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Separation – Part 1

August 12, 2009 at 9:32 pm (Holiness & Separation)

Separation, part 1 – Victorious Christian Living

1) Two sides of separation:

A)    God’s people have always been a separated people: separated from evil and unto God!

Psalms 34:14a (New King James Version)
Depart from evil and do good…

B)    In the world, yet not of the world!

James 4:4 (English Standard Version)
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17 (English Standard Version)
¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

• Biblical separation is NOT isolation from the world, but rather insulation against the world!

James 1:27 (English Standard Version)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

2) Servants:

A)    You will worship what you serve and serve what you worship:

Matthew 4:10 (English Standard Version)
Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.

Romans 6:16-18 (English Standard Version)
¹⁶ Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Joshua 24:15 (English Standard Version)
…choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

• Serving and obeying God is the highest calling a man or woman can fulfill.

• You must take His yoke upon you; but Jesus declares…

Matthew 11:30 (English Standard Version)
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

B)    Freedom in Christ? What does it mean? Are there still obligations, responsibilities, boundaries, restrictions, regulations or control?

• Some have even gone so far as to label any kind of restrictions or regulations as “bondage.”  Scriptures referring to bondage in the New Testament are speaking of the ceremonial law of Moses, or the bondage of sin and unrighteousness.

C)   Holiness and righteousness is not bondage unto Mosaic Law, but rather obedience to the Apostles Doctrine.

Acts 2:42 (New King James Version)
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

• Holiness is not a digression into an obsolete lifestyle, bur rather a progression into a new lifestyle: a lifestyle controlled by the Holy Ghost.

• Born-again Christians are not in bondage to the Old Testament Law, they are servants of righteousness and holiness.

Romans 6:17-18 (New King James Version)
¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

• Holiness is not going backward into bondage, it’s going forward into true spiritual liberty!  This is the paradox of the Christian life that the world cannot understand: it is both servant-hood and liberty:

1 Corinthians 7:22 (King James Version)
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

• We are disciples. The word disciple means “a learner or a pupil; one who disciplines his life according to the teachings of a teacher.”

3) Parameters of a holy life:

A)    The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) are written as a testimony or an account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  They introduce people to Jesus Christ.

B)    Acts (history of the Church) gives us a detailed record of how the apostles obeyed and taught the teachings of Jesus Christ.  This is where people experience Jesus Christ.

C)   The Epistles (Romans through Jude) are the teachings of the apostles to the believers. The epistles do not instruct us on how to receive salvation, but rather how to continue in salvation: how to live as a Christian. Therefore, as believers who have already been born again, you need to look very closely at the lifestyle instructions that the Apostles gave under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

D)   Revelation (prophecy) shows us what happens to those who are righteous and obediently follow Christ as well as what happens to those who are wicked and disobey the teachings of the Bible.

4) Separated unto:

A)    As holy children of God, we’re called to be separated UNTO many things. The following are some (but not all) the things unto which we are to separate ourselves:

• A total, unconditional love for God:

Matthew 22:37-40 (English Standard Version)
³⁷ And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

• A love for God’s church:

John 13:35 (English Standard Version)
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

1 Peter 1:22 (English Standard Version)
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

• A love for your enemies:

Matthew 5:44 (English Standard Version)
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Romans 12:17-21 (English Standard Version)
¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• A forgiving spirit toward all men:

Matthew 18:21-22 (English Standard Version)
²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Mark 11:25 (English Standard Version)
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Ephesians 4:32 (English Standard Version)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

• A peace-making spirit:

Matthew 5:9 (English Standard Version)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Romans 12:18 (Complete Jewish Bible)
If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, live in peace with all people.

Romans 14:19 (New King James Version)
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

• A teachable attitude:

Hebrews 13:7 (New Century Version)
Remember your leaders who taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith.

James 1:22-25 (English Standard Version)
²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

• A spiritual mind:

Romans 8:6-8 (English Standard Version)
⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 12:2 (English Standard Version)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

• A cooperative attitude:

Romans 12:16 (New King James Version)
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (New King James Version)
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

• Honesty:

Romans 12:17 (King James Version)
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

1 Timothy 2:2-3 (King James Version)
² For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

• Humility:

Colossians 3:12 (English Standard Version)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

James 4:10 (English Standard Version)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

1 Peter 5:5 (English Standard Version)
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

• Temperance: moderation, self-restraint:

1 Corinthians 9:25 (English Standard Version)
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Philippians 4:5 (King James Version)
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (English Standard Version)
⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

• Contentment:

Philippians 4:11 (English Standard Version)
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 (English Standard Version)
⁶ Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

Hebrews 13:5 (English Standard Version)
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.

• Patience:

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (English Standard Version)
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

• A pure heart:

Matthew 5:8 (English Standard Version)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.