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      "Separation"
      Selected Scriptures
      Theme: Believers will go out of their way to avoid bringing reproach on the Name of Christ Jesus.

        1. The Deference in Separation – "We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; …"

          1. The Duty of the Believer

            1. Having been saved by the astonishing work of God whereby we are made new creations in Christ, our desires are changed – we now desire to see the glory of God as our highest attainment.
            2. The believer begins to walk in what is called the fear of God – the grave concern that the reality of godliness be realized in his life.
            3. Essentially the fear of God is the comprehension of the safety that belongs to those who are in Christ and the peril of those who are outside the grace of Christ.
                1. The practical impact of this is the tremendous desire to prove what is excellent – to endure faithfully in the working out of what God has accomplished – Philippians 2:12
                2. It is in this regard that the believer senses the power of saving faith – the continuous and maintained endurance in righteousness – cp. Colossians 1:22-23
            4. Therefore, one of the great motives of the believer is to "keep oneself unstained by the world" – cp. James 1:27
            5. The believer will deliberately avoid the condition of being numbered among those who are at opposition with God – cp. James 4:4

          2. The Desire of the Believer

            1. Rather, the believer has a genuine desire to extol the value of God by allowing his life to be a tribute of the exceeding greatness of God – cp. 1 Peter 2:9
            2. This does not describe a legalistic restriction of a person’s behavior, but a positive yearning from the depths of a person’s soul to bring honor to Christ Jesus and glory to God.
            3. Recognizing that the world will continue to digress from righteousness, shunning the world is something that becomes natural to a person who truly loves God – cp. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
            4. The most common debilitations to the desire of the believer to glorify God come through developing a love for the world – 1 John 2:15-17
            5. However, in light of the great mercy shown toward us by God, we are willing to resist conformity to the world in order to experience the transformation into the image of Christ – Romans 12:1-2

        2. The Defense through Separation – "… that separation from all religious apostasy … is commanded of God."

          1. The Premise in the Defense of the Gospel

            1. God Is Interested in a Pure Church
              1. It must be understood that we are now speaking about a level of separation that is very specific – ecclesiastical or "relational" separation.
              2. To separate or "draw lines of discrimination" – a process that carries extremely negative connotations.
              3. However, "discrimination" simply means "to make a clear distinction" and in some settings is a very positive reference to drawing a line between good and evil, truth and error, or right from wrong – cp. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
                1. In this sense, God is the great separatist – described as "a God of truth and without iniquity, just & right is He." Deuteronomy 32:4
                2. It is the holiness of God that serves as His fundamental attribute – one that is required of all who would know fellowship with Him – cp. 1 Peter 1:14-16; Hebrews 12:14
                3. So far, we’ve only discussed the issue of holiness and sanctification with reference to individuals, but God’s holiness demand sanctification & separation not only by individuals from sin, but by congregations from sin and error as well.

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            2. God Is Intolerant of Perverse Doctrine
              1. Perversion in doctrine perverts the purity of the body of Christ.
              2. How can a congregation that exists in cooperation with and in an interdependent association with other congregations, many of whom are led by modernists or compromisers, hope to be pleasing to God and to maintain a witness of holiness?
              3. How does God view those who pervert or deny the truths of God’s Word?
                1. Obedient believers are told "to turn away from them" – Romans 16:17
                2. Obedient believers are told completely divest themselves of association with those straying from the truth – cp. 2 John 9-11
                3. Obedient believers are told to "not associate with him [the one who lives in an unruly way toward biblical instruction] so that he will be put to shame" – 2 Thessalonians 3:14
                4. Obedient believers are told to "’come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean’." – 2 Corinthians 6:17
                5. In fact, we are admonished that we tolerate no deviation doctrinally from the established, received, fundamental truths of "the faith" – cp. Jude 3.
                  1. The Inspiration of the Bible
                  2. The Deity and Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
                  3. The Vicarious Atonement for the sins of men
                  4. The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ
                  5. The Visible, physical Return of Jesus Christ.
                6. The question is then appropriately asked: "What issues then mandate that separation occur?" or "How far does one have to go before separation has to occur?"
            3. God is Insistent on Preserving Truth – 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
              1. We are to have no partnership with Lawlessness
              2. We are to have no fellowship with Darkness
              3. We are to have no harmony with Belial
              4. We are to have no camaraderie with an Infidel
              5. We are to have no agreement with Idols

          2. The Priorities in the Defense of the Gospel

            1. The Faithfulness to the Word of God
              1. In its ultimate motivation – it is the holiness of God that motivates the separation from apostate and ecumenical bodies and organizations.
              2. The primary point of focus is a defense of the Scriptures from attack and subversion
              3. This essentially means defending the "Fundamentals of the Faith".
            2. The Fellowship by the People of God
              1. It is not that fundamentalists are able to cooperate or fellowship with no one – as completely self-sufficient.
              2. Fundamentalists are interdependent with other believers – but they are concerned that those fundamentals of the faith are clearly embraced – believing that unity is because of truth, not despite it as the ecumenist would claim.
            3. The Fruitfulness of the Gospel
              1. It is only when churches and organizations stand for the truth of the Word of God without apology against the compromise of those truths that the Gospel can be "held forth" – Philippians 2:15-16.
              2. Even as the Reformation demonstrated, and the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy demonstrated, the current evangelical movement will also demonstrate that there is a desperate need for a clarion call back to the Gospel of justification by faith as revealed in the inerrant Word of God.

        3. The Denial of Separation – "… that separation from … all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God."

          1. The Denial of Ungodly Activities

            1. The believer will seek to starve the flesh – to yield rather, to the power of God’s Spirit to produce righteousness in him.
            2. However, when we grieve the Holy Spirit and go our own way, we fall short of the grace of the Lord and are in sin – Romans 3:23
            3. The works of the flesh are manifest in their opposition to what God’s Spirit seeks to accomplish in us – cp. Galatians 5:19-21.
            4. These are the things that "wage war against the soul" – cp. 1 Peter 2:11.

          2. The Denial of Ungodly Associations

            1. The Denial of Fellowship
              1. Separation from Divisive Brothers – Romans 16:17
              2. Separation from Disorderly Brothers – 2 Thessalonians 3:6
              3. Separation from Disobedient Brothers – 2 Thessalonians 3:14
              4. Separation from Disagreeing Brothers – 1 Timothy 6:3-5
              5. Separation from Determined Brothers – Titus 3:10.
              6. Separation from Defiant Brothers – 2 Timothy 4:14
              7. Separation from Disciplined Brothers – 1 Corinthians 5
            2. The Denial of Fraternity with unbelievers.

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