Separation or coming out of the world – the call to practical holiness.
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Hebrews 13:12-14.
The devil was the first sinner and the first inhabitant of the earth after his expulsion from heaven when he rebelled against God (Revelation 12:9), while Adam and Eve lived in the part of the paradise of God called Eden which was not God’s abode because we understand that he visited them on daily basis for fellowship at the cool of the day.
Also remember that it was after the fall that God decided to send Adam and Eve out from the Garden to till the land – earth from whence they were formed. Genesis 3:23. Moreover, don’t forget that Satan was the first sinner in heaven where he once lived and served in the resident of God’ throne in Eden called the garden of God (thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Ezekiel 28:13-15), but after his expulsion out of heaven, he seized the opportunity to visit the part of the Garden where Adam and Eve were lodged to deceive them.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived incorruptible life of divine nature until sin came in, thus they lose the divine nature to the nature of their seducer whom they obeyed: their eyes were opened to the uninhabited earth of Satan’s world who now rules over them as the first inhabitant on earth with his angels. Though they were promised independent from God and equality with him because their eyes shall be opened, knowing good and evil: their eyes were opened to the evil done unto them by Satan as they become children of wrath in the world of Satan who is the god of it. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof, but for now, it is the world of Satan. John 14:30. This was not God’s original plan because he will one day purify and sanctify the present heaven and earth with fire to purge it from all her wickedness, abominations and evil wrought by the sons of men through the infleunces of the prince of the power of the air.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only begotten Son (a): this is to say that God sent his Son into the world to call and to save those who will hear and believe in his Son for salvation from the world of Satan (grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Galatians 1:3-4) to bring us back into the fellowship once lost between Adam, Eve and God through our new birth: (b) to prepare us back into the original purpose of God,- taking us permanently back into the paradise once lost by the first parents to eat the fruit of life they were denied because of their sin (corruption – corruption cannot inherit incorruption) if we will be obedient to serve the Lord faithfully to the end – he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7.
As new creatures in Christ Jesus, we are saved to escape the corruption that is in the world through lusts (2 Peter 1:4) to help us understand our place and position in this present world; otherwise, any false or wrong perception of our calling, responsibility and position in the world as a peculiar person, royal priesthood and holy nation is to cross a line, doing something that is outside the bounds of acceptable behavior.
If we live and walk in separation from the world as a holy nation, our sanctified walk will disassociate from the world will fulfil the scripture that we are as house built on the hill which cannot be hid by exhibiting diffrent personality and mentality far in contrast or dissimilarity to the spirit that is working in the children of disobedience in the world, the spirits of the world.
There is a unique, peculiar and unalterable eternal weight of glory that is manifested in those who are pratically coming out of the world in sanctification unto the Lord. It is not the glory of the world or the glory of the flesh or the perishable temporal glory of the visible world, for the natural man will never see things of this life from God’s perspective because they have not the spirit of God, except those who have the mind of Christ, who knows that they have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God. They don’t speak, understand or do things in common or similarity according to the system of the world. Why would they? They can’t and they will not because they won’t seek to grieve or try to set the Spirit of God up in any contest of jealousy or rivalry with the spirit of the world so as to jeopardize and scandalize their testimony in the world and their acceptance before the Lord without distraction.
Our Lord was crucified outside the gate of Jerusalem on a hill called Golgotha. John 19:17. This is the place where the animals that were burned outside the camp on the Day of Atonement intersect with the crucifixion of Jesus outside the gate of Jerusalem.
And these verses from Exodus 29 verses 14 compare the disposal of sacrificed animals with Jesus crucifixion which both occurred outside the borders of the community: but the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shall thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
Wherefore (for reason and purpose) Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us also go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach…..this command, let us also go forth is showing us just as the purpose of the atonement sacrifice is not attainable without it been burnt outside the camp, so a believer is not acceptable before God (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2) if he does not come out of his foundational culture, traditions and worldly beliefs with other vain conversations received by tradition from his father or ancestors in separation unto Christ against the spirit of rebellion exalting themselves against his separation from the world as it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:16-19.
