We have been looking at separation and why it is an important theme in the economy of the Kingdom. We normally view separation in a negative sense but it is not always negative. Separation can be good as well. Like I previously stated, separation brings clarity that makes things easy to understand and define.
God separated heaven and earth, day and night, light and darkness, male and female, Israel and the nations, good and bad, life and death, wheat and tares, sin and righteousness, blessings and the curse and spirit and soul.
James speaks about the tongue in James 3:6-12 and clearly states that out of one mouth cannot come blessings and curses.
When God created, He created with ‘Original Intend.” Everything was to function by design to fulfill its purpose. God never creates without purpose. Sin is a distortion of a purpose. The enemy hates separation because separation allows purpose to be fulfilled. So what is the enemy’s plan? Create confusion by blurring the lines. Today we see almost no distinction between the Church and the world.
God is not a God of confusion. The enemy, through confusion, can contaminate a message and a mission. Who could have dreamed that in our day we would have clergy that would be supporting lifestyles that are anti-biblical and anti-God? People confessing to being believers supporting abortion and alternative lifestyles. We had one half time show during the Super Bowl and half of Christians condemn it while the other half condone it. We are confused! How will we lead the world to Christ if we can’t be on the same page? What is the remedy against confusion?
2 Cor 6:17 Come out from amongst them and be ye separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.
Separation requires a process. People avoid the process. The process happens when you work at it. The separation allows the process. In an age where people are spoon-fed and lazy, many have lost the art of process. What does it take to wrestle through the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life? The devil knows we are lazy. The enemy offered Jesus a shortcut. “Just bow down and worship me and you can have what you want.” Without going through the process you never learn what is good for you and what is bad for you. Things that come easily almost never teaches us something.
Not only does separation allow the process to happen but it also helps cleansing to happen. Our natural tendency, the flesh or the old man, gravitates towards living in the flesh instead of living in the spirit. Paul addresses this issue.
Gal. 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Living by the Spirit is hard. You crucify the flesh and die daily as Paul said. If we don’t learn to do it, we stand the chance of struggling to live holy. You don’t take a bath in a mud pool. Again Paul helps us to understand this concept.
2Cor. 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
This is not a Law to bring us into bondage but to lead us to redemption. If we don’t have the desire to be different, separate or distinguished, we have to re-examine our position. We are a Chosen Generation, a Peculiar People, a Holy Priesthood, a people called out by God for His purposes, that we might show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
