IT is often necessary to compare existing practices with first principles, in order to discover the directions of our failure, as well as the source of the dangers to which we are exposed. On the right ground, we are constantly liable to the deception that we are truly separated„ because we have been led by the grace of God to take an outside ecclesiastical position. It cannot therefore be too often repeated that the position we occupy as gathered out to the name of Christ, is condemnatory of everything from which we have separated; and hence, that, while it is our privilege to " occupy a small circle with a large heart," a heart that embraces all the children of God (for " every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him," 1 John 5:1,2), there should never be alliance or associations with the activities or institutions of " the camp " in any shape or form; or the expectation of any other than a hostile and persecuting spirit, whether from " the camp " or the world. Our place is outside, and the power of our testimony will be in proportion to the reality of our separation; for it is only when we purge ourselves from the vessels of dishonor that we can be vessels " unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's use, prepared unto every good work (2 Tim. 2:19-21). We propose, therefore, to consider the question of separation both in its source and extent. Every one Will admit that Himself, as risen and glorified, apprehended and known in the soul by faith is the only power of separation. Indeed when He was upon the earth, it was the revelation of Himself that gathered souls out of all their associations, and drew them after Him in His lonely and separate path. An illustration or two may be cited. Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon Called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him”(Matt. 4:18-20). So also in the case of Levi. The Lord passed by, and said, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him" (Luke 5:27,28). In both of these cases we have busy men, diligently occupied with their business, and yet one word from the Lord Himself detached them from all their surroundings, attracted them to His person, and led them,onward in the difficult, narrow path, of discipleship It was undoubtedly a word of power which was spoken to them; but it was a word which revealed to some extent the character and person Him who had spoken; and hence they were enabled to leave all for His sake.
The history of the apostle Paul is the most perfect exemplification for us of this principle, because he, even as we, had to do with a risen and glorified Christ; and because too, he was a most religious man. For not only was he in “the camp, "I but" he endorsed it with all his heart and became one of its most uncompromising agents in opposition to Him who had "suffered without the gate," and in the attempt to sweep His followers from the face of the earth. His character gave influence to this hostility, and deceived, no doubt, the minds of many of the simple, for he was sincere and conscientious. But when on his way to Damascus, Christ in glory appeared to him—revealed Himself to soul of Saul—and thereby disarmed his opposition subdued him at His feet and converted him to be a “chosen vessel " for His service. Having thus, in the grace of God apprehended Christ, or, rather, 'having been apprehended by Christ, having seen Christ in glory he saw the worthlessness of all besides. Everything was now measured by Christ and hence he tells us, " What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ " (Phil. 3:7,8). He was thus detached-separated-from all that he had held dear, even from his fondest associations, and immediately and gladly went forth " unto him without the camp bearing his reproach " (Heb. 13:13).
Two effects, indeed, followed. He judged himself and his ways; and he judged also his associations, and, seeing that both the one and the other, in the light of the glory which had been revealed to him, were evil, he renounced them. all-himself, his ways, and his associations. Henceforward it was Christ alone that was before his soul; and consequently he refused everything which was unsuited to Him'. (See Phil. 3:8-14.)
This is the history of every truly separated saint; and there cannot be separation. where Christ Himself, and, it might be added, our union with Him, is not apprehended. There May be, indeed, and often is, ecclesiastical separation; and there_ may be, and often is (for there were in Sardis a few names which had not defiled their garments) personal separation; but real separation—that is, separation according to Christ—combines both. If, therefore, we see ecclesiastical separation merely, without the personal (or the personal without the ecclesiastical), it is the evidence that Christ Himself is not truly known. For if He were known, according to what He now is, and according to the place He now occupies at the right hand of God, what is suited to Him would also be known. Hence the need of such a soul is. Christ—Christ more fully ministered.
It is well for us to remember this, and especially when we are grieved at the lack of separation which is often so apparent in those who by profession are " without the camp." For whatever it may be that evinces its absence,. whether it be unjudged houses, dress, books, or-personal associations, all these things are but-evidences of states of soul, signs of a partial and defective knowledge of " Christ Jesus our Lord," and therefore a call upon us for patient and diligent ministry. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever; and hence, if our separation be less than that of His servant Paul's, it can only-be because our knowledge of Him is also less.
