TOPIC: PREPARING
FOR RAPTURE, PART 8, (SEPARATION FROM WORLDLINESS/WORLD)
TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 6: 14-18
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and
I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and
ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
INTRODUCTION
When we ask a person to try to make Heaven,
we are, in other words, telling him to try to escape Hell. Or when we warn a
person not to end in Hell, we are telling him to try to make heaven. It may be
impossible to preach about one without referring to the other. One is exclusive
of the other.
In
similar manner, Separation is exclusive to World/Worldliness. A person that
separates himself unto the Lord cannot be said to be worldly, while a person
that is still worldly has not yet separated totally unto The Lord.
Since both Separation and World/Wordiness
are exclusive in the same way light is exclusive to darkness, we may need to dig
a little into knowledge of world/worldliness in order to bring out the best
knowledge of separation.
WHAT IS WORLDINESS AND WORLD?
Romans 12:2a
2 And be not conformed to this world:
Worldliness can be defined as ‘conformity to the
world’ – from the above scripture.
To expatiate
this definition, let us assume that an African man travels to America. After
some period of time, the man may adopt the lifestyles of the Americans. He
might begin to speak American accent, dress like Americans, speak their slangs,
and think like the Americans.
When you look
at this African man and an American man, you cannot tell the difference between the two of them
because they act alike, dress alike, and think alike. The African man has
conformed to American lifestyle.
Worldliness can just be viewed as conformity of a believer to
the world. This, now leave us with a responsibility to find out what the meaning
of the world is. Let us consider James 4:4 for this.
James 4:4
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God.
It can be inferred from the scripture above
that the world is the
enemy of God.
Now, that we have known the spiritual
meaning of ‘the world’ to be the enemy of God, Worldiness which we have earlier
defined as conforming to the world can now be redefined as ‘conformity or
conforming oneself to becoming the enemy of God or turning to become the enemy
of God’.
WHAT IS SEPARATION?
2 Corinthians 6:17
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
The two definitions of Separation from 2
Corinthians 6:17 are
1 Coming out from among them
or coming out of the world.
2 Not touching unclean things.
The two definitions, above, of separation
represent the major forms of Separation. The former represents Physical
Separation while the latter represents Behavioural Separation.
We will expatiate these two categories of
Separation in detail in the section that follows.
TYPES OF SEPARATION
1. Physical Separation.
This type of Separation requires a believer
to physically act or take a step. It means a believer must physically come
out of place or from among a gathering that does not glorify God. He must physically
distance or alienate himself from ‘the world’.
Let me give you examples. Let us assume you
grew up in an idolatrous family house before you gave your life to Jesus
Christ, you must separate from that family house after becoming a believer. You
may even need to change your job if you were working in a company that is against
the will of God before you came to Christ. For instance, if you worked in a
brothel before you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you have to quit from such
job. You may even have to stop an unholy relationship- for instance an unholy
sexual relationship.
This type of Separation was what God
demanded of Abraham- Genesis
12:1. Abraham had grown up in an idolatrous background but God had to
call him out (God separated
him). God could not allow Abraham to continue to live in the presence of
idol, now that He had chosen to serve God. Even you, too, have to physically
separate yourself.
Physical separation is of 2 types. They are
named below.
i. Physical Separation from The World
outside the church.
As you prepare for the coming of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, you have to distance yourself from those places and
events that don’t glorify God, outside of the church. For instance, why
should a believer that is waiting for the return of Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
attend a show where there is open display of nudity and immorality or a Halloween
show where there is unrestrained satanic and demonic displays and exhibitions
or even carnivals where frivolities are displayed by youths? Such a Christian
has not separated.
ii. Physical Separation from The World within the church.
Satan is very desperate at taking people to
hell. He knows that the sin of worldliness is so hated by God. Once you are not
separated, you are an enemy of God- James 4: 4. He is no longer waiting for
believers to romance the world outside the church alone. He has been sending
his foot soldiers to invade the church with worldliness and the church is fast
conforming.
There is now evil romance between many
churches and the world right in front of the altars. Inside the church, many
churches now do programmes like ‘a night of a thousand laughs’ when they, actually, should be
repenting between the porch and the altars. Some others celebrate Valentine’s Day, Cultural day and such. Even
many churches, today, parade Santa
Claus in churches. Many others even do carnivals and dance all sorts of evil dance in the
holy tabernacle of God. That is a pure characteristic of the 5 foolish virgins.
Recently, I saw a video clip of one of the
biggest congregations in Africa where two jesters were cracking jokes with
scriptural quotations on the pulpit. One jester was quoting the scriptures of
the bible while the other was giving a corrupt ‘funny’ translation of the scriptural
quotations and the whole congregation was laughing boisterously - including their
general overseer. This is blatant blasphemy.
