remain a
separate people. Of course, I am speaking of the Redeemed of God.
When we talk about the surrounding nations in the Old Testament, it is a picture of the
Kingdom of Satan encroaching upon the Kingdom of God--or the true believers. At the
present time, we have many false religions and philosophies which have not only invaded
the church, but also our Bibles. When I say Bibles, I mean the massive amount of-study and
psychology-based application Bibles, which place their erroneous interpretations on the
same page as the text. People look at these interpretations, and are persuaded because the
arguments seem just. God wants us to flee only to His Word and to study that Word,
comparing Scripture with Scripture. This is how we can avoid becoming snared with false
teachings.
God has called us out of the world, but not to leave this world until all the work He
has assigned to us is complete. As Israel faced the encroachment of false deities and
religions, so the modern Christian is also faced with false ideas and religions, but our
problem is worse. We are not confronted with large statues of fish gods like Dagon or
large female statues like Astarte. Our attacks come subtly, packaged in theology books,
study Bibles, socially-centered magazines, education, and even friends or family who have
bought into false gospels. Satan uses subtle methods to try and conquer us. Yet, no matter
how the falsehood is thrown at us, we are to remain a separate people.
Where Ancient Israel Failed
(Ezek 22:23-26 KJV) ...{25} There is a conspiracy of her prophets...{26}...they have
put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference
between the unclean and the clean...
The word "conspiracy" means "an unlawful alliance." Now what kind of
alliance could the modern Christian have? This is simple. All one has to do is look at the
pro-life movement and you will see the holding of hands and the agreeing which takes place
at every meeting or gathering. I once sent money to a pro-life organization, until I found
it was being funneled to the Roman Catholic Institution. When the Twin Towers were hit in
September of 2001, we waged war on the Taliban Government of Afghanistan for harboring
terrorists. Since then, Islam has been getting much positive exposure, and I have heard
only one media Christian, Franklin Graham, come out against it as a false and violent
religion. Where is the rest of the Christian community in treating Islam as false as
Mormonism or Roman Catholicism? Ancient Judah and Israel both failed because they chose to
co-mingle with the false gods and religions of surrounding nations. This is why we see
many references to high places in the Scriptures. God sent Judah and Israel into captivity
because of their incessant disobedience. It was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy
that both nations would be taken by men of other tongues. (Isa 28:11 KJV) For with
stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
So both of these nations went through the furnace of affliction to attempt to purify
them. They wanted the pagan nations so badly, so God obliged them by letting them be taken
captive. It is the same with the modern church as we see the invasion of signs, wonders,
and tongues as a fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11. Since so many people want these things, God
has allowed many churches to fall prey to them. The great conspiracy of the modern church
is that the main line denominations, and even independent ones, are not warning against
these things, but instead embracing them. We need to espouse the warning given in 1
Corinthians 10:11. (1 Cor 10:11 KJV) Now all these things happened unto them for
ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are
come. God’s dealings with Judah and Israel are not even being considered by
today’s church leaders, and this is why we see the rise in false gospels in the
church.
God Commands An Unconditional Holiness From His People
(Lev 19:1-4 KJV) ...{2}...Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy....{4}
Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
The word "holy" is the Hebrew word "Qadosh." In verse 2, it is in
the plural, "qodhoshim" which means "a holy people." This is not a
suggestion, but a command. As I stated before, the command has never been rescinded.
(1 Pet 2:9 KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light:
1 Peter 2:9 is the counterpart to Leviticus 19:2. The reason that God commands us to be
holy is because holiness is the chief tenet of salvation. As we see in the principle of
pro-creation 'of like begetting like.' In other words, sheep have sheep, cows have cows,
bugs have bugs, etc. In the like manner, because God is a holy God, he begets holy
children. In 1 Peter 2:9, the words "holy nation" carry the same meaning as its
Hebrew counterpart. "Nation" is "ethnos" which may also be translated
"people." So in both the Old and New Testaments, we are seeing that God has set
His people apart as "holy," which means we are a separated people. When we speak
of holiness, we are not speaking of those who dress up in all sorts of religious regalia,
but an inward holiness which is given to those who truly become born again.
Some Unholy Alliances We Make
I want to give some examples of the unholy alliances which we make in this world and
sometimes deem them acceptable. The problem is that we look at these things through our
eyes without the discerning Word of God being the spiritual filter.
Acceptance Of Roman Catholicism As Christianity
I know this is an old one, but as we continue to head towards the Last Day, it seems
that more Christians are believing that Roman Catholicism is a true belief. This religion
has murdered countless millions in its long history of religious pogroms. One has only to
look at the Crusades and the Inquisition. This institution is by no means Christian since
it contains massive amounts of idolatry, mysticism, and false teachings. They are also
involved with the charismatic movement, which is the tie that binds false religions
worldwide.
