A common truth of which young people hear a great deal spoken is that of separation. Yet we believe that many young Christians have very hazy ideas of just what is meant by the term. What is separation? Who does the separating? Who is to be separated? From what is he to be separated? Let us seek by God’s grace to answer these questions from His word.
The Greek word constantly translated “separate” in the New Testament signifies, “to border off,” or to fence off. It is as though a man decided to put a part of a big pasture into wheat. He separates this wheat portion, borders it off, – perhaps places a fence around it, and counts it dedicated for this special purpose. To introduce into it anything else but wheat would spoil it for the purpose he has in view. It is bordered off for the one definite end and a clear cut line is thrown about it marking it off from all the rest of the farm.
Now to apply the illustration – the Christian has been marked off in a special way for a definite purpose. Who is the one who does this separating? In the first place, God is the One who separated us even before we were born. The case of the apostle Paul is a striking one. He tells us in Galatians 1:1515But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Galatians 1:15) that God separated him even before he was born, and called him by His grace. God insists on it that His people are to be a separate people. His gracious and holy eve looks down on this wicked and ungodly world and He sees a Christian, and so can say, “There is one whom I have separated for Myself.” In this sense every child of God is a separated one. He is marked off as being one of God’s own “peculiar people” (Titus 2:1414Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)).
But, sad to say, not every one of God’s children is walking according to His separate calling. God never asks the unsaved young man or woman to be separate from anything, save to forsake their sins and come to Christ for salvation. But as far as their lives are concerned they are left strictly alone to enjoy all in the world as their desire shall lead them. They have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and are by nature the children of wrath (Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)). God doesn’t expect anything else from them.
When God calls a Christian out from the above condition, He separates to an entirely new position. The called one now becomes one of a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)).
Communion, or happiness in God depends on the degree of practical separation in the Christian’s life. The Lord says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate... and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17-1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18)). God cannot be happily at agreement with us if we are constantly defiling ourselves with worldliness. We expect the world to enjoy their theaters, dances, picture shows, cards, novels, circuses, concerts, waltzes, Lord’s Day desecration: their gratifications of appetite, their tobacco and punch, their parties and clubs, dress and parades, their wars and politics. We would not deprive them of any of the “pleasures of sin.” But we, as God’s separated children, would seek to not even touch the unclean, that we might be vessels, “sanctified and meet for the Master’s use” (2. Tim. 2:21). It is only this that we can “joy in God,” which is the highest of Christian privileges (Rom. 5:1111And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)).
We would observe before closing that for the young Christian there is a further truth beyond separation from the world – that is separation unto Christ. Christ has a gathering Center, or a rallying standard in this world. Christians are mixed up in every kind of religious sect and secular union. The separating power of God’s call to the Christian would cause him to leave all this in answer to Hebrews 13:1313Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13), “Let us go forth therefore unto, Him, without the camp, bearing His reproach.” This would take us outside all that man has set up apart from the plain Word of God. It would lead us into a pathway of reproach and shame along with a rejected Lord. Young brother or sister, can you truly say, “Yes, I have gone outside the camp unto Christ. I bear His reproach, but I rejoice while I await His coming to take me to be with Himself”?
May the truth, then, of practical separation in our Christian walk be held in increasing power in each of our lives.