Separation

Separation is a Bible doctrine, although scorned by people outside the church and even some inside it as restriction, bondage, and legalism. Quarantine is an age-old method for stopping the spread of communicable diseases. Self-imposed quarantines against spiritually destructive devices must be a part of our lives.

Face it! There are some things we are going to have to deny ourselves. There are some places we cannot go, some things we cannot do, and some people with whom we cannot associate. If we do not develop strength of character to eliminate some things from our lives, they will destroy us. Israel did not purify the Canaanites; the Canaanites corrupted Israel.

Everyone believes in separation in some degree. The problem is that we tend to shun only the worst influences, while allowing others to affect us. Some things and some people are best left alone. Many activities are not evil in themselves, but we must shun the ungodly crowd, with its corruptive influences, that accompanies the activities. (See Acts 4:23; 1 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; James 4:4).

Somewhere and sometime, with God’s help, we must decide and define for ourselves who and what we want to be, that is, what crowd we will be numbered with, what reputation we will bear, and what name we will carry. More than time and life are at stake here; these things will shape our eternal destiny.