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The Call
To Separation
God is calling us - His people
- away from Sin, the world, and the crowds unto Himself. It's time
like never before to separate ourselves unto Him.
The question is
- Are we willing to let go of any attachments - whether good or bad -
that are hindering us from a closer walk with Him?
The Scriptures speak much of
separation.
Let's study a few verses and see
what the Holy Spirit would say to us today on this subject.
Hosea 2:14
-
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the
wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her."
In her backslidden state, Israel was broken under the severe
chastisement and judgment of the Lord. God, through His abundant
mercies, reached out to her in her degradation and misery. She was in
this state because she, like an unfaithful wife, dealt treacherously
with Him. She forgot Him and went after her lovers.
What did the Lord God say to her? Did He cast her off forever? Did He
abandon her in her sinful and idolatrous state? No! This great and
merciful Husband Who was married to Israel
"allured" her. He spoke
"comfortably unto her."
He revealed the beauties of His wondrous grace and mercy to her and
gave her a taste of His unfailing Love when He kindly and graciously
spoke to her heart. In other words, He drew her with
"cords of love" and tender
mercies.
However, in order to speak to her, He had to separate her. He brought
her "into the wilderness."
He separated her from all her lovers and all the comforts and
delicacies of this life. He brought her face-to-face with Himself and
her own nakedness. Through painful privation, suffering, and
separation from her idols and sinful indulgences, she came to the end
of herself.
God spoke to her. His Powerful Word softened her hardened heart,
comforted and assured her of His unfailing Love, tranquilized her of
all fears, and reached her. In solitude, He was able to pierce through
the many layers of hardness that surrounded her heart due to her
continual sin and rebellion. Love for her God was once again kindled.
How about you?
Has God had to separate you and call
you into a "wilderness" of some sort to
talk to you about your sin and idolatries?
Have you, like Israel, gone after
other lovers?
Is your heart hardened through your
continual rebellion against His law?
Don't complain and murmur about the
circumstances that you find yourself in today.
Just realize that God in His mercy
has drawn you into this place to bring you unto Himself and to the end
of yourself.
Don't fight Him any longer.
Repent of your backslidden ways.
Turn from all your idols and lovers
and yield to the gentle and most gracious wooings of your Heavenly
Husband.
2 Corinthians
6:17-18 -
"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."
God desires more than anything else for us to be His sons and
daughters and for Him to be a Father to us. He wants to be our
Protector, Counsellor, Guide, Provider, Instructor - all the things
that a Father is to his children. Knowing that we will face many
frightening situations in life that can leave us shattered and feeling
very hopeless, He wants to assure us that He is the
"Lord Almighty," having all
power, will, and means to help and deliver us. He is Governor and
Ruler over all things.
However, in order to enjoy these lasting benefits and graces - in
order to hear God speak these kind words unto us -
"I will receive you" - we
must "separate"
ourselves from the vain, idolatrous, and wicked world and all its
corrupting influences. We must separate ourselves from all works and
workers of iniquity. We must have nothing to do with Sin -
"touch not the unclean thing."
We cannot closely and intimately affiliate with anyone who is in the
least manner unholy and polluted with Sin.
How about you?
Are you wanting God to be a Father
unto you but you don't want to keep your end of the bargain - you
still want to play with Sin?
You want the Protection, Guidance,
Provision, and Love of Father God and still want to associate with
that which is defiling and unclean.
You are having a hard time making a
clean break with the world and its ungodly influences.
God is calling you -
"COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE."
You will never taste and see of the
Lord's goodness until you totally separate from all that is of the
world, the flesh, and the devil in your life.
God cannot and will not receive you
nor call you His own until you "separate"
yourself from all that is "unclean."
2 Corinthians 7:1
- "Having therefore
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God."
What promises was the Apostle Paul referring to here? He was speaking
of the promise that God would be a Father to all those who separated
themselves from the "unclean."
What is the necessary requirement in order to enter into such a
relationship with God? There must be a cleansing or purifying of the
flesh and spirit.
This demands a separation or avoidance of everyone and everything that
is in contradiction to the Word of God. There is a grave danger in
associating with those who are defiled and unbelievers. They can
greatly influence and soil, defile, and pollute us in our walk with
God.
Hence, the Holy Spirit calls all believers in Christ to be holy, pure,
and separate. Be cleansed from all the gross and corrupt appetites and
passions of the body such as drunkenness, adultery, fornication,
homosexuality, sensuality, licentiousness, lasciviousness,
pornography, etc. Be cleansed of all impure desires, unholy thoughts
and fantasies, desires for revenge, worldly ambitions and aspirations,
and the craving and coveting after worldly gain and money.
