The Doctrine Of Biblical Separation.

By Benny Maynard

Published By Benny Maynard Bible Ministries

THE DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION Introduction I. WHAT IS BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN SEPARATION? Page 1 Page 2

II. WHY SHOULD WE LIVE SEPARATED LIVES?

Pages 3-5

1. To Glorify God. 2. To Bring Others to Christ

3. To Help Others in Christ

4. The Bible Commands Holy, Separated Living.

III. PERSONAL SEPARATION

Pages 6-7

1. We Are to be Separated From Unbelievers0

2. We Are to be Separated From Disobedient Christians.

IV, ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION

Pages 8-10

1. False Religions

2. Christian Religions

Introduction The need of Biblical separation is greater today than ever before. II Timothy 3:1 says, This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. In the same chapter, verse thirteen says, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived These verses are being fulfilled today before our eyes. Rebellion against God is open in religious and nonreligious circles. Sin is open now, when in time past most people, even those that were lost, were moral in their life and beliefs. As the world grows more and more wicked, Gods people should be more holy, and in turn, more different. Simply believing and obeying Gods Holy Word will accomplish this. Titus 2:14 says that Jesus gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Gods people, those that have been saved by the grace of God, should be different. Romans 12:2a says, And be not conformed to this world. If the world is growing wicked each day, obeying Gods word will make us less like the world each day. This is a principle that most Christians pass over today. It would not be too unusual for a false religion to have worldly practices, but now those who do believe salvation, as the Bible gives it, are growing to be like the world. The verse already quoted in Titus says zealous of good works. Zealous ? What a rare principle. It seems zeal is not something associated with good works in our day. This is a day in which we must stand on true Biblical convictions. Our practice of separation should be Bible based. We need not to make up things for separation, the Bible gives us enough to work on. God tells us in His Word how we can live a holy life, and that involves the principle of Biblical separation. There are many different areas in which we should be separated or set apart. These will be discussed, but first we will deal with what the Bible says that separation is.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN SEPARATION? Biblical separation simply means a pulling away (or separating) from that which the Bible says is evil and sinful. I Thessalonians 5:22 states, Abstain from ALL APPEARANCE of evil. Separation not only involves leaving that which is evil, but going to that which is good. Romans 12:9 says, Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 0. Talmadge Spence, in his book Scriptural Separation, says, Biblical separation involves both directions: God separates from, and God separates unto. We are to separate from evil, unto God. Some separate from evil but do not replace it with the good things of God. This leaves a danger of going again to the evil thing. Also our separation should be to glorify God. There are many things that should be motives for separating: our bodies being temples of the Holy Ghost (I Corinthians 6:1920); being careful not to make a brother stumble (I Corinthians 8:13); keeping ourselves clean vessels for God to use to win others (I Corinthians 9:19). But our main motive should be to bring honor to God. Again, Dr. Spence says, Any definition of separation that does not seek as its first motive and final goal, the exalting of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His beauty and glory, is not worthy to be called Biblical separation. Our motive should be to better our fellowship with God and to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. The lord Jesus was One Who was separated. Hebrews 7:26 says, For such an High Priest became us, Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. He was separate because He was sinless, (II Corinthians 5:21.) His life was holy, harmless and undefiled and the result of this kind of life brought about separation from the world as sinners. The world is not holy, harmless and undefiled, but they are the opposite: wicked, harmful and defiled. The Lord Jesus is our example; the Bible says in I Peter 2:21, Leaving us an example, that ye should follow in His Steps. then verse 22 begins by saying, Who did no sin . We cannot be sinless like Christ, but we can live a holy life through the power of the Holy Spirit. I Peter 1:16 says, Be ye holy; for I am holy. A holy life automatically brings the result of a separated life. 2

I.

WHY WE SHOULD LIFE SEPARATED LIVES

There are many reasons why we should live holy, separated lives. All the details cannot be discussed here, but we will deal with the main points which will also take in many reasons. 1. To Glorify God and Better Our Relationship with Him. We have seen that our first motive for living a separated life is to honor God. John 14:15 says, If ye love me, keep my commandments. As children of God, being obedient to the commands of God, show that we love Him. It is evident that one loves God if he is obeying his word. This brings glory to God and shows that we love Him. Then as we obey Gods Word and live holy, separated lives, this gives us a better relationship with Him. Jesus said in John 14:23, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him. Holy living, which is living according to Gods Word, is what allows us fellowship with God. God hates sin. Deuteronomy 25:16b says, All that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God. So God cannot fellowship with one who does not obey. This is plainly spoken of in Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear The desire of the Christians heart should be to keep a constant communion and fellowship with his Lord, and this comes by a holy, separated life. 2. To Bring Others to Christ. Our lives should be kept clean and pure so we can lead others to Christ. Some have described this as being clean vessels in which God can use. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost, (Matthew 18:11.) God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, (II Peter 3:9.)