There are reports of inter-religious activities going
on in many churches around the world, in present times. Cases of
Christians and Moslems worshipping together in some churches have been reported
in many places. You have to separate yourself from all these acts. That is the-world-inside–the-church.
You must separate yourself from such as you prepare for the coming of The Lord,
Jesus.
Let us consider the scripture, Number 16:
18-21
Number
16:18-21
18 And
they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid
incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
with Moses and Aaron.
19 And
Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the
congregation.
20 And
the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21 Separate yourselves from among
this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
We can see from the above scripture, how
Korah had gathered the congregation and together they had taken censer that God
had not ordered and had lit it and because of this act God called Moses to
separate (remove, distance) himself from that congregation.
Many churches, today, may not have lit a
physical fire like the congregation of Korah but every abomination and worldliness
done in the church, are in real sense comparable to the censer of Korah and God
is calling you to separate from such.
2. Behavioural or Manner Separation.
To emphasize Behavioural Separation, let us
consider the instruction God gave to children of Israel in Leviticus 20: 23-24
as they were about to possess the land God promised them.
Leviticus
20:23-24
23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation,
which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I
abhorred them.
24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will
give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am
the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people
While Physical separation means to
physically remove yourself from the company of ungodly people or gathering,
Manner or behavioral separation means that you should not behave like the
people or the gathering you have physically separated yourself from, nor do
what they do. This is Behavioural or Manner separation.
If you do what they do, although, you have
physically separated yourself from them, then your separation is not complete
and you have not separated at all. For Separation to be complete, then it must
be both physical and behavioural.
From the scriptures above, we see how God
had told the children of Israel not to walk after the manner of (not to behave
like) the nations He would drive out for them in the Promised Land.
Another such scripture where God called the
children of Israel to separate from the people He would drive out for them
could found in Deuteronomy 18:9-12. Here God reiterated that they should not
behave like the people he would drive out for them and also mentioned some of
those behaviours they must not copy from the former inhabitants of the lands.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee, thou
shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that
useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar
spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these
abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
From this second call to separation, we see
again, that God said that the Israelites should not learn to behave or do the
abominations that the former occupants of The Promised land were doing. This is
Behavioral Separation.
We can also see that God said He drove
those people out of The Land. Please, note that God might not have driven out
these abominable people from the land before the Israelites got there. He could
have allowed the Israelites to stay together with those people in the same land
and then gave them instructions not to learn the abominations of those people.
If this had happened, it would be difficult
for the Israelites to keep the instruction of behavioural separation because by
daily interactions they would have learnt what God said they should not learn.
So God had to drive the abominable people out to avoid contamination due to
interaction.
This driving out of this abominable people
is Physical Separation. God physically separated the Israelites from the
abominable people and then gave them instruction not to copy their evil
bahaviours. That is when separation of Israel was complete – both physical and
behavioural separation.
As seen from the above scripture, some of
the abominable things that God commanded them, and by extension, us, the Christians
of today, not to learn include the following things:
-
Divination/Fortune Telling
-
Observing of Times (Astrology)
-
Enchantment
-
Witchcraft
-
Use of Charms
-
Consulting familiar spirits
-
Wizardry
-
Necromancy
-
And others
It will be of interest to you to know that
many believers have not separated from these abominable behaviours- even many
congregations still do some of such. You have to separate yourself from all
such and from such assemblies where such are being practiced if you are truly
preparing to meet the Lord, Jesus Christ, at rapture.
In our own time, there are many more other
things that we as believers that are preparing for the return of The Master,
Jesus Christ, must also separate from. These contemporary things include but
not limited to the followings: Always search the scripture and let The Holy direct
about other things.
-
Angel Worship/churches that worship
angels
-
Occultism/Occult churches
-
Ecumenism (gathering of all religions
together for worship)
-
Horror/Vampire/Occult/Witchcraft Movies
-
Movies & Songs that parade Nudity
or glorify satan
-
Magic & Sorcery
-
Magical/Sorcery movies and books
-
Violent movies
-
Santa Claus
-
Carnivals
-
All occult symbols and objects
-
Halloween/Halloween Objects
-
Religious molten images/gods and images
of pagan gods
-
Tattoos
-
Spell Casting
-
Yoga
-
Atheism
-
Astral Projection/ Metaphysics/Meditation
-
All songs and movies that do not
glorify God
-
Bleaching of Skin
-
Eye lashes, eye painting and other
Jezebel dressings
-
Idolatery
-
Idolaterous traditions/customs/practices
and festivals
-
Obsession with games, footballs, movies
e.t.c
-
All things that do not glorify God
CLEANSE YOUR HOUSE OF ABOMINABLE ITEMS
Now that we have mentioned the items you
must distance yourself from, what about the ones you have already brought into
your house as toys for your children, for your own entertainment, by ignorance
or for any other reasons?