If then the principle be accepted that Christ Himself, known by our souls through the Spirit, is the only power of separation, another may with equal confidence be affirmed, namely, that the measure of it is the place into which we are brought, Every believer is brought through the death and resurrection of Christ into the presence of God; yea, His place is our place, for we are seated in Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2.) It is not only that our acceptance is perfect (Eph. 1:6; 1 John 4:17) but oil the light as God in the light (1 John 1:7) for we are brought home to., God, according to the perfect' efficacy of the finished work of Christ: Or, to sum up these expressions in another form, we are unite to Christ in glory—associated with Him where He is before God.
This-being seen, another thing follows. If I am associated with Christ in glory, I see at once that I must be identified with Him here on the earth; if His place there is my place, so is His place here; and that is- where He suffered—”without the gate." These are the two aspects of the place into which we are brought; Before God it is a place of perfect nearness of perfect nearness—of association indeed with a glorified Christ; before men it is a place of rejection ignominy, and reproach; in both cases it is identification with Christ. This is seen from Heb. 13:11-13. The blood of the sin-offerings, was carried into the sanctuary; the bodies of the beasts so offered were burned without the camp. "Wherefore: Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people; with his, own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach."
Now it is by the combination of these two aspects that we reach the measure of our separation. Morally, it must be according to our place before God; positionally, it must be according to'' our identification with a rejected and suffering Christ on the earth—" without the camp." Lat us look a little at these two things.
First—Morally, then, our separation should be according to the place in which we are set before God; and, since we are brought into that place through the death and resurrection of Christ; it is a place of perfect separation from all evil. The difficult, however, lies in the application of the principle; but there are three things clearly noted in Scripture in connection with this subject. We are said to be "dead to sin." (Rom. 6:2) "dead to the law” (Rom: 7: 4); and "crucified to the world" (Gal. 6:14)—of course through and in the death of Christ; and it must ever-be remembered that there is no separation before God; excepting through death. For our present purpose we may omit " death to law;" so that " death to sin," and “death to the world " will embrace and define tile moral character of the Christian's separation.
Romans 6. gives us the first of these—the obligation being founded upon the profession of death with Christ. "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?'' Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized unto Christ Jesus were baptized unto his death?" And then, after stating what this involved, the, apostle says: " Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto. God in Christ Jesus our Lord " (Rom. 6:2-11). Such is the obligation resting upon all believers; an obligation which, whatever may be the sense of- failure, will be acknowledged by all, for no real Christian will contend for liberty to sin.
The second-" death to the world "—is involved in every passage which speaks of our being dead with Christ, e.g. Col. 2:20; 3:3; Rom. 6; Gal. 2:20, etc., because by His death He has passed (and we in that death) out of this scene into a new sphere, altogether and completely outside of the world. Hence our obligation to be practically dead to (and this is entire separation from) the world-an obligation which was realized by one, who could say, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom (or whereby) the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14).
Stated then in its baldest form, our separation from the world should be as complete as the separation of a dead man from it. For the Christian has passed, in the death of Christ, clean out of all that constitutes the world, as completely as Israel had passed out of Egypt—morally, the world—when they had crossed the Red Sea. Hence the retention of a single trace of Egypt is not only a dishonor to Christ, but is also a practical denial of the place into which we have been brought before God.
If it should be inquired what constitutes the world, the answer is found in 1 John 2:15-17. There we have the positive and absolute exclusion of the world, and the things that are in the world, from the affections of the believer, and we are taught that the things of the world consist of all that the flesh can desire, all that can attract and please the eyes, and all that I can take pride in as a natural man.
Let us, then, ask ourselves whether there is anything in our houses, dress, habits, or manners, that ministers to the flesh, the eyes, or the pride of life; whether we have applied the cross to these several gateways to our hearts; whether, indeed, like the apostle, we have applied the cross to the world, and also to ourselves, and thus effected a complete separation by death.
It is sometimes the case that while we are personally faithful, personally separate, we are not so faithful in the application of the cross in dealing with our children and our households. Thus there may be sometimes seen in the houses of saints, who are personally separate from the world, splendid pictures, worldly books, and music, together with sumptuous furniture; and these things, if not excused, are often said to be retained because of relatives, or for the sake of the children; and" this way, the believer’s responsibility for his household is forgotten or overlooked. No; there can be no exception in anything that pertains to me or my responsibility from the application of the cross; for the obligation equals my place before God and hence the separation must be absolute and complete.