God has chosen to love men and to save them. God has also chosen to use men to bring others to Christ. God cannot use a man who will not obey His Word. I Corinthians 3:2 says, Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Some have explained this verse by saying, We are the only Bible some will ever read. This is true because some never read the Word of God or hear anyone preach from the Word of God. So we are to be living examples of the Word of God, obeying all that it says. One who claims he has accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour, if he is to bring others to Christ, he must live a Godly life or else those he is witnessing to will count him out as a hypocrite. His walk does not match his talk. If one is going to be a good soulwinner, he must live a Godly separated life, and this brings glory to Cod. John 15:8 says, Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. 3. To Help Others in Christ Romans 14:13 says, Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brothers way. The Christian life is compared in the Bible to that of our physical life. As we are born and grow into maturity physically, we do also spiritually. I Peter 2:2 says, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. So when we are born again, we are babes in Christ. We begin to grow as Christians by learning on the milk of the Word of God, rather than the deeper things (or meat) of the scriptures.

There are those who have been saved for a long time and there are those who are still babes. Those who have been saved long enough to have experience with Gods Word and have had instruction on how to live for God, need to be examples to those who are younger in the Lord. Our lives should be holy and separated so that others will not be led to do something wrong. No one ever sins by himself. He always hurts someone else or leads them to follow the same wrong things.

Even to those who backslide, we are to be examples to them also, Galations 6:1 says, Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Notice that it says, ... ye which are spiritual..., or ye which are living according to Gods Word. We must go to them and restore them. No one will listen to a hypocrite. Jesus said it this way, And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7:3) So our lives should be holy and clean to be the right kind of example to our Christian brother. 4. The Bible Commands Holy, Separated Living. All things we have covered give us good reasons for holy living; but most of all we should live Godly, separated lives simply because the Bible commands it. II Corinthians 6:17 says, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, SAITH THE LORD, and touch not the unclean thing. This is speaking of unbelievers and it says very plainly what we should do, I Thessalonians 4:7 says, For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. I Peter 1:16 says, Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy. These are only a few verses; the Bible is filled with these commandments in both the Old and the New Testaments. As Christians, we are responsible to obey the Word of God. Jesus said, If a man love me, he will keep my words. (John 14:23)

III. PERSONAL SEPARATION We have seen what separation is and why we should be separated; now we will look at how we are to separate. 1. We are to be Separate from Unbelievers. II Corinthians 6:14, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Being separate from unbelievers does not mean we are to never be around them. As the verse says, righteousness and unrighteousness are two different things. The verse simply means not to be like them. There is nothing compatible between them. You cannot have light and darkness at the same time. This is the way it should be with our Christian lives. We should be totally different from those who are not Christians. The Bible refers to this as being different than the world. (I John 2:1517, James 4:4, Romans 12:2.) The word worldliness refers to having an attitude of friendship towards and desire for, and a wish to be recognized by the world system. This attitude will lead to indulgence in acts which may not be wrong in themselves but which will identify one with the world system and thus hinder ones love for God, spiritual growth, and Christian testimony. Worldliness is something the holy man will avoid. We must be around those who are lost, because we are to be a witness for Christ, but we are not to be like them. 2. We are to be Separate from Disobedient Christians. In the days we are in now, the Ecumenical Movement has brought the attitude: it doesnt matter what you believe or how you live, if you name some kind of religion you are all right. This is far from being Biblical. Jesus was constantly rebuking the Pharisees. In the Epistles of Paul, we find Him warning of false teachers.