Without separation from the entanglements, the ways, the sayings, the ungodly manners, the common pursuits, the general interests, the ungodly pleasures, the carnal resemblances and the vain traditions and customs of the world (for no man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4), the truth – God’s word as the sanctifying agent (they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:16-19) won’t do any good work to sanctify such because they’re not yielding through the indwelling Spirit of God in obedience to the written word.
Sanctification is wrought by faith in the life of a believer through practical or physical and active or correspondence obedient to the written word by the indwelling Spirit of God – elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 1Peter 1:2 a.
Christ will be glorified in his saints at his appearing. Who are the saints? They are those who have set themselves aside or apart by implicit obedient to live for every word that comes out from the mouth of God: this is the covenant between them and God by the sacrifice of the blood of everlasting covenant. Salvation is a promise (Titus 1:2) which shall not be given or delivered to those who will not go through the sanctification of the Spirit in belief (practical) of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13) because the Spirit of God operates in us with the truth we practice in obedience to sanctify our bodily, soul and spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
God will judge and condemn any refusal to come out of the world in separation and holiness before him. This action of refusal not to come out of the world is an implication of the cross – conforming to the world, – friendliness with the world, – ungodly interests and indulgence in the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life instead of self crucifixion to the world, and the world to be crucified to you as required by God. Just as everything about Christ life’and word testified against the evil in the world, so should ‘everything about your life’ testify against the evil ithat is in the world (the world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. John 7:7): if ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19.
As a new creature, if you willingly ignore your present position and reputation of distinction in the world, your religion is defiled, and your hope of heaven is in doubt because of the sullies – taint of the world on you becasue nothing unclean shall be allowed to enter heaven: (a) following the example of Moses at Egypt, you must renounce and disavow the world, letting them know that you are not of them and will not live in anyway like them. Hebrews 11:24: (b) you must be ready to live for the persecution of those who have chosen to live the life of godliness, among whom you shine as light in the world. Hebrews 11:25: (c) you must separate or sanctify yourself unto God’s thoughts and ways against any present pleasure of sin or other worldliness in anticipation of the great eternal rewards. Hebrews 11:26.
Moses refused to be called an Egyptian (worldly) and he did all that was possible to separate himself from the prideful and worldly lifestyle of the Egyptian’s until he finally ran away from Egypt after the killing of an Egyptian. Note: if you will not mortify – kill the world in your feet, mouth, eyes, brain, thoughts, mind, haircuts or style, leisure, movies, vacation of ungodliness and worldly lusts in fleshly show at beach in commonness with the world, and in your dressing and dresses; including the music of the world: the dance (s) of the world, and other ungodly activities in the world, you will surely perish with the worldly – come out of the world. James 1:27.
Separation from the unsaved (fleshy and natural) in the world – unequally yoked.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Hebrews 7:26.
As born again believers who are now spiritual renewed to live an incorruptible life of divine nature in a mortal body as the result of our present spiritual elevated position where our life is hid in Christ in God: God that raised up Christ from the dead and made him higher than the heavens (Hebrews 7:26), has also raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6), having given us the grace for power to pursue and to live after the manner of his holiness of him who was made as sanctification unto us, and after the manner of his gentleness, gentle as a dove as we cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God: but first, we should separate from old sinner’s friend in the world. 2 Corinthians 7:1.
Christ was made as our sanctification, though we believed, but if we do not live it out, the sanctification will not be effective and fruitful as long we are keeping the old company of sinner’s friend in our walk in the world. The believer is saved out of the world, he should come out of the world in separation from those who are not redeemed but are mentally, culturally, morally and spiritually in bondage to the world, – I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortionist, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world (1 Corinthians 5:9-10): and by this act, God’s word and his name is glorified as the believer put the difference between the clean and the unclean, between holy and impure, because he is now washed, he is sanctified, he is justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11.
Christ was a friend of sinners simply means that he made himself available in humility to help them, identified himself with them as their Savior. This was a unique role of Christ as the Son of man; though the believer should make himself available to evangelize and to help sinners at anytime unto salvation, he must separate himself from the company of the unsaved until God now send him back to preach the salvation message through the guidance of his Spirit.
