Separation
Gordon Henry Hayhoe
Table of Contents
Separation
Forward
The truth of separation is not popular. just as Israel failed to maintain their separation from the nations about them, entering into alliances and marrying among them, so the church has failed in her separation. The cry today is "one world, one church," and true Christians tend to forget the words of the Lord Jesus "Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19. The Christian is a stranger and pilgrim here. His home is in heaven.
It is with this in mind that one has written this little pamphlet, because every link with the world robs the soul of Christ as the only Object, and saps spiritual life. "For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not a confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy... Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself... and He shall be for a sanctuary." Isa. 8:11-14. There is a sweet peace in walking in simple obedience to the Word, valuing the Lord's company and approval above all else. His "well done" will repay us a thousand times, in "that day."
SEPARATION
The great importance of the truth of separation can be readily seen by the fact that we read on the very first page of our Bibles, "And God divided the light from the darkness." Gen. 1:4. Yes, here is the truth of separation. It is well to ponder this verse, for Genesis is often called "the seed plot of the Bible" because the seed of every truth developed throughout this marvelous book—the Word of God—is found there. How interesting and instructive, therefore, that separation should be one of the first brought before us, and then in the last few chapters of the Bible, the final eternal separation of the saved and lost is declared.
It is a subject, therefore, that deserves our careful and diligent consideration, for the desire is in the heart of every true child of God to do His Father's will. Sometimes this desire is not as evident as it should be, because the old nature in us resents separation and clings to the old things. But it is a true saying, that once one is saved he is spoiled for this world. Even if a Christian tries to go on with some of its pleasures and ways, he can never enjoy it again as he did in his unconverted days. He is in reality, as to his new life and nature, a separated person, as light is separated from darkness. The Holy Spirit of God indwells the bodies of believers and sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, but if sins are allowed He is grieved, and makes us unhappy till we confess them. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. This is why a true Christian cannot enjoy the world as he did before he was saved.
Separation begins, therefore, when one is saved, for God separates the believer from a world that is under judgment. The world has cried "Away with Christ" and now judgment hangs over it, but when one accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior he is sanctified, or set apart, for glory with Christ above. "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18. We, as believers, are brought into a new position. We are not of the world (John 17:16) but rather belong to heaven where our citizenship and hopes are centered. (Phil. 3:20,21.) Our position here is somewhat like that of an ambassador to another country (2 Cor. 5:20,21) seeking the good and blessing of all, being in the world but not of it. We are to show kindness and love to the unsaved about us while we warn them of coming judgment and plead with them to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Meanwhile we are just waiting for the coming of Christ to take us to our "Home" above. Then we will be separated, fully separated, from this world forever. What a glorious deliverance this will bet We also read in Heb. 10:10, "By the which will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." The thought here is not being set apart from the world as a system (of which we have just spoken) but rather it is the believer's position in connection with the order of religious ceremonies and worship under the law. Here we see that the death of Christ separates us from all this Jewish ritual, which was but a "shadow of things to come." Even though we are not Hebrews, it is important for us to consider this portion prayerfully, because the religious systems of Christendom today are largely copied from Judaism, and our place in view of this is clearly set forth in the verse, "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." Heb. 13:12. Thus through the death of Christ we are not only separated from the world's pleasures and sin, but from that which mixes Judaism and Christianity into a religious system.
Having spoken briefly, therefore, of the positional aspect of separation, let us look at the practical side of it. The Lord Jesus prayed for His own in His High Priestly prayer, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth." John 17:17. Then too, the apostle Paul prayed for the Thessalonian believers in these words, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23. Knowing that we are set apart from a world under judgment and set apart for heaven, it must necessarily affect our lives. If we do not belong to this world we should not act as though we did. "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." Rom. 12:2. Our whole life, our interests, our conversation, our appearance, everything ought to show that we belong to Christ and to heaven. To speak of separation, and yet seek a place in the world system is to make separation an outward position only, and not a reality. To watch and listen to the world's entertainment, to feed on its foolishness, and follow its wisdom for our pathway in life is conformity to the world.
