What Is Separation Part 1

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial [Beliar, the Devil] or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE, says the Lord. AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me, Says the Lord Almighty” (II Cor. 6:14-18 NASB).

Paul’s personal relationship to Jesus Christ as His slave is true liberty. However, to be a slave to any other person or civil authority is terrible in the abstract. Slavery, taken alone, is a plunge into a dark and cold void. On the other hand, self-surrender to the Son of God is not a plunge into a dark void. It is coming to understand what freedom is in the concrete, the reality of being a Christian who knows the truth which has made him free indeed (John 8:32, 36; I Cor. 7:21-23).

Paul’s relationship to the service of Christ is expressed by the term “set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1 NASB). It is imperative that we investigate Romans 1:1 in order to have a clear understanding of Christian slavery, the effectual call, and separation for the gospel of God. Every Christian is a slave of Christ and has been called by the grace of the Sovereign God. Every Christian is separated unto the gospel which is committed to God’s people and has the responsibility to proclaim it to every creature. According to Acts 22:1-3, Galatians 1:13-17, and Philippians 3:1-14, Paul’s pre-regeneration condition was intellectual, religious, and profitable in the flesh. His illumination and information presupposed his regeneration (Acts 9). Paul’s conversion experience included his embracing Christ’s Lordship, self-surrender to be His slave, being effectually called to be an apostle, and being permanently set apart (perfect passive participle of aphoridzo, meaning to separate, set apart, or appoint) for the gospel of God.

All Christians are not called as either extraordinary or ordinary servants of the assemblies, but they are all called to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. All Christians without exception are called “saints” (hagiois, an adjective, the dative masculine plural of hagios, meaning holy, set apart by God, morally pure, or upright). In Romans 1:1, the text states, “Paul, a bond-servant [slave] of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle [kletos apostolos]…” (NASB). In Romans 1:7, we have, “To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints [kletois hagiois]…” (NASB). Therefore, “saint” is a term which is found only in the plural in the New Testament, except in Philippians 4:21—“Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you” (NASB).

The word “saints” is applied to all New Testament believers, not to a select body of the spiritual elite. The Greek adjective hagios is equivalent to the Hebrew word meaning to separate, a holy thing, something sacred, a holy place, or to separate. Christians are saints. Those who are positionally holy are expected to be practically holy. Thus, as soon as we are called saints, we are called to be saintly, to act like the saints of God. The same twofold separation is applied to the entire assembly of Christ. “But you are a CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY” (I Pet. 2:9, 10 NASB).

Paul was separated from all other ruling aims to the ruling aim of God’s message. In some respects, Paul was the least isolated of men, because he was in constant contact with religionists who despised the message that he proclaimed. The dedication of Paul to the message was preordained in God’s eternal purpose. “But when He [God] who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood” (Gal. 1:15, 16 NASB).

Paul was related personally, officially, and dedicationally to Jesus Christ, His service, and His message which demanded separation. The dedication of Paul to the gospel was preordained in God’s eternal purpose (Gal. 1:15) and revealed at his conversion (Acts 9:15); and the Divine purpose was historically fulfilled at Antioch (Acts 13:2 ff). The Greek verb aphoridzo (set apart, separate, or appoint) may refer to either God’s eternal purpose or His preordination of Paul from eternity to be an apostle or to the separation of Paul to that work by the order of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13). If this disturbs anyone, look at Jeremiah 1:4-10. God’s decree determined the conditions of Jeremiah’s birth and life. These words unfold some great truths for minds that are capable of hearing and understanding (Matt. 11:25-30; I Cor. 2:7-16). There are seven points in the passage in Jeremiah. (1) God knew Jeremiah (1:5). (2) God sanctified (consecrated) him (1:5). (3) God appointed him to be a prophet to the nations (1: 5). (4) God sent him forth (1:7). (5) God commanded him to speak (1:7). (6) God encouraged him (1:8). (7) God spoke through him (1:9).

When God acts, according to a perfect passive participle of aphoridzo that is given in Romans 1:1, His action is characterized by eternity. This can be understood in the same sense as Divine election. The word election does not always refer to the electing decree. It is sometimes used in the sense of the manifestation of that decree (John 15:19; I Pet. 1:1-3). As there is an election unto sanctification which is performed by the gospel, there is a separation unto the gospel by the effectual call of God.

Separation for the gospel of God is internal. Paul had been effectually called to a particular ministry. Every Christian cannot be personally set apart to either extraordinary or ordinary service, but every Christian has been set apart for the message of Jesus Christ and is responsible for proclaiming that message. Separation “for” something means automatic separation “from” something. Separation for Dallas is impossible without separation from Houston. Too many religionists are trying to separate themselves from the things of the world who have never been separated for Jesus Christ by the grace of the Sovereign God. On the other hand, there are other religionists who boast of their separation for Christ by Divine election and the effectual call who are without the manifestation of practical holiness in their lives.

