Be ye separate

As we watch events take place in the world, and in our own communities, we cannot deny that the final days are upon us. Signs are rapidly fulfilling. There is little left of unfulfilled Bible prophesy pointing to the end of time. The end is truly now in sight.

Considering this to be true, how should we be living? Or what should our lives be like? Can we follow the actions and norms of the world and let them be our pattern in deciding what we should do? Surely, we can follow the example of fellow church members. Right? That depends, what is the source they use to determine the direction for their lives? Are they following the inspiration of the Word of God and His other inspired writings?

But you may say, there are a lot of good people in the world, can’t we follow their example? The answer is simple, no! Because those in the world- that are not truly followers of Christ- are subject to the “prince of this world” John 12:31. This can also include those who call themselves Christians but are Christians in name only. A prince is a ruler, and a ruler has servants. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are” Romans 6: 16. For as Christ said:

“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.”  

Matthew 6:19-24

This is Satan’s world right now. His servants follow his leading in nearly every aspect of their lives. Whether it be in their philosophy, their diet, speech, dress, entertainment, likes and dislikes, the way they spend their leisure time, just to mention a few. In other words, in everything they are subject to his wishes.

We may be shocked to realize the full extent that people’s lives are minutely inspired by that evil prince. We may be even more surprised to discover how much our behavior is also influenced by that same power, and we may see it as normal and may not think anything about it.

Satan’s plan all along has been to get the people of God to follow his leading without them knowing they were. We are warned about this plan in the book of Revelation:

“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood… And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”,

Revelation 12:15,17

That is exactly what he has done. In prophecy water represents people, then can we assume that this flood is a flood of people which are his followers, sent to overwhelm the “remnant”? Today if a flood occurs, the dirty, contaminated water saturates everything it comes in contact with. Therefore, can we assume that the flood that Satan directs toward the people of God is intended to saturate those people with his influence? An influence that is so disguised it will be accepted as normal without questioning.

The world is in rebellion against the Ruler of the universe. Truth is a vanishing trait. God created the world and when He was finished it was perfect. Everything had a purpose and specific function. Then Satan entered the picture and began to sew discord and doubt. Right has gradually become wrong and wrong has become the new right. Everything good has been perverted or manipulated to express a new reality, often the opposite of what the original intent was.

The mention of purity, even among many of the professed believers, is scoffed at as if it was a fairy tale. How alone we can feel when we choose not to conform to the “norm”. Why do we need to be different? Is it so bad if we fit in with those around us in little ways? Use some of the words they use, dress the way they do, eat, drink, and play the way they do? This quote from the Bible and inspired writings can reveal how important purity in the Christian life can be:

“What does the Lord require of his blood-bought heritage?—The sanctification of the whole being,—purity like the purity of Christ, perfect conformity to the will of God. My brethren and sisters, God requires this of us. Into the holy city there can enter nothing that defileth, or maketh a lie. God’s word to us is, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.” “Ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” “Ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” He “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Ellen G White, Review & Herald, November 24, 1904.

Little impurities have been known to bring to destruction many marvelous machines, often foreign objects no larger than a speck of sand. Many destructive processes start out small, gradually spreading until the whole system is compromised. Impurity is impurity.

How should we relate to the people around us? Another statement from the above author, quoting scripture, gives us a picture of what we should do:

“Here many who profess to be Christians will not bear the measurement of God; when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, they will be found wanting. Dear brother, “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.” What a promise is this! But we are not to lose sight of the fact that it is based upon obedience to the command. God calls you to separate from the world. You are not to follow their practices, nor conform to them in your course of action in any respect. “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. “

Ellen G White, Testimonies vol. 2, page 43.

Come out and be separate is the call, and we are “not to follow their practices”. These practices that are so common with the world, are calculated to draw us away from the purity of our Savior who we are to copy in every aspect of our lives.

Satan has worked on us from our early childhood to impress upon us that to be different is a very unpleasant thing. But when it comes to preparing to meet our Lord in the near future it is imperative that we be different. At that time there will be only two groups of people in the world, those who follow Jesus, and those who follow Satan. There is no room for the in-betweens as the message of Revelation 3 about the “lukewarm” believers tells us.

We may be highly doubtful concerning the prospect of becoming “pure”. We should be. There is no way we can in our own strength. Only as we yield to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit can it happen. Jesus is our pattern and as we study His life and copy Him, obeying His command to “follow me”, He will transform us into His likeness.

This we must do. In this time when the end is in sight, we must be preparing to live in a perfect and pure world, in the presence of holy angels and the God of creation. None of the things that mean so much to us now will be there, except the redeemed and our characters, minds, and memories.

We are not being called out to be hermits, but to be wise when it comes to our actions and behavior. We must realize that not everything that seems innocent actually is. Behavior we see acted out by those around us, some of which we may also be copying, must be evaluated by the Standard revealed in the life of Jesus, the only safe Pattern. This includes every word and action. The Word of God is clear on this issue:           

“Every idle word that men shall speak; they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.”  Matt. 12:36. And, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

To emulate Christ in our actions and words will place us at odds with the world. We will be subject to the same persecution and criticism that He experienced. The world will not like us, as the Bible says, “the world loves its own”. This will make it easier to “be separate”. In fact, we will need that separation to be successful in imitating the Redeemer, in overcoming the world. This goes for the church as well, especially at a time when the churches are becoming more and more like the world. We as a church should resist the temptation to copy other churches in music, styles of worship, and the way we dress, just to mention a few.

This is a message to all of God’s people wherever they may be. His people are located in various churches, they are not God’s because their names are on a church book, but because they hear His voice and choose to follow Him whatever that may require. This message is for those who are concerned with the direction Christianity appears to be going these days. The emphasis appears to be moving away from doctrine and the Word of God, and concentrating on social issues, and things they have in common so they can attract more of the world on board without concern for offending someone.

Many of the great men of the Bible were great because they separated themselves from the world. In so doing they were able to commune with God and hear His voice, uncontaminated by the noise and confusion associated with the followers of Satan, men such as Moses, Enoch, Abraham, and John the Baptist. We need that experience today as we see the end approaching. “Come out from among them and be ye separate”.

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