God may or may not necessary send him back to his old friends of the past in the world, but his separation will send a great message and signal of what God is doing in his life to them, – wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.1 Peter 4:4. Probably, the Holy Spirit can work through the practical obedient spirit of his son to speak to the hearts of the unsaved for their salvation in Christ Jesus: but they should know that your past association, past outings, past ungodly commonness, past lustful and sinful pleasure, carnal interests, pursuits and likings are all over, spiritual and moral manners and values shall never be the same, including the common past weekends schedules of carnal amusements are no more the same – if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things (old friends, old habits, old ways and manners of life etc) are passed away, behold, all things are new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The problem with the self willed (sin) believer is that they think they are showing the love of God to their old friends by trying to keep up with the old company of the unsaved while they are walking and living defiantly and continuously in an open rebellion against the word of God, opposing what Giod intends to do in them through this particular separation.
The believer’s failure to separate from his unsaved old friends for a testimony against them is his defilement and condemnation for the sin of unequally yoked to prevent his full son ship and acceptance by God – be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Apart from the unbelieving spouse, if he or she choose to stay and to continue to live with their husband/wife after conversion (1 Corinthians 7:12-16), God will be well pleased, but the rest of the unsaved people in your life, you should separate from them without compromises. It is good to see things as they are in the light of God’s word; if God says righteousness should separate from unrighteousness, light from darkness, Christ from Belial, believer from infidel, temple of God from idols, so be it: otherwise, the washing of water by the word will not take any effect in those who are refusing to walk and live by the word of God (Ephesians 5:26), except they act or live by the word, the fullness of God in proportion to obedience will not be made manifested in them. Hosea 6:3.
Sanctification is an inner work of the Spirit of God, but except the believer obey from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered him (Romans 6:7), his walk and life will not be pleasing to God. Confession of sins will only cleanse a transgressor of God’s word from the defilement of his unequally yoked, giving him another chance of grace to start walking in the light through obedience by separation to bring about the sanctification (I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Romans 6:19) of God’s calling and purpose upon his life.
Every word of God is pure, but if a believer is not walking in separation from the unsaved in the world (Amos 3:3), his soul shall also be gathered together with them at death (Psalms 26:9) because his action is a paycheck – the wages of his sin to hell, being spiritually defiled as long as he is unequally yoked. He must take a bold stand to distance himself from sinners, though they will call him different bad names (holier than thou).
The physical or bodily separation is not to have anything in common for you should be found around them in their ways of sin, when they walk or practice their sinfulness. You should not be found to sit or to be around them during their ungodly counsel because nothing of God unites you in common with them as you physically distance yourself from them, no longer walking as the gentiles walk in the blindness of their minds though the ignorance that is in them, having the understanding darkened. How can you reprove the unfruitfulness works of darkness if you keep fellowship and association with them? Ephesians 5:11.
Now let’s talk about the gentleness of the inoffensiive harmless Christ. There is no difference between a physically violent believer and the unbeliever who is a man of strife. Strife, be it in a proportional response of legitimate defense or not, is a damnable work of the flesh. Is God not our defense, and his name a strong tower? Will he not save the upright in heart? Where is the command of Christ not to resist evil if you seek to use your worldly constitutional right for self defense? Where is the power of prayer unto God who is able to turn the sword of the wicked to enter or pierce through their own belly or be killed by the same gun they direct or point towards you? Do you think that the angels cannot physically descend and appear to defend you and to destroy your attackers? The lord says, behold, I send you forth as a sheep among wolves, be gentle as a dove, but wise as serpents. Matthew 10:16.
The first wisdom of a serpent is not to attack, but to hide or try to navigate to run away, meaning, if they persecute you in one city, flee or run to another city. Whatever is not listed among the fruit of the Spirit, you should remove such behavior from your action and reaction. Whatsoever is done against the green tree – Christ, let the dry tree – believer be ready for the same treatment. Whatsoever the green tree has not done to defend himself, neither should the dry tree seek beyond godly action to defend himself – God hates physical violent. Psalms 11:5.