Separation comes from the Greek verb aphoridzo, which contains our English idea to mark off by boundaries, to mark off for oneself. It contains our English idea of a horizon. Paul’s pre-salvation days had been circumscribed by the circle of Judaism. Paul’s salvation in Christ had given him a new horizon, because he had been lifted out of the circle of Judaism into the limitless horizon of Christianity (Phil. 3). The extent of the horizon may vary between one believer and another believer, but that is because it takes time to go from children, to young men, and to fathers (I John 2:13, 14). We are born as babies in Christ. In I John 2, the Bible divides all Christians into little children, young men, and fathers. When one truth is learned, it opens up one’s vision to other unexplored horizons.

Separation is not only internal, but it is also external. God’s separation of the elect by grace results in a separation which will continue throughout the lives of His chosen ones in time. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:12-17 NASB). In verse 16, each section represents each division of maturity that is mentioned. (1) “Lust of the flesh” refers to the “children” days. (2) “Lust of the eyes” refers to “young men.” (3) “Pride of life” represents the older people.

The once-for-all Cross of Jesus Christ in a conversion experience and the daily cross of progressive sanctification are an inexhaustible paradox. We have in conversion (not regeneration) a true and total self-denial; and in progressive sanctification, we have a daily need of self-crucifixion. The once-for-all Cross life is not an attainment, but it is a life-long attitude. It is not a goal, but it is a way of life. Paul did not live and die with the sheep under his care, but he died and lived with them. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I do not speak to condemn you; for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together” (II Cor. 7:3 NASB). How many ministers are willing to do this? Paul said this even in the face of criticism by some of the Corinthians. This principle is for all saints.

Separated for the gospel brings the elect who have been regenerated into the light of the Cross, not to be straightened out but Crossed out. The message of the Cross contradicts our wills, affections, wisdom, pride and selves. The most joyous moment in the life of the bride should be when she loses her name and self-dependence at the marriage altar, taking her husband’s name and merging her life into his. Furthermore, the most blissful moment in the life of the regenerated person is when he renounces his right to self-ownership and begins to reckon himself dead to sin, to self, and to the world through the Cross of Christ.

Applied truth is truth that has been learned. If you have not applied truth, you have not learned it. Christ said, “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17 NASB). Truth stored in the mind is no different from the mental concept of truth which Satan possesses. Divine truth is intimately connected with the disposition of the mind of the Christian, and the results are twofold: (1) a desire to know God’s will—“And so I sent to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (Acts 10:33 NASB); and (2) a determination to do God’s will (John 7:17). To speak from a mental concept of truth is to speak from the neck up, but to speak from applied truth is to speak from the heart.

The object of true knowledge is to look at doctrine as being one correlated whole. Therefore, Christians must be careful about separating the doctrinal from the practical. Christ’s doctrine means His teaching embraced everything He taught. Christ’s doctrine is one correlated whole in contrast to the doctrines of men. Concerning the Pharisees, Christ said, “THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN” (Matt. 15:8, 9 NASB). Paul warned, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (I Tim. 4:1, 2 NASB). The precepts of men are diverse and conflicting, and that is why Scripture warns about being “carried away by varied and strange teachings” (Heb. 13:9 NASB) and “doctrines of demons” (I Tim. 4:1 NASB).

Spiritual knowledge does not come through the intellect of the natural man and then reach the heart. That does away with “easy-believism.” An unregenerated person cannot help himself. He has to be quickened by the Holy Spirit in regeneration and given faith and the ability to comprehend and understand truth when he hears it. An unregenerated person can only understand truth historically, not for the satisfaction of his heart. True knowledge comes through the renewed heart in regeneration and gives assurance to the intellect. Therefore, Christ’s teaching comes not through natural reasoning, but it comes through the exercise of faith which is God’s gift in regeneration. Scripture says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand…” (Heb. 11:1-3a NASB). It is only by faith that we understand, and the faith itself is the gift of God. No unregenerated person has that faith.

There is a wide difference between supposing and knowing. Read I Corinthians 2:8-16. “Shall (will) know” is not to simply have an opinion. The universe is governed by laws. By submission to them one makes them his own. Obey those of the body such as temperance and chastity, and you will experience better physical health. Obey the laws of the mind, such as Philippians 4:8 and 9, and you will experience better mental health. Therefore, when the believer obeys the laws of his spiritual being, he will learn that the spiritual life has its rewards. In every department of knowledge, there is an appointed “member” of the body for the discovery of specific truths. In the world of sense, we have the intellect. In the world of the spiritual, we have an obedient faith.

Diversity of views arises from the people who hear or read the Scriptures, but they do not come from the Scriptures themselves. Scripture means one thing to an unrenewed mind, and it means something entirely different to a renewed mind. Furthermore, the most obedient Christian has the greatest knowledge of Bible doctrine. Man’s mode differs from God’s mode. Man says “study” and “consider,” but God says “obey.” Who can study, consider, and handle the Scriptures correctly? Only a child of God can do this. That means that the if the person who says he is the child of God does not make an effort to obey what he has heard and read, he does not have a renewed mind. “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17 NASB). If the Christian does not obey and put into practice what he knows, he does not learn any more until he does obey and practice.