By: Brother Craig Moss
(Evangelist C.J.Moss & Backyard Ministries)
Dated 7-30-99
(All scripture reference is from the King James Version of the Holy Bible)
The principle of separation must be closely examined to be understood. Many people of this era, or age as it is properly called, view "true separation" the same as they view “isolation”. This is a problem that can be very easily remedied. Separation is living for God, how God commanded, among Gods people. Isolation is living as a hermit, with little or no contact with the outside world. If a Christian family lives in a worldly neighborhood, where sin is run rampid in the streets, and they live truly separated, without compromise, they are accused of being in a cult. That accusation has caused the fall of many people who might otherwise have been someone on fire for God, but fear of persecution turned them into cold dead carnal Christians, who have lost their hope. What a sad and wicked world we live in. These accusations of culthood rise from the lack of understanding of our principles. They look at our lives (those of us who are separated) and they see a peculiar people:
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 Pet. 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
A truly separated Christian does not live like the world: they do not listen to the same music; they do not talk the same filthy language; they do not wear the same clothes; they do not drink of the same vine; they do not sup at the same table; nor do they worship the same gods. For this purpose the world ridicules them and calls them a cult, while queers sleep with persons of the same sex, and that is merely an alternate lifestyle. The rule of lifestyles does not apply in this world, when it involves Gods people being different. If a Mexican family moves to America, and listens to their own style of music, speaks their own language, wears their own style of clothes, socializes with their own kind, and lives according to their culture, are they a cult? Of course not it is perfectly acceptable. Christianity, unless it compromises and accepts sin, is not acceptable in this wicked world. We as Christians must not compromise, at any cost. We are different from the rest of the world (Please note that I said different, not better). This world knows not God:
1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
The problem lies here-in, if we compromise our principles of separation, what does the world see in us that is different from that which is in them? As I previously stated, we are different. Oranges and grapefruits are different, as they have close similarities, they are different. If you were to grow oranges, and grapefruit in the same grove, you would need two different kinds of seed. The oranges will not grow on the grapefruit tree, nor will the grapefruit grow on the orange tree. We are much the same (assuming that you are saved). We have the seed of Christ in us, it cannot grow if we are partakers in the worlds sin. Just as the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life that is in a lost man of the world, cannot survive in the house of God. For either to survive they must remove themselves, one from the other. Jesus said:
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
God is the one who has called his people to separation. We see this principle all-the-way back to when God called Abram to separation:
Genesis 12:1
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
We see that When God called Abram, He told him to leave his family and their land behind, and follow Him. Furthermore, God told him that He would bless him for his obedience. Christ too gave this same principle:
Mark 10:29-30
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Thus, if we desire an abundance of Gods blessings in our lives, we must willingly obey God with our lives. Obedience to God means obeying Gods Word. Gods Word calls us to separation. God is the one who put division between His people and the world:
Exodus 8:22-23
And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be.
Leviticus 20:24
But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
Leviticus 20:26
And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
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, saith 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, saith the Lord Almighty.
Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Failure to live separated from this wicked world is direct disobedience to Gods Word, also known as rebellion against God (Satans first sin). God also commands separation from worldly Christians:
1 Corinthians 5:11-13
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
(please note that they are referred to as brothers, or call themselves brothers, hence professing salvation.) In this call to separation, God denotes this world as evil:
Galatians 1:4
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
1 John 2:15-17
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love 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 pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
He declares that it is run by Satan, who blinds unbelievers to the reality of Christ, causing them to walk in sin:
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 2:2-3
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among 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 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
God declares any man who loves this world as His enemy:
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Separation is a very serious Biblical principle, in fact, God commands it. As I previously stated, failure to obey is rebellion against God. Failure to live separated may not lead you to Hell (that is dependent upon salvation not separation). It does however, have its costs. Lot chose not to remain separated, furthermore he took to a woman from the plains of Sodom, thus he suffered greatly. He lost his married daughters (Genesis 19:14), he lost his wife (Genesis 19:26), he fell pray to the lusts of his virgin daughters, who got him drunk and both had incestial sex with him, bearing children (Genesis 19:32-38). This is a very clear case of how failure to live separated will cost you and your family dearly. God says:
Leviticus 26:23-24
And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
In this wicked evil world in which we live, our gross negligence to Gods commandments is abundantly evident. We wonder why our children are killing each other, why crime is so rampid, why homosexuality and sexual perversion is as widespread as it is. It is because we have allowed the school system to raise our children contrary to the beliefs of the Bible. We continually send our precious children into these battlezones called schools. We willingly allow these schools to remove all morality from our children, with the “Big Bang Theory” and “Darwinism”. This is why they kill, they believe that they are just another animal because that is what they are taught. How dare we wonder why we are in the position we are in. We put ourselves there by not being concerned enough to be heard. Parents have lost their rights to discipline their children as God has commanded:
Proverbs 23:13-14
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
This world calls it Child abuse, God calls it love:
Proverbs 13:24
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
God has made it the responsibility of the parents to train their children, not the responsibility of the psychiatrists, psychologist, and Satans school system!
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
This has all become, because the Church has too long been in bed with the world. All this sin that we see today, the sex, drugs, alcohol, murder, homosexuality and abomination after abomination is our recompense for failing to live separated from this Hellish world. We have accepted sin too long in the Church house, and judgment begins in the house of God. What will it be Christian?
Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Well Church... What will it be?
Joshua 24:14-15
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Amen.
