Separation

The doctrine of separation is a neglected truth.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? …Wherefore COME OUT from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord…

Paul tells of a yoke that joins a team of animals. A yoke is a wooden frame that fits round the necks of two animals. It ties them together so that they work together as one. Animals linked together with a yoke will go together – and head in the one direction.

Paul says it is possible to be UNEQUALLY YOKED – joined together - with an unbeliever.

A child of God and an unbeliever cannot unite in a common purpose.
• Their standards are different
• Their goals are different
• Their loyalties are different.

SEPARATION all starts with…

1. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Will we obey Him?

1 Peter 1:16 …Be ye holy; for I am holy. God commands us to live a separated life. To stand for what is right.

(Phil 2:5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Our worship is a separation. We want our lives to be on the altar of worship unto Him.

Our main goal in life, our devotion is:
• To please God - in how we live and act
• To follow His plan for our lives.

2 Thess. 3:6 tells us of some believers walking "disorderly" – as in marching out of step. They neglect their duty and obligations.

Our relationship with God also impacts on…

2. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD
Realise that the god of this world and the Lord Jesus are enemies. The god of this world – satan – has blinded the minds of them which believe not (2 Cor. 4:4).

Whilst separate from the world, we aren't isolated from it. We must reach out to the lost - help them to be saved.

Real Christians are IN the world – but not OF it. As believers we don't follow the wisdom or philosophies of this world. God has made a DIFFERENCE in our LIVES and LIFESTYLE. We are not to conform to this world's system (Rom. 12:1-2).

Beware of compromise… it can happen in stages… We are warned against friendship with the world (Jas 4:4), and loving the world – the pleasures of sin for a season.

Revelation 18:4 Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Our relationship with God also impacts on…

3. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD'S TRUTH
Doctrine does matter. God tells His people to avoid false teachers and divisive doctrines, and to follow right teaching.

(Rom 16:17,18) Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them…

We know that, for our body to be healthy…
• CANCER cells need to be removed
• POISON needs to be avoided.

For our church to have a strong, pure testimony for Christ in these dark and difficult days, we need to make a solid, uncompromising stand. Let us separate from wrong teaching and false practice.

SEPARATION IS TWO - FOLD: We are to SEPARATE FROM sin -- Come out FROM among them and be ye SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing (2 Cor. 6:17).

Let us be separate from all that is out of harmony with the Lord Jesus.

We are to SEPARATE UNTO – Unto RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH - …ye shall be HOLY (set apart, separated) UNTO ME; for I, the LORD, am HOLY, and have separated you from other people, THAT YE SHOULD BE MINE (Lev. 20:26).

“Sin dwells in every believer, but sin reigns in the unbeliever” - Moody.

The closer I get to God, the further away I get from that which is contrary to His character.

SEPARATION means being a useful Christian. SEPARATED from the world, and being JOINED to God. Being more like Christ - the Holy One.

1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Being a separated Christian will affect how we look (1 Timothy 2:9), how we think, our moral choices, our values, our relations with others, our choices about drink, drugs (Pro. 20:1; 23:31; 1 Cor 3:16-17), what we listen to (Eph 5:19), where we go.

There's basically two ways of living:
• Two completely opposite paths
• Two spirits – the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error.

What way will you choose?

To develop a fuller, closer relationship with our Lord - we need to steer a path of living His way - to please Him.

There's blessings and benefits promised for those who are set apart unto the Lord. (2 Cor 6:18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God our perfect Heavenly Father is the very best, loving, caring father. He will provide care and shelter, and meet the needs of His children. Separation shows WHO we belong to.

Being holy doesn't mean being harsh or negative. Separation is positive, fulfilling, beautiful. It shows WHO our allegiance is to. WHO we love.

Psalm 29:2 tells of The beauty of holiness – of being set apart, separate, separated.

God's holy character – in us – is a thing of beauty and awe.

God has set us apart UNTO HIMSELF. He has called us to be a holy, set apart people.