DOCTRINES

BE YE SEPARATE

    This message is not popular. It is a message that many born-again Christians rebel against. God set down guidelines for "His" people, for "His" saints; and God wants every believer to obey "His" commands ref-Heb 5:9. Most Christians seem to have the misguided impression that they can partake of God’s table and the table of Satan as well. They think they can live for God some of the time and live as they wish the rest of the time. The Scriptures are full of people that thought this way, and they perished to hell. It is written in 2 Cor 6:14,15,17-BE YE (that is you) NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS: FOR WHAT FELLOWSHIP HATH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? AND WHAT COMMUNION HATH LIGHT WITH DARKNESS?…WHAT PART HATH HE THAT BELIEVETH WITH AN INFIDEL (an unbeliever)? WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE (that is you) SEPARATE, SAITH THE LORD.

    If you have repented, then you have made a commitment to follow and obey God’s Word. Let’s look at God’s Word again. It is written, BE YE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS. You, as a Christian, are not to be tied together with an unbeliever. When you come to the cross, you surrender to Jesus, to do "His" will. You are to follow what "He" wants you to do. The verse continues, FOR WHAT FELLOWSHIP HATH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? In other words, what fellowship is there between the works of God and the works of Satan? What fellowship is there between a person who has surrendered to Jesus, and a person that is following Satan? The answer is obvious; there is none. As 2 Cor 6:15 tells us once again, WHAT PART HATH HE THAT BELIEVETH WITH AN INFIDEL? (That is an unbeliever.) God classifies an unbeliever as an infidel. An unbeliever, up to this point, has chosen not to receive the forgiveness and the love that is offered by God through Jesus Christ. An unbeliever has willingly chosen to take sides with those who crucified the only begotten Son of God.

    In God’s eyes, there are only two types of people. There are those who follow Jesus and those who do not. The Bible tells us, if you are not for God, you are against God. Now, if you have chosen to follow Jesus, then you are not to have fellowship with those who are against Jesus. Do not say they are not against Jesus, when the Bible has shown us that if a person is not for God (if he is not saved), then he is against God. The only way that a person can be for God is through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. If a person rejects Jesus, they are against God.

    A born-again believer has nothing in common with an unbeliever. This is very clear and comes as a command in 2 Cor 6:17-WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH THE LORD. This is God talking directly to you and me. If you reject God’s Word, you reject God. God’s Word is telling us not to have fellowship with unbelievers. We are not to be yoked with unbelievers; but we are to separate from all unbelievers. Come out from among them. If a person is dating an unsaved person, they are to stop immediately. If a person hangs out with unsaved people, they are to stop immediately. The Scripture states in 1 Cor 5:13-PUT AWAY FROM AMONG YOURSELVES THAT WICKED PERSON.

    In addition, we are told, regarding born-again people that do not obey the Gospel, not to even eat with such people. Paul talking about the wicked person says, in 1 Cor 5:11-NOW I HAVE WRITTEN UNTO YOU NOT TO KEEP COMPANY, IF ANY MAN THAT IS CALLED A BROTHER (note it didn’t say he was born-again, but rather professes to be or is called born-again) 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. 2 Thes 3:6-NOW WE COMMAND YOU (please note the directness of God’s Word) THAT YE WITHDRAW YOURSELVES FROM EVERY BROTHER THAT WALKETH DISORDERLY, AND NOT AFTER THE TRADITION WHICH YE RECEIVED OF US. This is God speaking directly to all that are born-again. A person is to withdraw from fellowship with all unbelievers and also from all believers that do not obey the Gospel. 2 Thes 3:14,15-is talking to believers as it says, IF ANY MAN OBEY NOT OUR WORD…NOTE THAT MAN, AND HAVE NO COMPANY WITH HIM, THAT HE MAY BE ASHAMED. YET COUNT HIM NOT AS AN ENEMY, BUT ADMONISH HIM AS A BROTHER. Correct this person, admonish him, and do it in meekness and in the fear of the Lord, the Bible tells us. Remember, God’s Word is always perfect and is profitable for correction. God’s Word tells you how to live, if you are a believer. Every time you disobey God’s Word, you give Satan an opening. The Bible warns you, neither give place to the devil. The Scriptures show us that Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

    God’s Word shows us that a believer is an abomination to an unbeliever and vice versa. Listen to God’s Word. Pv 29:27-AN UNJUST MAN IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE JUST. If you follow Jesus, a person that lives in sin is an abomination to you. The verse continues, AND HE THAT IS UPRIGHT IN THE WAY IS ABOMINATION TO THE WICKED. Even though your unbelieving friends  may not admit it directly, the fact that you are living for Jesus offends them, especially if your light shines brightly. You, as a true follower of Jesus, are an abomination to them. You may say, "No, that cannot be true, not to my close friends." But rest assured, it is true. Two may be the best of friends. It may be two brothers. When one turns to Jesus and the other does not, the one that does not is offended. He does not understand the light that shines in the other person. The darkness cannot comprehend the light. The light exposes the wicked deeds of the unrepentant heart; and thus the person who will not come to the light, to Jesus, finds that the true believer is an abomination to him.
   The best of friends become separated, and close brothers are no longer close. The saved person seeks for his friend to turn to Jesus; while the unsaved person detests the person that follows Jesus. The unsaved person may try to draw the saved person back into sinful ways. It often happens in such a subtle way that the saved person becomes deceived and falls back into sin, into his old ways. Remember the words of Jesus as His mother came to see Him? It is written in Lk 8:20,21-AND IT WAS TOLD HIM (Jesus) BY CERTAIN WHICH SAID, THY MOTHER AND THY BRETHREN STAND WITHOUT, DESIRING TO SEE THEE. AND HE ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM, MY MOTHER AND MY BRETHREN ARE THESE WHICH HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, AND DO IT. The importance that Jesus placed on this is so great it is repeated in Matthew’s Gospel as well as Mark’s Gospel.

    As born-again believers, our whole attitude changes. Our whole outlook changes. We no longer live for this world. We love God. We love to serve Him. We love to help people. We love to go to church and to fellowship with other believers. Drugs, drinking, parties, dirty movies, even defiling our body with cigarettes, all become repulsive to us. Illicit sex, lying of any kind, cursing, and so much more, we grow to hate; but to the unsaved person, there is nothing wrong with these things.

    As God’s Word has told us, what communion is there between the believer and unbeliever? They both have different goals, outlooks, and destinies. One lives for this world; the other looks forward to the next world. One will be with Jesus forever; the other will dwell in the lake of fire forever. 2 Cor 10:5-CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTETH ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE (note obedience) OF CHRIST. You are not to fellowship with people that are unsaved; with those that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Satan works through people, time and time again, to try to confuse or draw the believer away from his faith in Jesus Christ. Satan works through people to try to draw the believer away from serving Jesus. Satan will use people to embarrass and offend you. They may even use Scripture incorrectly to draw you away from God’s perfect will. Satan tried to do the same thing to Jesus. He tempted Jesus with Scripture, but when Jesus used the Word back, Satan had to flee. You need to not only study your Bible daily; you also need to obey it. You are to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only-ref Ja 1:22. For it is not those who hear the Word that will be justified, but those who obey the Word.