True separation is heart work. It is not a code of rules but a blessed Person before the soul. He fills the heart and guides the feet to follow Him, for He once walked here as the rejected One. He was, and is, the truly separated One—now in glory—the Captain of our salvation, bringing many sons home to that glory. If separation is only a formal thing it leads to pride and self satisfaction which is distasteful to God. True separation is produced by the love of Christ constraining the heart, and this is acceptable and well pleasing to Him. It is first to Christ, and then from anything that is not pleasing to Him. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4.
In this connection one recalls that another has said, "Worldliness is heartlessness to Christ," the One who redeemed us to Himself at the cost of His own precious blood. He "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Gal. 1:4. Now in glory He has espoused His church as a chaste virgin to Himself (2 Cor. 11:2). And yet. sad to say, the church and the world are often found walking hand in hand. How grieving this must be to our heavenly Bridegroom who desires our affections above everything else. "Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4. Nor should it be considered as being "put under law" to speak of separation, for did not the Lord Jesus say, "If ye love Me keep My commandments"? John 14:15. This is not bondage, it is "the law of liberty" to every heart that is enjoying His love. The "new man" delights in obedience.
One would like to look at 2 Cor. 6:11-18 in some detail, in connection with our subject, and so shall quote it here in full.
"O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straightened in us, but ye are straightened in your own bowels. Now for a recompense in the same (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, said the Lord Almighty."
The question is often asked, "How far does this separation go?" It says here, "Be ye also enlarged -not restricted, but enlarged! If the heart is enlarged for Christ and desirous to walk well pleasing to Him, then separation, as it follows here, is the result. When the heart is enlarged for Christ, the world is squeezed out. The question then is not, "How far does this separation go?" but rather, "How much room is there for the world when the heart is enlarged for Christ?" What a searching question this is! As another (J.N.D.) said when commenting on this passage, "What is above all to be dreaded for the saints now, is the relaxation of their principles in a worldly way... I would make as strong a testimony as I possibly could against any such unholy and condemned yoke. The passage applies to marriage, to partnerships, because it applies to anything where people have to walk together on some common principle, and the Christian is to bring Christ as his one and only motive for everything."
Notice here first of all it says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." We need to see that the yoke, or the linking of a believer and an unbeliever, is an unequal one. The believer loves the Lord Jesus—the unbeliever does not. The believer has a new life—the unbeliever has not. The believer seeks, in some measure at least, to do the will of God his Father, while the unbeliever seeks his own way. Whether he is kind and amiable, or otherwise, still it is his own way he seeks for he has no heart for Christ. How could two such people, so unlike in the most important thing of all, unite in a relationship or bond together? How could this be for the glory of God? Now these verses do not mean that we have to go out of the world altogether, for we cannot, as long as we live here on earth. They are rather instructing us how to live here in this world, whether at school, at work, with our friends, or in other contacts. They refer, as we have noticed, to a linking together of saved and unsaved in some association or relationship, or for common worship.
This will be clearly seen by a careful meditation before the Lord, whose Word it is, for every point is covered. Let us notice these one by one.
"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness." The believer delights in righteousness while the unbeliever does not. How then could they carry on business together as partners? The believer has a conscience to act righteously and as a testimony for Christ, but the unbeliever cannot have such motives, yet if linked together in partnership they act as one and share the profits together. Of course one could work for an unconverted man, but it is another thing to be in partnership with him. That would be an unequal yoke, whether an active member of the partnership or not. Owning stock in a company makes one a non-active member of the company, and therefore a part of it.
"What communion hath light with darkness?" The believer is a child of light while the unbeliever loves darkness rather than light. How could a young person in school be a member of a club or team for entertainment or sport? He would not desire, if seeking to please the Lord, the same things, or have the same object, as his unsaved fellow members. He would want to be at prayer meeting the very night his fellow members were planning a worldly entertainment. This surely would be an unequal yoke!