But what about those Christian brothers who refuse to live right? Should we separate from them? The Bible answers Yes. II Thessalonians 3:6, 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 ye received of us. Notice that the Apostle Paul says this is a commandment and not a choice. This speaks of brethren separating from another brother. In this day of the religious people, overemphasizing love, this is a verse that is well overlooked. Some say that this means only riotous living, but this is not true. Disorderly living would be disobeying what Gods Word commands us to do or not to do. This expression may very well be defined as walking contrary to the orders. In I Corinthians 5:11, it says, 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 idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. This takes care of those who have a riotous life, and the Apostle says one who is called a brother. In other words, he may call himself a christian, but if he lives like that, he may not be a brother, and we are not to keep company with him. It would be good to say here that before we separate from him, we should admonish him. II Thessalonians 3:1415 says, And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. We should try to encourage them to do right, but when they refuse, we are to separate from them.

II.

ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION

Ecclesiastical separation is separating from those religions, denominations and organizations that hold to false doctrines or practice things in disobedience to the scriptures. We are living in a day of the Ecumenical Movement. This is a mixing of different kinds of religions. It is emphasized today that it doesnt matter what you believe: lets love each other and unify ourselves with each other. But this is not Biblical. This Bible has much to say on this issue.

1. False Religions These are those who do not believe some of the doctrines of the Bible. Hebrews 13:9 says, Be not carried about with divers or strange doctrines. The word doctrines, in its plural form, is found five times in the Bible. Every time it is used in the plural form and it refers to strange doctrines: doctrines of devils and doctrines of men. It never refers to Bible doctrine. Doctrine, in its singular form, refers to the teaching of the scriptures as a whole. We must obey the whole Bible, not part, to be in the will of God. I Timothy 6:3 reads, If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness; Verses 410 explain how these false teachers act and what kind of people they are. Then in verse 11 it says, But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things. So we must be careful to hold to the truth and obey it and not to be mixing with those who do not teach the truth. In his book A Case for Separation in These Times, Dr. Chester Tulga says, From the beginning of His ministry to the end, His (Jesus) ministry was divisive in the most constructive way, for He insisted upon the primacy of truth and not unity. This is so true. Jesus never compromised with the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees, but rather, He rebuked them. The Bible is filled with verses warning us against false teachers. We must obey these warnings.

2. Christian Religions The term Christian Religions means those religions that do teach salvation by the grace of God through faith. They do teach salvation by the Bible. There are especially those today who do right in teaching in the matter of salvation, but do not teach Godliness. Again in I Timothy 6:3 it says that some consent not to the doctrine which is according to Godliness. Verse 11 says to flee these things. Some religions, their people are saved, but some major doctrines are twisted, such as: Godliness, eternal security, tongues, the Holy Spirit, and the Inspiration of the Bible. This is wrong when the Bible tells us to rightly divide the Word of Truth, (II Timothy 2:15.) In the next verse (16) it says, But shun profane and vain babblings. Verse 19 says, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity It is iniquity to handle Gods Word wrongly, and we should depart from those who do, even if they claim to be saved. There are always those claiming Christianity, that give this argument: Who is to say which doctrines are true? One Christian person may believe one thing and another something different. Then in their actions and practices, they are doing nothing to apply I Timothy 6:3-5 to their beliefs and walk. Their attitude is, there is a gray area in this teaching, so we will act as if the verses that deal with it do not exist and just try to get along with other people. This thinking is the path that leads to getting out of anything a person does not want to believe or practice, therefore making parts of the scriptures of none effect. This is a wrong and dangerous method when it comes to handling the Bible. The number one goal is not to get along or love thy neighbor, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, comes first. And God puts his WORD above his name (Psalm 138:2). First and foremost is believing (faith) and practicing what God says.

I would have more respect for a person who says, Benny you believe this, and I believe that. I love you as a brother, but you are dead wrong in your beliefs and I am not going to fellowship with you because of it. Instead of one who would say, well our beliefs are different, so lets just get along. This is the spirit that is running rampant in America now. No one is wrong, we must accept all beliefs and we cannot mention anything that might offend anyone. This rotten lack of standards and lethargic way of believing has crept into (so-called) Christianity, and it is so unbiblical that anyone who is saved should KNOW there are multitudes of scriptures that refute this. If there will be a one world church one day, and according to the Revelation (chapters 13 & 18) there will be, this is the way it will come about, by not taking heed to the scriptures and being passive about the doctrines of the scriptures. This is a call to be the opposite (separation). Heed Gods Holy Word. Every word, jot and tittle and stand on its doctrine and truth.

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Published by Benny Maynard Bible Ministries

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