Bible Separation

Not only does the Bible graphically demand separation from sin, apostasy – sinners and apostates, it also teaches it by example. You see, separation is not a fanciful pastoral plot to make Christians’ lives miserable, nor is it a matter of congregational jealousy to keep their new converts from becoming other church’s new converts. It is clearly taught, generally and specifically, in the pages of God’s Holy (sanctified – separated) Book.

It is possible to write volumes analyzing the unmistakable demands of God about separation, but in this article lets’ note a couple of actual cases – Noah’s ark, Lot’s house arrest in Sodom, and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. Each was separation but vastly different in several areas, so let’s tie them together with four simple questions.

Who Ordered This Separation?

Pastors are often accused of preaching separation arbitrarily. They condemn shorts, bathing suits, ungodly hair styles, fraternal groups, movies, political entanglements, religious mixed marriages, etc., and people sometimes accuse them of ‘lording’ over the people – arbitrary meanness. But it’s God’s Word that demands that people who call themselves by God’s name must live holy lives.

Who ordered Noah’s isolation from society? Jehovah! Who came to the house of Lot in wicked Sodom with murderous homosexuals at the door? It is God who says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world..." It is Jehovah who says, "...Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness..."

In the case of the Jews in Shushan the situation was different. God didn’t order their arrest and furnace fling. No, but it was a result of their obedience to God’s Second Command, "Thou shalt not bow to false gods." They obeyed God and separation from the ungodly came automatically. Noah choose to separate; Lot was forced to depart; and the three in Shushan found it came automatically, but all these lived the life of pleasing to God, no matter how temporarily.

The responsibility for the results of Bible separation lies on God’s shoulders, just as does the authority.

What Was The Separating Substance?

Silly question? Not at all! In each case, God’s servants were separated from the unbeliever by a door – a very real, substantial, heavy barrier, telling us that separation is as real and tangible as a two inch mahogany door with a dead-bolt and chain.

Bible separation is not a notation in Heaven, a membership card in some religious club or an imaginary line in someone’s mind. Noah was in and the unbeliever was out, dying to get in; the Sodomites were locked out and so were the Babylonians. You may know that you are different from the lost man, God knows this too, but the worldling probably won’t unless there is real separation in your life.

What Was Outside That Door?

In each case there were two kinds of people outside – the ungodly and the unspiritual – lost and backslidden.

Also outside that separation was the judgment of Jehovah. Outside is the anger of God (James 4:4). If you hear the call for separation and you refuse – you better br