" Come out from them and be separate", says the LORD. What does that mean? What I believe it means is that as believers in Christ, we should not be business partners together with unbelievers. We should not be married to unbelievers. We should not be found to be drunks or living sexually immoral lives. We should not be liars or deceivers and our speech should not be filled with filth...We should be known as honest law-abiding citizens etc, etc... After all, as believers we are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ here on earth, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are the vessels that Christ has chosen to do His work through here.
So tell me this... How do we do Christ's work if we separate ourselves so much from those around us that we have no interaction with them? It seems to me that the doctrine of separation has become very convenient for some Christians who don't like sharing their faith, or are afraid to do so.
Jesus commanded us to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." We can't do that if we have no contact with the world. We were made for relationship. If we're not building relationships with people our words become just empty words.
He never said, " Go into all the world and build church buildings and sit in them waiting for people to come. Hold meetings and programs and be blessed amongst yourselves. Become a bunch of holier than thou's for my name's sake".
There's nothing wrong with "church". It's a God ordained-institution, a living, breathing body of believers with Christ as the Head. But, if all we do is sit in our buildings, we've missed it.
I'm so glad Jesus never thought that way. He could have stayed in heaven, separated Himself from us sinners, and we'd all be on our way to hell right now...
We can't be ambassadors for Christ if we're so separated from the people around us that we have no effect on them. Unbelievers are not flocking to churches today, and sadly, most have very good reasons not to.
It's time the church got off our lily white blessed assurances and started doing life in our communities. Rubbing shoulders with neighbors and making a difference in people's lives. We don't have to become drunks or sexual deviates but we do have to be out there doing life with people...loving them and giving them hope.
I just don't see how we can effect change if we have nothing to do with the culture that surrounds us. Jesus left heaven with all its glories behind. He walked among us sinners. He did life with us and among us. He met people where they were. Like the Samaritan woman at the well. He called Zaccheus down from the tree. He called His disciples publicly. He sat down and ate with sinners. Probably heard some bad language too. It seems to me most of His ministry was done on foot, walking amongst the crowds, healing people from diseases and forgiving their sins. He didn't hide off in some corner of society like a self- righteous rabbi circling the wagons for protection. He met life head on. He made a difference. He expects the same from us.
That's what separation means to me... but that's just me.
Jesus' prayer to the Father for His disciples. " I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified".... John 17:14-19
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In the world but not of it..... there's the key. It's amazing how quickly Christians can get caught up in their own little communities of believers where it's safe and "pretty" and we stay there forgetting that it's the sick who need the physician! I found myself in that sort of situation, and began praying for opportunities to expand my world. The Lord gave me two jobs, both in pretty ungodly situations, but right where I was needed. I think I'd rather have the company of honest lost folks, than those working so hard to appear good on the outside. Interesting read Cliff
ReplyDeleteDear Cliff Who
ReplyDeleteI just read with interest your thoughts on separation. It was a good read indeed. Keep posting brother; you have a way with words. I concur with PurlingPenny on "the company ... lost folk than.....appear good on the outside". I would rather be with the lost encouraging them towards God than hanging out doing church, yet do so without forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Doing church seems foreign and unnatural to me now; this is not necessarily a good thing, but learning to reintegrate.