Biblical Separation, What is it? - Bible Teaching #8

I hope everyone is doing well. I am sure you have heard this teaching to some extent. But since I have not seen an extensive look into this and the fact that this is a continually confused or fought topic; I am being led to fully expose the doctrine of biblical separation.

For today we are using a Thomas Nelson NKJV Reference Bible and The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Red Letter Edition.

As always, before you read, pray for discernment and wisdom into the Scriptures.

May the Spirit of Truth guide you into all Truth through the beautifully True Word of God.

Before we look at passages themselves, we will look at what "church" is according to the Bible.

The Greek word ecclesia, Strong's G1577, that is the word we translate to church. The word means "A calling out", it stresses, "...a group of people called out for a special purpose." Nowhere does it mention a building to congregate at, the believers themselves are the building. As mentioned in, 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 and 1 Peter 2:4-5, (Those are just a couple passages, there are many more passages on this topic). So now we see that we are not called out to a different physical place, but to a different spiritual place. Still in the world, but not of the world.

So now we raise the question of what does it mean to be in a different spiritual place?

In 1 Peter 1:16 it says, "Be holy, for I am holy." That word holy is the Greek word hagios, Strong's G40. That word means, "sacred", "hagios fundamentally signifies separated, and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred." So He is calling us out to be separate from sin. We are called to a Holy God, reborn with the Holy Spirit for obedience to the Holy Scriptures. The very nature of the Way is separation from sin through faithfulness to Christ. In order to truly do that, we need to separate from sinners. For evil company corrupts good habits, 1 Corinthians 15:33. See the concept starting to come around? The Lord hates sin, Proverbs 6:16-19. Contrary to the popular misconception, yes the Lord hates sinners as well, Psalm 5:4-6. If you truly love the Lord you will hate them too, Psalm 139:19-22.

Now that word hate, lets make sure we have the same definition. The Hebrew word for hate used in the above passages is, Strong's H8130, sane. That word, "Sane represents an emotion ranging from intense hatred to the much weaker set against and is used of persons and things (including ideas, words, inanimate objects)." That is the type of hatred that God and His true servants feel against sin and sinners. Pretty intense and well deserved.

Now with that back story, we can see why the Bible commands separation from anyone who is not living righteously, for, can 2 walk together unless they are agreed? - Amos 3:3. Such passages include, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:6-7, 2 John 10-11, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, 2 Chronicles 19:2-3, Revelation 18:4, James 1:27, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, etc... Separation from heretics, separation from professing believers living in sin, separation from unbelievers, all things that God hates. Even mentioning that we will partake in their punishment if we partner with them. Going even further, saying that friendship with the world will make you an enemy of God, James 4:4. He is calling us out from that. Remember the road to life is narrow, Luke 13:24. If we are truly living for Christ and have given all to Him, what do we have in common with the people of this world? Really ponder on that, test yourself to see whether you are in the faith, 2 Corinthians 13:5.

But, Jesus was a friend of sinners wasn't He?

Now lets break that passage down.

Matthew 11:18-19

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

As I am sure you can tell. John the Baptist was not demon possessed and Jesus is not a glutton or a winebibber, God forbid! Obviously these are derogatory terms, filthy things. Why is it that the rest is negative but when something sounds good to people they take it out of context, completely disregarding the meaning then affirm it to be true? This false teaching has been going around my whole life, but it is simply not true!

On the contrary we have, John 15:14 where Jesus says, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."

That verse by its very nature rules out sinners being His friends. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus actually pronounced woes to sinners who did not repent when He came around them, Matthew 11 and Luke 10. Remember Jesus came to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance, Luke 5:32, Matthew 9:13 and Mark 2:17. If they did not repent, He did not bother them but went on to the next town. He commanded the same from His disciples when He sent out the 12 and when He sent out the 70.

What about befriending people to possibly save them?

Now concerning befriending people to possibly save them. That would be doing evil that good may come of it, Romans 3:8, and being an athlete that does not compete according to the rules, 2 Timothy 2:5. I am friendly and will still meet their needs, Luke 6:27-36. But I have actually denied invitations to various activities with people who are not brethren. The only time I interact is to evangelize, to help them with material needs and whenever I absolutely have to. (Such as buying groceries... Paying bills... Working... Etc...) As it says in 2 Corinthians 6:15, "...what part has a believer with an unbeliever..."

Actually from experience, I have nothing in common with the world. I feel like a foreigner here. My whole life, every breathing moment is for Christ. So if they do not follow Christ, what is there left in common? Most people in the world avoid me unless they are in need because of such things. I do not even have to avoid them, they remove themselves! As Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." - John 15:18-19. From what I can find in the Scriptures, that is consistent with how the prophets and apostles were treated, 1 Corinthians 4:9 and Hebrews 11:35-38.

It is all part of the rebirth, the transformation by the renewing of our minds, Romans 12:2. We do not like the same things anymore, the world even finds it weird that we will not partake, 1 Peter 4:1-4. Separated spiritually while with them in the physical world. Hating sin and sinners but still providing for them when in need, hoping that they will come around to the Truth one day. A very basic principle, that should not need to be fought. But as Jesus Himself warned us in Matthew 24:24-25 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand."

Keep your eyes opened, stay steadfast in prayer, His Word is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path. That is the only way to see the Truth. As soon as you think you see clearly, more will be revealed. At least that is what the Lord has done with me.

God bless you and Godspeed.

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and am willing to discuss any of these topics and more, in great detail. If you would like.

Email:

Michael.servantofchrist@gmail.com