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OUR SEPARATION

DAVID BURGES

THERE IS an apparent dilemma at the very centre of the life in Jesus Christ: what is to be the relationship of the believer to the society in which he lives? In order to follow the teaching of Scripture, he is on the one hand to be separate from the world and all its ways, and on the other hand to live in it, witness to it and watch it closely for signs of the coming of God’s Kingdom. These have in fact been prime objectives of the Christadelphian community from its inception, although, as many brethren and sisters in Christ have discovered, to achieve these two objectives in one life, without compromise, is by no means easy. Yet it is surely significant that both are to be found side by side in the sublime prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ for his disciples shortly before his final suffering:

“I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (Jno. 17:15-18).

So then, our separation from the world, our sanctification through God’s truth, in no way implies a monastic withdrawal from society. On the contrary, the members of the ecclesia of Christ have, at least in measure, inherited from the apostles the obligation to go into the world bearing the sacred message of the everlasting gospel, to seek to convince others both by preaching and by daily living that “the world passeth away”, but that “he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 Jno. 2:17). The difficulty lies in avoiding the temptation at the same time to “love ... the world”, to become embroiled in the world’s enticing delights, to share in the very activities which the saints are intended to witness against.

The Scriptural principles

We shall of course learn much to guide us in the practice of separation by studying both the principles given to us in the Scripture and their effects on the lives of faithful men and women recorded there. Throughout the history of God’s dealings with mankind the inevitable result of obedience to His call and His commandments has always been a distinction, a difference, a separation from those who reject or ignore that call. For those who truly love God and are sensitive to His righteous ways there can clearly be no true friendship, no meeting of minds with others for whom God’s ways are of little or no account. And yet the flesh still works in the minds of the saints, and can so easily seek to lessen the pain which separation can bring by seeking to compromise it.

The early chapters of Genesis record the development of a godly line, the descendants of Seth, described as the sons of God, who “began ... to call upon the name of the LORD” (Gen. 4:25ff.). They stand in stark contrast to the worldly line of Cain, the murderer, whose progeny were soon boasting of yet more evil deeds than their father (4:17-24). It is clear, even from the remarkably brief account which we are given of those centuries, that the men and women of the faithful line lived among, yet separate from, the seed of Cain as the conditions in that society grew ever more corrupt. For instance, we read that Enoch walked with God and pleased Him by his faith (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5), but this was not in isolation from his world, because at the same time Enoch was a prophet, witnessing to the wicked of his day of the impending judgements of the Almighty upon the ungodly (Jude vv. 14,15). Similarly, it is recorded of Noah, who was to experience the execution of those judgements upon the world and was, alone with his family, to escape them, that in the final climax of that age of unrighteousness he was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5), appealing to his fellow men to call upon the Lord and so to save themselves. Here are examples of great men of faith who assuredly lived in the world yet were demonstrably separate from it and its ways.

It is therefore distressing, and a salutary warning to us, living in a society of comparable ungodliness, to observe in the Divine history of those times the process of corruption even taking place amongst the godly line themselves. For “the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Gen. 6:2). This intermarrying is clearly blamed in the account for the dramatic slide into wickedness which subsequently took place, until “every imagination of the thoughts of (man’s) heart was only evil continually” (v. 5). Centuries later, Ezra was to bemoan the fall from grace of the returned exiles of Israel in strikingly similar language:

“The people of Israel ... have not separated themselves from the people of the lands ... For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass” (Ezra 9:1,2).

For the servants of the living God to deliberately enter into marriage with those who did not honour Him in their hearts was not only regrettable in itself, but was also quite obviously symbolic of a general willingness to compromise God’s way, and seek to enjoy friendship with the world.

A striking feature of the lives of the Patriarchs is the great concern each of them had that their children should only marry into the line of promise which was continued through Shem. Thus Isaac and Jacob were each found wives from the family of Abraham, even though this involved the considerable inconvenience of a journey of upwards of a thousand miles, and they both remained faithful to the calling of the true God. In contrast, Esau and Dinah are examples of those who brought sadness and disaster into their lives by seeking solace with the Canaanites of the land, who, though proverbial for their corrupt practices, conveniently lived ‘just around the corner’. And so today, for those who are called to be collectively the Bride of Christ to enter into relationships with the people or organisations of this world, whose beliefs and practices are alien to Christ, is both displeasing to the Father and courting spiritual disaster.