Search your house. Make it clean as you
prepare for The Lord. Remove every abominable items that can be found in your
home. Ask God in prayer to mention what you must remove from your home for you
and He will do so.
Your separation must be total – both within
and without.
Deuteronomy 7: 26
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing
like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou
shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
For some additional list of items that a
believer that is waiting and watching for the return of Our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ must avoid (separate from), please, watch the video below.
REASONS WHY WE MUST SEPARATE
1. It is commanded by God.
2. You shall be a People unto God.
Leviticus 20:26
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you (separated you) from other people, that ye should be mine.
3. It is a step towards holiness.
Leviticus 20:26
26 And ye shall
be holy unto me: for I the
LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, (separated you) that
ye should be mine.
4. You shall not be enemy of God.
James
4:4
4 Ye
adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5. God will not abhor you.
Leviticus 20:23
23 And ye shall
not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for (because) they committed all these
things, and therefore I
abhorred them.
6. Since Worldliness brings spiritual
defilement, Separation brings undefilement.
7. You will not be hindered for rapture.
Note: It may interest you to know that there
are many other benefits and blessings of God that a believer can achieve
through separation. In underscoring these benefits, we will consider the case
of Separation of Daniel in Babylon in the second part of this teaching on
Separation. You can send a mail to jesuscoming@yahoo.com
or raptureglorious@gmail.com to
book a copy when it is out.
CONCLUSION
Since you gave your life to Jesus Christ,
have you set yourself apart for The Lord? Have both believers and unbelievers
been seeing Jesus Christ in you- the way the people of Antioch saw Jesus Christ
in the early believers?
Are you still engrossed with all the
abominations and worldliness of the heathen? You need to be set apart for The
Lord. Please, examine yourself critically and begin to make amendment. Remember
that Jesus Christ is coming for only the bride that is not defiled and
unspotted - Ephesians 5:27.
SUMMARY
As a summary, from the above teaching,
Separation can be re-defined as ‘setting apart’ or ‘being set apart’, or
‘making a distinction between God’s people (believers) and unbelievers.
There must be difference between a believer
and an unbeliever – between God’s children and satan’s children. This
distinction has always been the desire of God as can be seen in Malachi 3:18.
Malachi 3:18
18 Then shall ye return, and discern
between the righteous and the wicked, between
him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
This distinction is one that only our
character must proclaim- and not our mouth. It is only through separation that
this can be achieved. You must physically separate yourself from unholy
gathering and you must not behave after their manner after you have physically
set yourself apart.
This is whole essence of God’s call for
Separation as a Preparation to be His People.
1. Lord, Jesus Christ, Set me apart as a people unto you.
2. Holy Spirit of God, reveal to me everything I must separate from and all abominable things I must do away with in my life and in my home.
3. Lord Jesus Christ, fill me with the power of separation.
4. Lord, Jesus Christ, do not allow worldliness to hinder me from rapture.
ACTIONS
Are you an elect of Christ? Are you truly saved? Are you on the narrow road? Do you want to make the rapture/heaven? If your answers are yes, then,
• Make all efforts to heed the warnings of Jesus Christ.
• Be watchful. Pay attention to what is happening around the World and see whether they match what the scriptures say.
• Be filled with the Holy Spirit and be in the Spirit all the time.
• Fast, consecrate yourself, run away from sin and worldliness.
If
your answers are NO, then you can repent today. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Saviour. Kindly sincerely and faithfully pray the prayer of repentance
below and make a determination never to commit sin again.
Lord,
Jesus Christ, I am sorry for all my sins. I confess them with my mouth and I
ask for mercy. Please forgive me and wash me in your blood. I accept you as my
personal Lord and Saviour. Write my name in the book of life. Give me power
over sins and fill me with your Spirit and Joy of Salvation. When rapture
trumpet sounds, let me make it. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, I pray.
Begin
to read bible. Begin with the book of John. Pray always. Fast regularly (you
can begin with once in a week). Look for a bible believing church where they
teach repentance, holiness, salvation and fellowship with them. Pray before you
go. Always run away from SINS.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For
more information, question or contribution, please send email to us at raptureglorious@gmail.com or jesuscoming@yahoo.com or visit us at www.jesuscoming1.blogspot.com and please tell others to join us. We teach
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Shalom.
JESUScoming.