Second—Our positional separation is expressed by the term, "'without the camp." Judaism was the camp in apostolic times, hut Christianity, succeeded Judaism in responsibility on the earth (see Romans, 11.) and has failed in that responsibility as completely as its predecessor. The Camp therefore includes the whole of organized Christianity, all that Christianity has become in the hands of man; all the religious systems and denominations which men, have made. Hence, again; now, as in former days, we have to go forth unto Christ without the camp, bearing His reproach (Heb. 13:13.), and the position we occupy, as gathered out to the name of Christ, is the assertion of: this necessity, as well as of the obligation of complete separation from all that composes the camp.
But' the question that needs to be put today is: Are we really occupying our place of separation? We are bound to have a heart for every child' of God (1 John 5:1-3) and we must be the more careful` to insist upon this, because of the need of separating from their evil ways, systems and doctrines. But it must never be forgotten, that; if we are in the place of separation according to the mind of the Lord; we are bound to maintain in our individual the same character of separation as is professedly: maintained' by the assembly; in other words, the individual path should' be in harmony with the path of the assembly.
Hence; if without the camp, is it according to God that I should link myself individually with, those religious institutions or associations that from part of the camp? If, With those gathered-to the name of-the Lord, we refuse fellowship with those-who hold, or are associated with, evil doctrines, is it pleasing to the Lord that I should connect myself individually with such, or allow the Members of my household to be associated with such? If I am on God's ground, is it according to His will that I should seek fellowship with, or use, those who are not, for the publication or dissemination of truth?'' These questions have only to be put to be answered and yet who does not perceive the dangers that are gathering in these several directions.
In Sardis, while there is corporate association with evil; there are individuals as already seen, who have not defiled their garments. In Philadelphia the danger is in the opposite direction; and indeed it is often seen that there are individual members of the assembly, who, while on the ground of separation, are yet associated with many of the evils, out of which we have been professedly brought. The reason is not 'far to seek. In the course of time there are many who have been attracted from different causes who have never passed through Any exercises of soul, and who consequently have never understood the need for, or the power, or the measure of that separation which such a place demands.
It cannot, therefore, be too earnestly insisted upon, that, if we are " without the camp," the position thus indicated must govern the individual believer as well as the assembly, or that the separation in the one case must be as complete as in the other; for if we have gone out to Christ we cannot remain with Him, be in fellowship with Him, or have. Him before our souls, unless we constantly and faithfully occupy the outside place.
There is another thing to be remembered, namely, that our separation must cover the whole area of our individual responsibility. This has already been touched upon, though not formally stated. Whatever, then, the circle of my responsibility before God, the whole of it must be brought under the principle of separation.
Thus take once more the case of households. Abraham is commended because, the Lord said, " he will command his children and his household after him," etc. (Gen. 18:19); Eli, on the other hand, is judged, " for," said the Lord, " I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not " (1 Sam. 3:13).
The difficulties in the way of fidelity in this direction are often extreme, especially where different members of the family are connected and interconnected with the systems -around; and it needs great grace to render, on the one hand, what is really due to natural relationships, and to be, on the other hand, faithful to the Lord. But we have to do with One who is all-sufficient for us in every emergency, and who, if He permit the storm to arise, can calm it with a word; and hence there must be no compromise, no excusing of worldliness, or laxity of associations on the ground of family relationships. These, it is true, must be maintained inviolate, as long as they can be maintained together with fidelity to Christ. But, if by fidelity to Him these relationships have even in appearance to be slighted, the result must be received as a part of the reproach of Christ. It were sad, indeed, if family claims, obligatory as they are within their own sphere, should be allowed to nullify the testimony to which we are called, to be put in fact before the claims of Christ; or if, when the two are opposed, they should be adjusted for the sake of peace.
In the increasing darkness and confusion of this evil day the Lord looks for increasing separation and devotedness; and if by His grace we do not respond to His call, we may fear lest He adjudge us as unworthy of the place of testimony in which by His wondrous favor He has set and hitherto maintained us. " Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth Ahem that are his. And, Let, every one that nameth the name of' Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of, gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore urge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work " (2 Tim. 2:19-21). ED. D.
The Holy Ghost can reveal nothing to me that is not, mine. (J. N. D.)