In the past, I have written and taught on biblical separation that God's Word teaches for those who claim Christ but walk in sin / false doctrines. You can see those article links at the bottom of this page.
We realize it may be one of the hardest things a saint must do and we have done it ourselves many years ago. The leaving and breaking ties from friends or family that claim God but refuse to be biblical and obedient must be done. It is clear we are COMMANDED to do it and in this article, lets discuss why we do it. While one could come up with MANY reasons, I believe I have the three most important ones gleaned out and I will share them below to strengthen you in this area of the true faith:
1) Jesus said the GREAT command was to love God most. The #1 reason we separate from sinful believers is because God commanded we do it in His word. Since we LOVE Him, we obey as Christ well stated in John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
1 John 5:3 says loving God is keeping His commands.
In short, God knows best and if He tells us to do something, who are we to say, but WHY God? (Job tried that and God put him in his place! See Job 38)
We do it to obey for God's GLORY, period!
Not sure we even need any more reasons to separate??? but I will offer two more....
2) It is for our own protection / the good of the body of Christ. Sin is like cancer and a small amount of it left alone spoils much (Galatians 5:9) like a bad apple in a barrel. The body of Christ is to be kept spotless so we purge it from all sin.
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph 5:27
In 1 Tim 5 Paul says rebuke those in sin so others will see and fear so clearly there is a reason we call out sin and deal with it.
Also in 1 Cor 11 we see people dying (sleeping) from taking the Lord's body while in sin so it is a protection for us to be kept pure as Paul teaches bad company corrupts in 1 Cor 15:33
Note: read in the Old Testament that God had them PURGE out all leaven before a festival as that was like sin. Today we are to purge out sin from the body and NOT allow it in.
James 5
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
If you think it is wise to over look sin, remember the cost of sin. Jesus shed blood and death, so how can we over look any of it, ours or theirs I would ask you?
Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 5 "puts out" a man in sexual sin saying it is for the saving of his soul. (The man who repented was later reconciled into the body.) Then in 2 Thess 3 he says do not even eat with a lazy brother. Eating meals together was a HUGE thing in the first century so that man would be shamed by it all with the goal of bringing him to repentance.
There you have it, the 3 main reasons we separate from sinful / false doctrine family or friends who claim Christ.
Note: if you think it is hard to just leave family behind today need I remind you in the Old Testament they turned (and hacked to death) rebellious family with swords while false teachers / sinful family were stoned to death. See Exodus 32 and
Deut 13
But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
Do see that fear issue again? Calling out sin should make others fear as that is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9
We need more fear of God these days, amen?
All God asks today is we leave association till they repent.
I will leave you with several other verses to make my point.
God was always calling out Israel from their sins and to keep the body pure as in Deut 21
Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.
Well in 1 Cor 5 Apostle Paul keeps up that same mindset for us today as we indeed DO judge the body for sin:
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
God does not really ask that much from us today vs the Old Testament ways as I showed you. All He asks is you honor/love Him first, keep the body pure and that you love your neighbor/ brother by calling him out of his sin. That is godly, selfless love knowing it will cost you something but it is the BEST thing for all involved. Yes just, like Jesus going to the cross for us, amen?
Please do not be an idolater and put your family / friends above God's Holy command to separate from them if they keep sin.
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Will you OBEY God today in all things as fruit you know Him?
Here are those articles on biblical separation:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/search/label/Biblical%20Separation
God be praised
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See these resources below to call you out of false man made religion
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Here is a 10 point biblical test:
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