"And what concord hath Christ with Belial?" This is plain language indeed, for the Christian is Christ's one, and the unbeliever is part of the world which is in the arms of the wicked one—the devil. (1 John 5:19, N.T.). How could such pull together?
The Lord Jesus met the devil in the wilderness, and there the devil offered Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would fall down and worship him. Would the Lord Jesus receive earthly glory in this way? Would He even change stones into bread without a word from His Father? No! He was the obedient man, and He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4. Are we going to join an association, or union, with those who are in the arms of the wicked one, for certain advantages, or even for what we consider necessities? One would just point the reader to Christ in the temptation, for the answer to this question. To do His Father's will was His joy, even though He suffered in the path.
"Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" This is a very simple question, which could be asked of any saved young man who might be tempted to go out with a girl who is unsaved, for an "infidel" means an "unbeliever" (see New Trans.). What part could you have together? If you, dear young believer, could have part together, it could not be in those things the new nature enjoys, for the unbeliever is lacking in this important and vital thing, no matter how nice he or she may be. Such are dead in sins (Eph. 2:1) for an unbeliever is one without living faith. To please you, he might say he believes, for the Bible tells us of those who believe in their heads (John 2:23-25; Acts 8:13,21; James 2:19) but that is not enough. If you should be married later, and so often such friendships lead to this, you will be linked up for life with a person who has no real love for the One you love the most, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will not want you to walk by faith, and in the very nearest and dearest part of your life as a Christian, he will have no part with you. What a sorrow—an unequal yoke indeed! And there are many of them! While it is in the friendship stage, you can "come out", but after you are married it will be too late.
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" This would refer more particularly to a religious or spiritual yoke. A believer is a living stone in God's building, but an unbeliever is not. He is called an idolater here, though he may be a church member, for he has something else before him than Christ, and that is what idolatry really is. He may enjoy a fine church building, or the oratory of a good preacher. He may love religious music and singing, but if he is unsaved he is an enemy of Christ in his heart. He may not mind your speaking of church work, or even doctrines, yet have no love for the Lord Jesus Christ whom you love, because he has never been born again. His interest in religious things—solemn thought—is the same as an idolater who admires his idol temple and goes on jealously with it. This is solemn indeed, for in a day like this, when we so often find saved and unsaved linked together for common worship, how apt are the words spoken by the Lord Jesus, "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. 15:8,9.
Dear fellow Christian, what agreement can "the temple of God" have with such things? Are we to go on with the mixture of things that we see all about us when God says "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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing"? How clear and definite the instructions. They are unmistakable. The believer is to come out and be separate. He is to have no part in it. Not only is he not to be a member of an association or organization where saved and unsaved are linked together, hut he is instructed not to touch the unclean thing. He will surely love all true children of God, even those who are mixed up in such associations, for they are the Lord's, but he must be separate even if they are not. It may be said that we are not told to separate from true believers, but if true believers remain with unbelievers in disobedience to God's Word, what is the obedient believer to do? He must sadly leave them in their wrong position and be obedient himself, for the call to separation is an individual one, "Be ye separate." The fact that God is sovereign and overrules our mistakes, and often uses a Christian in a wrong position, does not alter His Word. He used Naomi in the land of Moab for blessing to Ruth. Ruth became a true believer and was brought back to God's land, hut this by no means justified or put the seal of God's approval on Naomi being there in Moab in the first place. Rahab told a lie and God overruled her lie, but this did not justify her for telling it. God's grace is not limited by our weakness and failure, but we should be careful not to do evil that good may come. (Rom. 3:8). It is a serious thing to presume on God's grace in the path of plain disobedience to His Word. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17. Let us learn to act in simple unquestioning obedience to God and His Word, leaving all the results with Him. We are not responsible for results, but we are responsible to be obedient. "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice."