The children of God

The principles of separation which guided the servants of God in that far-off age are no less relevant to those who are now privileged to be described as ‘brethren in Christ’. The Apostle John in his inspired letters of encouragement makes a number of clear references back to the original separation between the lines of Seth and Cain, and draws the sharpest possible distinction between them: men and women are classified as either the children of God or the children of the devil (1 Jno. 3:10; cp. vv. 12-16). This may seem impossibly oversimplified to us, living in a world where things often appear much more ‘grey’ than ‘black and white’. And are we not open to the serious charge of arrogance if we should claim to be the children of God while dismissing all others as of the devil?

It is vital in this respect to remember God’s own assessment of human society, that “the whole world lieth in wickedness”, and that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away” (1 Jno. 5:19; 2:16,17). We are all, without exception, born into this world and grow up as “children of the devil”; the only possible escape from the consequences of this situation is through the marvellous grace of God Himself, Who took the initiative and gave us the opportunity of new birth through faith in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. We are therefore either in Christ or we are not; we are either in the light or in darkness. Even though we ourselves may frequently be uncertain as to which category a particular individual may be in, there can be no such uncertainty in the mind of the Judge of all the earth:

“but if we walk in the light ... the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jno. 1:7-9).

There is then no possible room for arrogance in being separate. We dare not say that we are separate from the men and women of the world around us because we are better than they; for the Lord vigorously condemns the self-righteousness of those who would say, in effect: “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou”. Of such He says: “These are a smoke in My nose, a fire that burneth all the day” (Isa. 65:5). Neither is there room for this attitude within the community of the saints, for separation among brethren is likewise denounced in the Word of God (as, for example, in Galatians 2:11-14). Rather are we, in humility and meekness, daily to give heartfelt thanks to our heavenly Father for the holy calling which we have received, while insisting to our acquaintances in the world that we are unable to join them in those activities which would deny that calling and be displeasing to the Father. We are indeed justified in condemning beliefs and practices which clearly conflict with the teaching of Scripture, while recognising that the judgement of the men and women who hold them is to be left in the hands of the Righteous Judge.

Be ye holy

The principle of separation is also enshrined in the commandments of Almighty God to His chosen race, the children of Israel, that they should be holy, after the manner of their Creator Himself: “And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine” (Lev. 20:26). The quality of holiness was associated with every aspect of both the moral and ritual laws that God delivered to this people, as well as with the fabric of the worshipping place, the tabernacle, which was the focus of their devotions before Him. Every aspect of the individual Israelite’s life was to be a reminder of his or her calling to be a part of that holy nation and to serve the living God.

Holiness involves separation, even though it is undoubtedly much more than this. Thus when the seraphim cried one to another, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3), they were praising, not simply the Creator’s separation, but also, clearly, His moral purity, the absolute righteousness which marks His character. In the same way, the very Law of God is itself holy (Rom. 7:12), and the description is likewise used of the beloved Son of God who fulfilled that Law to perfection in his life (Lk. 1:35; Acts 4:27,30). As was discussed earlier, it is in fact inevitable that the observance of the commandments of God in a holy way of life will demand a separation from the ungodly elements of this world.

The consequence was never more evident than in the position of the children of Israel, physically separated from the land of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and commanded by Him to be “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Ex. 19:16). Ironically, they have remained a distinct and separate people through fifteen centuries, even when disobedient and unholy. The same command has gone forth to those in Christ, who, through the grace of God, have been called to share the hope of Israel; to be, in the Apostle Peter’s words,

“a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy (1 Pet. 2:9,10).

It must be recognised that true holiness in living creates a standard of comparison which, however unwillingly, condemns the ways of men and women who prefer darkness to light. It is therefore likely to earn their opprobrium and even persecution. The men of Sodom took the strongest possible exception to righteous Lot’s attempts to dissuade them from their evil intentions towards the angels of God: “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them” (Gen. 19:9). And so it has been many times since, when the lives of saints have witnessed against the corruption that is in the world through lust, and have thereby earned hatred and opposition. Even the perfect and harmless life of the Son of God, marked by its countless deeds of love and compassion towards the suffering people of Israel, produced, not love and gratitude in return, but rejection and ultimately death. Thus, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you ... If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (Jno. 15:18,20).