"Perfecting holiness in the fear of
God" - This calls for a clean break and
separation from Sin. It must be resisted and avoided at all costs and
in every form. There must be a constant awareness of the Holy Presence
of the Lord - the all-present and all-seeing God. There must be
a dread of ever displeasing Him for He is so Holy.
How about you?
Have you separated yourself from all
Sins of the flesh and spirit?
Are you striving to be holy?
Or are you indulging in Sinful
passions of the body?
Are you committing fornication?
Are you viewing such corrupt
passions via the TV or watching them on the Movie Screen?
Are you guilty of heart adultery?
Are you committing the sinful act in
your mind by giving place to unclean thoughts and fantasies or by
viewing pornography?
Is your mind filled with thoughts of
malice and revenge unto another?
Do you want to see someone fail or
fall?
Are you consumed with thoughts of
avarice and greed?
Hebrews 13:12-13
- "Wherefore Jesus
also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered
without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp,
bearing His reproach."
Jesus was crucified outside of the city of Jerusalem in a place called
Golgotha - the place of the skull. He died as a malefactor or a common
criminal. He suffered reproach and contempt from His own people. He
was taunted and reviled even while He was dying on the cross for the
sins of the world.
The Holy Spirit calls us to an identification with our Savior and
Lord. He calls us to follow Him
"without the camp, bearing His
reproach." This will require that we, too, be
ridiculed, scorned, mocked, and jeered because of our stand for
holiness and righteousness amidst an ungodly and wicked generation. We
will be shamed and rejected as the Lord Jesus was. We will oftentimes
be cast out of the company of others because we are cross-carrying
Christians.
How about you?
Are you willing to be counted as a
follower of Christ?
Are you willing to follow Him
"without the camp, bearing His reproach"?
This will mean that you will be
called all kinds of names because you have decided to follow Jesus
wherever He leads.
You will be misunderstood, lied on,
criticized, slandered, laughed at, and ignored by others because of
your association with a Cross-bearing Christ.
Mark 6:31
- "And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart
into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and
going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
It is so necessary for those who are laboring for the Lord -
"coming and going"
- that they separate
themselves from the crowds or all ministry and
"come...apart into a desert place" for
spiritual rest. Many ministers experience burnout because they are so
weary, exhausted, and spent from constantly giving out and not taking
the time to replenish the supply.
How about you?
Is it time for you to pull aside
"into a desert place, and rest a while"?
Take note here that it is called a
"desert place."
That means a place of quietness and
rest.
It is also called a
"desert place" because it should be a
place where the flesh is denied so that the spirit may easily commune
with God and receive fresh manna from heaven.
Are you long overdue for such a time
of separation?
Is it your time to get away and get
alone with God to seek His face for a fresh touch from the Holy
Spirit?
Psalm 23:1-3
- "The LORD is my
shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my
soul..."
Are you worn down, wearied, and exhausted due to the cares and toils
of this life? Are you troubled and anxious about many matters at this
point?
Why not allow the Shepherd of your soul to lead you
"beside the still waters" -
to take you away from the hustle and bustle of it all and cause you to
"lie down in green pastures."
He has waters of quietness for you - waters that are calm, gentle, and
still. He knows that you have been through one storm after another.
You have experienced confusion and unrest repeatedly over the last few
years. He desires to bring you to a place of peace and rest for your
battle-wearied soul.
He also has "green pastures"
for you. These are pastures of tender grass where the flocks lie down
and rest. They denote a place of abundance and calm contentment with
every need met and satisfied.
He promises to "restore"
your soul. He will rejuvenate, revive, refresh, and replenish you. He
will give back all that the devil stole. You will have a new joy and
excitement.
Perhaps this is where you find
yourself today.
You are so battle-weary and need a
time of rest from the front lines.
Why not allow the Shepherd of your
soul to draw you away to the "green pastures"
and "still waters"?
As you spend time alone in His
Presence, He will "restore" you.
He will invigorate and enliven you.
As you "wait
upon the Lord," you will receive a New Strength and Boldness.
Others will not recognize you for
the Newness about you.
It's time like never before to separate.
Do you hear the call of the Spirit -
...to separate from all Sin and ungodly influences of
this world and to strive to be holy?
...to take a stand for Jesus in this wicked and
adulterous generation no matter what the price?
...to separate from all company and friends to get
alone with the Lord for a fresh touch and anointing for service?
Will you answer this
Endtime Call?
If you do, you will be
blessed. God will meet you at your point of need.
If you ignore it, only God
knows the awful consequences that await you!
May God Bless His Word.
Connie |