1 Sam. 15:22.
Now comes the precious promise to the one who steps out in separation. God our Father knows what it may cost to be a truly separated Christian. He does not call us to such a path without fully knowing what it involves, and so He assures us that, cost what it may, He will act the Father's part. He will not fail us. He has all power. Indeed this is the only place in the epistles where He takes the name of Lord Almighty, for all His power is there on behalf of the obedient Christian. He may test our faith, but He will not fail. He will help us to endure the reproach and suffering connected with such a step, and so follows the precious exhortation, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
What is the response of your heart and mine to all this? Are we going to put it aside and say, "I don't like separation"? Or does the love of Christ so constrain us that we desire His company and His approval above all else? Let us not reason about it, but in childlike faith reply, "Teach me Thy way, O Lord, lead me in a plain path." Psa. 27:11.
We have spoken about separation from unbelievers, and the various phases of it as found in 2 Cor. 6, but we now come to our path among the children of God. One would indeed speak of this with humility, realizing the ruined state of the church of God and that we all have a part in it. No one can lift his head above another for boasting has no place here, and God has decreed "that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Cor. 1:29. But in spite of this, indeed because of this, He has marked out a path for us in His Word for He never fails in His faithfulness no matter how great the failure and decline in the church of God. And so the question comes up as to what we are to do when one who is "called a brother" goes on carelessly with sin in his life. Are we to go with him because we think he is saved, even though his life is a dishonor to the Lord? 1 Cor. 5 takes up this question. Here we read of a man who was breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord, in the assembly at Corinth, but was living in open sin. The Spirit of God through Paul uses this occasion to give us instruction what to do in such cases. He instructs the assembly to put him away from among them, and tells the believers in Corinth not to keep company nor to eat with him. They must be separate from him because of his evil course. Indeed if the assembly at Corinth did not put this man away from among them they would be leavened by the evil they allowed, for "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." 1 Cor. 5:6. There are some groups of Christians who do not do this. They say we are not to judge, but to let each Christian judge himself. Now there is no question but what a true Christian should judge himself before remembering the Lord in His death (1 Cor. 11:28-32) but this does not relieve the assembly of its responsibility to judge evil, of the character described in 1 Cor. 5:11-13, in its midst. If they do not, all who remain there are defiled, for it becomes a leavened lump. An individual from such a company might be earnest and sincere, sound in the faith and godly in practice himself, but he is leavened by the evil, if he remains where it is not judged. He is responsible to "depart from iniquity", or he becomes a partaker with the known and unjudged evil that is there. This is an important matter to consider.
This brings us to another portion of Scripture dealing with separation in 2 Tim. 2:15-22. It is not moral evil here but evil doctrine. Some were saying that the resurrection had already taken place, and the foundations of the faith were being attacked. Were those who wished to please the Lord to go on with this? In instructing us what to do, the apostle compares Christendom to a great house with vessels to honor and dishonor in it. All those in the great house of Christendom take the name of the Lord, but some are vessels to dishonor, because the doctrines they teach dishonor Christ and His work. If a man would be a vessel to honor, what is the path of obedience? He cannot leave the "great house", it is true, but he can purge himself by separating from these vessels to dishonor. He is told to "depart from iniquity." The man who teaches bad doctrine might be a true Christian, for "the Lord knoweth them that are His", but this does not alter the responsibility of the one who would be obedient, to separate from those who hold evil doctrine. Of course in doing so he may have to separate from some real Christians, for they may choose to remain with the evil association, feeling they can do some good there. But the obedient one who leaves, values loyalty to Christ above friends, and even service, but having separated, he finds he is no longer bound by the ties of some unscriptural association, and he is now "prepared unto every good work." This is joyful liberty indeed!
Dear fellow Christian, ponder this well. Whether it be an association for serving the Lord, or for worship, if it links truth and error we are called to separate from it. No matter how nice some of the Christians may be who are there, we are called to obedience. We can, and assuredly will, love all the true children of God who are there, but faithfulness to Christ comes first.