It is written and given to some believers to be killed as martyr for Christ (and they cried with a loud voice, saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Revelation 6:10-11), but carnal and unbroken Christians will always twist the scripture for their own destruction.
As a new creature in Christ Jesus, you are not called to engage into any physical violent altercation with your persecutors in the name of self defense (the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. John 16:2) because your warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), because your warfare is spiritual meant to be fought with the sword of the Spirit – the word of God, the two edged sword in your mouth, but not with the samurai sword in your hand.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Why should you fight to defend yourself like the people of the world? Believer’s defense is not the sword, spear, buckler, pistol or gun, but the sword of the Excellency of his God who will help him and see him through his difficult period of violent persecution and opposition as he continue instant in prayer in his dedication and submission to the will of God. Have you forgotten the words of the Lord in response to the people that his kingdom is not of this world? If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not hence. John 18:36.
Is it not written of Christ that ‘I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting’? Isaiah 50:6. If the heathen rage and they come with their swords, guns, arrows or whatever weapon, remember that Christ was harmless in the days of his flesh, he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7.
Where is your suffering for Christ and for righteousness sake, if you should take a sinner’s life in the name of self-defense: for even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously. 1 Peter 2:21-23.
The New Testament church is built upon the foundation of the apostles of Christ, Jesus himself as the chief corner stone. The instructions given by Christ to his disciples to get purse, sword etc (and he said unto them, when I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said nothing. Then said he unto them, but now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 11:35-36) before his crucifixion ends between his resurrection and Pentecost.
Now that he is with us and his Spirit lives within us, we don’t need any sword or gun for physical self-defense. If a believer kills an unbeliever in the name of self defense, he will surely perish by the sword of divine wrath. Matthew 26:52.
Separation from the ungodly brethren in the church.
But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Those who are in the church are expected to be different from those who are in the world – outside, but there are some people in the church whose lives and manners are in no way diffrent from the unsaved in the world who are not in the church, yet they profess to be God’s children, saved and washed by the blood of Jesus. Godly character and changes is expected from those who lay claim to salvation in Christ Jesus by the spirit of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost: and if they are truly children of God, they should live in agreement to the name by showing and bringing the fruits worthy of repentance; otherwise, they shall be called false brethren and deceivers.
Christ says you should look for the fruit of the Spirit to identify the kind of the tree – good bad. Don’t be deceived by eloquent, soft and sweet words or miracles. Satan also performs miracles, but the lifestyle of his children will always betrays their words like the hypocrite Pharisees. Listen to taste and judge their words, – the lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so (Proverbs 15:7): if they are using the knowledge of the word rightly, and their manner or life also align with it, keep your friendship in the Lord with such; otherwise, go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceive not in him the lips of knowledge. Proverbs 14:7.
If you found it logical or illogical to human mind, an ungodly association with a rebellious brother or sister who is not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel will defile and implicate you in his/her sin by association (your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaven the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8), except you separate from such – 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 extortion; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13.
God is light and in him is no darkness, but willful association with an ungodly brother signify that we are not fellow helpers to the truth, but of those concealing, condoling and encouraging iniquity in the church, calling darkness light, evil good. You should abstain from all appearance of evil in yourself, and you should not help anyone to conceal their sin in the church, it is evil.
First, you should seek to remove the beam from your eye by examining yourself if you are in the faith, before you seek to scrutinize – remove the mote out of your brother’s eye, so that you can keep a healthy spiritual relationship in the company of those who are calling on the Lord out of a pure heart – flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 1Timothy.2:22.
The purpose of individual’s separation from the ungodly brethren in the church is to make room for repentance through church discipline by the institution of the church elders (1 Timothy 5:20), that the erring brother, if he will submit himself to church discipline, correction and restoration, should be prayed over before God for the forgiveness of his sin (If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 1 John 5:16): otherwise, let him become as a heathen and unbeliever forever.