Acceptance Of Higher Criticism
This is the belief that the good ole’ King James Version is not good enough, even
though it was the Bible which built this nation. Critics tell us that we need modern
versions with all the Catholic influence. I recently purchased a Nestle-Aland Greek New
Testament, the Fourth Edition. One of the editors of this text is Carlo M. Martini who is
a Roman Catholic. This text underlies all the modern versions. So we can safely conclude
that unless you are using a King James Version in your Protestant Church or for personal
use, you are using a Roman Catholic Bible. Modern versions continue to add and subtract to
the text, especially where the editor feels uncomfortable with a verse. So instead of
leaving it in, they take it out or cast doubt on it and say it is not in the oldest
manuscripts. Since most Christians couldn’t care less, they get away with it.
Marriage Or Business Partnership With An Unbeliever
Here is another subtle trick of Satan. We are not to enter into any type of binding
relationship with an unbeliever. The Bible commands that a true Christian marry a true
Christian, period! In the matter of going into business, it is the same principle. The
Christian will want to order their business with biblical principles and the unbeliever is
not bound to any set of moral or divine laws. This opens the door for "wheeling and
dealing," which may not be within the confines of the law. If the business gets into
trouble, the Christian goes down too.
Denial Of Any Parts Of Scripture
Two sections ago, I mentioned the butchering of the Bible. What I am speaking of here is
the outright denial of any part of God’s Word. Sometimes we tend to deny certain
Scriptures by avoiding them or explaining them away. For example, there are many out there
who deny the existence of Hell and just explain it away by saying it is only the grave.
Watering down Scripture is also denying its meaning. Many people tend to water the
Scriptures down to sell books and tapes, and keep their congregation feeling good, when
they should be made to tremble once in a while. This is especially done in Christian
psychology books.
Acceptance Of Worldly Principles To Order Your Christian Walk
Sometimes we get comfortable in our Christian walk and we begin to start accepting some
of the methods the world offers. This can happen when we let our guard down. This is why
many are in strapping credit card debt. I knew a brother who once told me, "The Lord
wants us to have nice things." I don’t know where he found that principle in
Scripture, but he attached His Christianity to his incessant buying patterns. I know some
Christians who are so absorbed with Psychology that they order their lives according to
it. Many Christians have even accepted the social gospel and have used up their lives
trying to save the whales. Whenever the world creeps into our Christian walk, it will
become diluted and ineffectual for the Kingdom of God.
Mixing Behavioral Science With The Gospel
By this I mean the admixture of Psychology, Sociology, and other so-called pseudo
subjective disciplines to the true Gospel. If you go into any normal Christian Book Store
(what I mean by normal is 99% unbiblical junk), you will find more psychology and
sociology than Spurgeon or Gurnall. Books from men like Jim Dobson or Tony Campolo will
normally be in the Top Ten bestsellers. This is because discernment has gone out the
window with the Truth.
Any Compromise - Public Or Private
Any time we cut corners or do something which is less than biblical, we are
compromising. This is especially true on the job. The workplace is the hardest place to
keep a testimony. This means that the easiest way to do this is to establish the fact that
you are a Christian from the first day on the job. This way, they will know where you are
coming from. Make no compromise with evil. The simplest way to recognize a possible
compromise is to ask yourself, "if the result of this decision was brought out into
the light, would I be ashamed or justified according to Biblical principles?" The
worst thing a Christian can be fired for is improprieties on the job because it ruins the
entire witness.
Any Sin
It doesn’t matter what type of sin, it is all the transgression of God’s Word.
We must be on guard against the seemingly small sins, because if we allow those in our
life, then the little sins begin to mushroom into the larger sins. Then pretty soon we
have to go into the furnace of affliction, so God may deal with us on them. (1 John 3:4
KJV) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of
the law.
Consequences Of Violating God’s Parameters Of Separation
There are always consequences whenever we violate the Word of God. We, in the Reformed
Community, are sometimes guilty of not realizing that just because our sins have all been
paid for, we neglect to understand that willful sinning will warrant consequences for our
actions. This may be the reason that many Christians seem to be living shelved or stagnant
lives. I want to offer some consequences which may be affecting many believers in their
walk, and hopefully if you identify one or two in your life, then maybe you can begin your
walk back toward God. Remember, He will never forsake you, but He will deal with you.
Confusion In Your Life
If there is one thing many Christians suffer from, it is confusion. This may exhibit
itself by not knowing where you belong in the body of Christ, you are confused on making
decisions, or you are generally unstable in your life. Confusion in the Christian walk is
normally the result of infusion of worldly principles into a Christian’s walk.
No Personal Peace
There seems to be a restlessness in our spirit in that we are never satisfied or at
peace about any situation. The Christian seems to be frazzled about everything. This may
even result in sleeplessness. Personal peace is a great gift from God.
