The other day, a friend of mine asked three interesting questions and another friend answered each of those questions. I began to do some research and thinking and decided to use these questions and answers to form the basis of an answer of my own concerning an issue that is set before us in scripture and in churches all over the world.
The Bible tells us to be separate. But what does that mean?
1. What is the “world” we are not to conform to?
Romans 12:2 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.
The world here is an idolatrous worldview. The ‘therefore’ in Romans 12:1 refers to everything in the previous chapters 1-11. In chapters 1-11 Paul takes us through the past history of the Jewish faith, then presents the current view at his time of the Jews and then presents the New Covenant for the Jews and the Gentiles. The world had been led astray by satan and religion. The people of the ‘world’ all worship something other than the creator God – which is the definition of idolatry. The ‘world’ continues to focus on itself and has become its own idol. Instead of focusing on God and His desires.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
So the direction of God through Paul to not be conformed to the world in Romans 12:2 is teaching us to not think in an idolatrous manner or to be self-focused. The clue is “mind and think” – all dealing with the mind. Our focus on worldly ideas of success, self-worth, power, and control is the idea here. Pride of Life
2. What is the “world” we are not to love?
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him
This is talking about loving the things of this world more than God – idolatry. Idolatry produces a value system which is emotions (living based off of our senses rather than on truth). This value system is contrary to the one that God has given to those that are in Christ – His redeemed. Because the truth is found in His Word and He says our identity is not in those things – it is in Him. This cannot be talking about the people of the world because God loves the World (people) enough to send Christ to die for the World. Again this world is the world system of emotions based on the ideas of success, self-worth, power, and control. The clue word here is ‘love’ – idolatry in the form of an emotion – love. Lust of the Flesh
3. Who is the “them” we are told to come out from and be separate?
2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
This is dealing with idolaters or those who worship other gods/idols.
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 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.
They have bound themselves with a mixture of Jews of the circumcision, heathen idol worshipers, and true believers. The Corinthian church struggled with placing their affections on the wrong things. They wanted the ‘best’ of all three ‘religions’ that brought something for themselves to make their life better. They needed to have their ‘world’ views changed by the Gospel. Lust of the Eyes
All three of these can be summed up in one verse:
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Other verses that have been used in the discussion of separation are:
Leviticus 10:10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean
Romans 12:1 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.
1 Peter 1:15-23 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy
There is no doubt that we are to be separate. But from what and by what power I think is the real issue of the conversation. I have seen godly men debate this issue, but many times our focus is on what things we are to do or not do, wear or not wear, eat or not eat, or listen to or not listen to. I think God has clearly shown to us that actions of our flesh (do, wear, eat, listen) are not His focus. His focus primarily is on our spirit and then secondarily on our mind (soul, thoughts, heart). He desires salvation (spiritual separation) for all of His created humans. And then His focus shifts to our mind. Knowing that through our own efforts – trying harder, thinking better, trying to mentally focus on things different – we will not be able to ‘separate’, He gave us a New Nature. Our minds want to focus on God now. That is our new nature. It is unnatural for us to focus on the world just as before salvation it was unnatural to focus on Christ. But we still have the flesh – flesh patterns or habits that are already set in our flesh mind (brain, emotions, habits) and flesh body (muscles, chemicals, toxins).
Romans 7:5-6 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Romans 7:14-19 For we know that the law is spiritual {some call this spiritual law, others call it moral law – no matter what you want to call it, we could agree that this is what the Spirit is leading us to do to align with the Character of God – NOT the Law of Moses}: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law {same law as in vs. 14} that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
The Spirit will lead us in our spirit, and the soul (New Man) wants to follow what is natural – but the flesh is still programmed with errors and needs to be rebooted or scrubbed free of incorrect flesh patterns.
Interesting all of these ‘worldly’ areas are found in Churches today. They have focused on the “do, wear, eat, listen” to the point that the real ‘worldly’ issues inside the Church have been covered up by ‘separation’ issues. This error of ‘flesh separation’ is found in prominent world religions – LDS, Catholic, Muslim, Hinduism, Buddhism, JW’s, etc. Sadly we can even find these things in our own fundamental evangelical churches. After all, these churches are made up of men and women who are in the world. But the problem comes when godly men (pastors) also incorporate this ‘worldly’ view in their churches. The issue is not – and has never been – about what we “do, wear, eat, listen”. The issue is: “who do we belong to?” The Old Covenant said that the Jews had to have faith in the coming Messiah and continually do (daily and annually) things to show that they want to continually belong and identify with the coming Messiah. The New Covenant says that He did the ‘things’ for us and we need to have faith in what He did – and then He makes us His – our identity is in Him. It is because of Him we are now already clean (righteous), sanctified (separate / holy), and justified (redeemed)(1 Corinthians 6:11)! It is in believing this truth, putting our faith in this truth, and allowing this truth to transform our flesh life that our works will show out God and His Characteristics! It cannot be “do, wear, eat, listen” in the flesh – it has to be renewing our flesh mind to His truth through the Holy Spirit and our Natural New Man that will transform the flesh actions. And this is exactly what God tells us in 1 Peter 1. Verse 15-16 are verses used for separation debates – but read through to verse 23! In context, our separation (sanctification and justification) is in Christ:
1 Peter 1:15-23 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 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; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
One word that seems to come up during talks about separation is ‘standards’. You might hear phrases like this: “My standards are higher” or “after you are saved your standards become higher”. In a sense, those are correct statements. But many times when you hear these statements or the word ‘standards’ they are referring back to what you do, wear, eat or listen to. This is where it can become a little ‘pharisaical’ because many times we tend to begin listing off things we like or don’t like – irregardless of what God’s Word says or what is taught under His New Covenant. This is usually where discussions begin to break down. A focus on ‘do, wear, eat, and listen’ takes over instead of a discussion about Christ and His death, burial and resurrection – which is the Gospel! Every discussion about God, the Holy Spirit, the Bible – including separation – should be Christ focused and Christ centric. If it fades from that focus in any direction – it becomes ‘wordly’.
Blake's Thoughts on Life 