Having come out in separation (for it is a personal call) the obedient Christian finds others who have heard the same call (i.e., "if a man therefore purge himself from these") and with such he can go on in fellowship. He finds others who are following "Righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." He is not alone, for the Spirit of God has exercised others too, and gathered them out of the confusion to the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is simple and clear, and truly a comfort to the heart who would be constrained to follow the Lord in obedience.
There are now three more Scriptures I would like to consider in connection with our subject. They are Matt. 18:20, 1 Cor. 10 and Eph. 4:3,4. It is important to see that the assembly is not a voluntary gathering of Christians, but that they are gathered (by the Spirit) to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Any group could set up an independent table and use a name they choose, or even the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but that would not be the unity of the Spirit. It would be independency. In 1 Cor. 10:17 we learn that the one loaf on the Lord's table is a symbol of the one body of Christ, of which every believer in the world, indwelled by the Spirit of God, is a member. This shuts out the thought of independency. "There is one body" and we are to endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." As we have already seen from the Word of God, we must of necessity be in separation from unbelievers, from moral evil, and from evil doctrine, but to go on in independency, even though sound in the faith and godly in walk, is not God's way. There are many independent groups of Christians, called by various names, and some using the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we have remarked, but this not the Scriptural way of gathering. The true church is composed of all believers and is one body. This truth is expressed at the Lord's table, and the one who would be true to Christ finds that he cannot have fellowship with independent groups as such, even though composed of true believers. (2 Thess. 3:14,15.) The Lord's authority, and not human arrangement, will be owned in the midst of those gathered by the Spirit to the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There may be great weakness—even more than in the organizations of men—but this only tests us as to whether we desire, even though with a little strength, to keep Christ's Word and not deny His Name (Rev. 3:8).
Independent groups of Christians, even those with a large measure of truth, sooner or later tend to drift into organization and a humanly ordained ministry, religious music, and other things borrowed from Judaism. If one does not see the truth of the church as the body of Christ, and its expression in the breaking of bread, the tendency is to use fleshly means to draw people together instead of relying on the Spirit of God to gather them. This is Judaism, for in it there was a "worldly sanctuary." Heb. 9:1. Man was then under trial, and God gave those things that were pleasing to the religious nature of man to test him. Saved and unsaved worshipped together in Judaism, for a man does not need to be born again to enjoy religious ceremonies and religious music. When, at Calvary, the very ones who had all these outward things, rejected and crucified their Messiah, God set aside all of the old order of things called "the camp", and now summons His own to come out to a rejected Christ, bearing His reproach. (Heb. 13:12). May we heed the call and value the place and privilege of being gathered as members of the body of Christ, to remember Him in His appointed way, till He comes.
In writing these lines one realizes that it is a serious thing to speak of separation. Surely no believer can boast of being better than another, but he can only say, "By the grace of God I am what I am." 1 Cor. 15:10. God told His people Israel that many who were walking carelessly were saying. "Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou," Isa. 65:5, and these were a smoke in His nose. We ought to be humble before the Lord for our many failures and short-comings, but all this does not alter His Word, nor the path of simple obedience. We would not seek to walk in it because we think we are better than others, but because we are conscious that we need His keeping power. He has only promised to keep us in the path of obedience, and to presume to walk in disobedience is to presume to be able to keep ourselves.
And so one would commend these Scriptures which we have been considering, and the remarks made on them, to the prayerful consideration of those who read this pamphlet. If we, like the remnant of old in Ezra 8:21 "seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance," we will find that the path leads us into separation from all that dishonors our blessed Lord and Savior. Let us think of what He endured for us to make us a people for Himself, and our hearts will soon be constrained by His matchless love to follow Him, the One who said, "Sanctify them (or set them apart) through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth." John 17:17.
G. H. H.
"Till Thou com'st, O keep us steady,
Keep us walking in Thy ways;
At Thy call may we be ready,
On Thee, Lord, with joy to gaze;
And in glory
Sing Thine everlasting praise."
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