Whenever God reigns in a situation, the believer will have peace which passes
understanding. When God is not reigning in a situation, lack of personal peace is a great
symptom. (Isa 26:3 KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee: because he trusteth in thee
Personal Problems Seem To Intensify
Whenever we walk outside the separation, it seems personal problems seem to intensify or
multiply. It seems that no matter what we do, there is always one more problem around the
corner. It seems we just cannot avoid problems and that they are rolling over us like a
steam roller. When we avoid the wisdom of God, the only other available wisdom is worldly
wisdom, which always goes opposite the wisdom of God. Godly wisdom goes opposite of the
world, but that is how God designed it.
Christian Friends May Distance Themselves For A While
When God begins to work with you, He might allow your Christian friends to remain at a
distance. Remember the tongue lashing Job received from his friends. Finally, God had to
intervene in the "us against Job" dialogues. Sometimes friends can come between
God and your restoration. Friends may sympathize with you on an emotional level, but God
wants to restore you on a spiritual level, which will eventually heal your emotions. How
did God train Moses? He sent him to the backside of the desert for 40 years, before he was
ready for the task God assigned to him. God had to strip away all the odors of Egypt which
remained on Moses so he could be totally sold out to the Lord. This is what God does for
us also. He gets the world out of us, so we may be fully usable in the Kingdom of God.
Prayer Time Seems Dry
(Psa 68:6 KJV) God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are
bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Walking outside separation
is really rebellion against God. Sometimes our prayer life seems dry and rote. We
don’t recognize any answers to our prayers and we become discouraged, and eventually
we stop praying. Then we ask "what is the use in praying?" This is the mindset
Satan wants us to adopt. He wants us to question whether prayer to God is really effective
and advantageous for the believer. Whenever we abandon our prayer time, it is a sure
formula for further trouble.
Bible Study Yields Little Or No Fruit
Another consequence is that our Bible study seems to yield no fruit. Instead of
extracting many different truths from the Scripture, it seems they are just words now.
This is because the Holy Spirit cannot open our spiritual eyes if we are approaching the
Bible with a double mind. An unseparated Christian does not possess a dedicated mind
toward the things of Scripture. We are commanded not to grieve or quench the Holy Spirit,
and when we do, we suffer the consequences of dry Bible study.
Our Thirst For God Seems Quenched
Remember when you were a young Christian, how you could not quench your desire to know
more about the Lord Jesus Christ? Walking with the world tends to quash that spiritual
desire and replace it with secular things. The visible world will do its very best to
over-shadow the eternal, invisible world. After all, isn’t it easier to throw on the
TV or radio for three hours instead of doing Bible study? We seem to lose the zeal we once
had and accept a very mundane understanding of God.
My Spiritual Conscience Is Silent
(Acts 24:16 KJV) And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of
offence toward God, and toward men. Our spiritual conscience seems dormant. When we
are saturated with the Bible and walking in concert with the Lord, we are able to
instantly draw on what we have studied whenever a situation arises. If we are walking
opposite the Lord, then we can expect the consequence of silence at a time when we need to
make a right judgment.
We Lack Wisdom In Personal Decisions
Whenever we walk opposite the Lord, it seems the decisions we make seem incorrect. No
matter what we do, we seem to come up one inch short of a yard. Whenever we neglect the
wisdom of God, it will always cause us further trouble. Decisions lacking wisdom, are
always a catalyst for calamity.
I have listed a number of things which could be consequences for not living a separated
life. Keep in mind that God may use these things as a way of doing some type of work in
our life which is not related to any type of judgment. He may use these items as a
spiritual watershed in our life.
The following is paragraph which I took from somewhere, but I forgot. Who cares! It is
the principle which it conveys that is important.
I was in a Sunday School class in a Bible-believing
church in our hometown a few weeks ago and I have had a sense of depression over it since.
I was trying to share Deuteronomy 6 with this group of young parents. We got into a really
good practice (after reading that scripture many times) of Bible reading in Proverbs,
first thing in the morning, a reading from a Christian character book before nap time, and
ten verses from whatever book we happen to be reading before bed time. We make a point of
sharing God three times a day. I was tying to explain this and was practically bombed out
of the class. A doctor’s wife told me that I must have much more faith than she did
if I expected this plan to save my kids from teenage rebellion (we were discussing the
Dobson films). Another woman saw no problem with her three daughters dating
non-Christians. I mentioned there was nothing in the Bible to support her premise. And she
let me know what a good plan this is to lead others to Christ. She boasted that her
daughter’s best friend was a non-Christian. Of course, we have to be a "light
" in a dark world, but yoking with the unsaved is a real problem for me. I just
can’t get over how we have been duped as a society.