Here is an unwelcome manifestation of separation, perhaps less in evidence for many of us in this present apathetic age, yet nevertheless a common experience for the followers of Christ through the centuries. Brother Alan Eyre, in writing of one of the darkest periods of savage persecution against our predecessors by both Catholic and Protestant Churches, records the grudging observation of a contemporary Roman Catholic on the way of life of the Swiss Brethren:

“No lying, deception, swearing, strife, harsh language, no intemperate eating and drinking, no outward personal display, but rather humility, patience, uprightness, meekness, honesty, temperance, straightforwardness in such measure that one would suppose they had the spirit of God” (The Protesters, second edition, p.107).

It would be comforting to think that such a testimony could still be forthcoming from an antagonistic observer of the brethren in Christ, in the conditions of today’s affluent and largely godless society. But we are still called upon to follow Christ and his standards, whatever the cost: “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. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Heb. 13:12-14).

Christadelphian separation

The Scriptural principles of holiness and separation which we have attempted to draw out and illustrate have manifestly been precious to the Christadelphian Brotherhood from its inception. Indeed, the very choice of the name testifies to those principles, for it was the necessity to register the members of the community of believers for exemption from military service in the worldly conflict of the American Civil War, while distinguishing them from the multitude of sects and denominations which had corrupted the true teaching of the Word of God, which required the adoption of a distinctive title.

It has thenceforward been the unchanging position of the Brotherhood that its members could take no part in the unworthy wars and strife of the nations, just as it was of the first-century ecclesia and of the later communities which upheld the Truth. Even though God Himself had commanded Israel in the use of the sword to punish the iniquity of pagan peoples, and to establish them in the Land of Promise (e.g. Ex. 17:13-16; Deut. 31:3-5), yet for the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ the sword has been sheathed (Mt. 26:52). For those who are “strangers and foreigners” among the Gentiles and “fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19) there can be no involvement with any of the political activities by which men seek to gain and maintain power over their fellows, still less with the use of force for those ends. Rather, disciples are instructed: “let your conversation (Gr. politeuo: acting as a citizen) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ”; and they are reminded that “our conversation (Gr. politeuma: citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:27; 3:20).

Although there have been, almost inevitably, some disagreements amongst brethren over what degree of cooperation with the authorities there could be during the two great world conflicts of our century, yet the need for separation in the matter of military service has been upheld, often at the cost of considerable personal suffering. Unfortunately, the same cannot uniformly be said with regard to the involvement of the saints in the world’s political, social and religious organisations. For there are signs of an increasing tendency, in today’s affluent society, to look to such organs for solutions to many of the massive problems which burden mankind and which can only in truth be solved by Divine intervention, through the return of Jesus (Ps. 72:4,12-16; Lk. 21:25-28).

It is particularly saddening to witness the desire of some for closer association with the churches of Christendom, as the ecumenical movement seeks to blur the distinctions of doctrine and bring about a spurious unity. There are ample warnings in the history of Israel of the danger of importing into the true religion of God the ideas and philosophies of surrounding peoples:

“For they (the Canaanites) will turn away thy son from following Me that they may serve other gods ... But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God …” (Deut. 7:4-6).

Furthermore, the direct prophecies in the New Testament of the growth of a great apostate ‘Christian’ system (e.g. Acts 20:29-31; 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Pet. 2:1-3) were fulfilled by just such a process, when the influences of Greek philosophy and pagan religions introduced into the ecclesia such false doctrines as the Trinity and the immortality of the soul. From this system it became essential for the true believers to separate themselves, even in many cases at the cost of their lives: “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).

While it is true that in our day some daughter churches of Rome have belatedly recognised in measure the significance of the return of Israel and, like true disciples, look for the Second Advent of Christ, yet in virtually every case they remain wedded to the fundamental errors of their mother. It is therefore impossible for there to be true fellowship between them and the children of God who have embraced the true gospel. Indeed, an honest confession of Christadelphian beliefs to members of even those evangelical churches which are superficially closest to us will rapidly bring an end to any semblance of fellowship. To reject the Trinity, for instance, is to be immediately classed as ‘sub-Christian’, and only by compromising or keeping quiet about such issues is any ‘unity’ possible. This has been the experience of many young Christadelphians in contact with the so-called ‘Christian Unions’ at colleges and Universities. How much better it is to follow the principles of separation which have been presented in this study, and make a clear, unequivocal stand on the doctrines of Truth, founded in Scripture, than to quieten conscience and remain silent for the sake of a spurious unity with people who, however pleasant and good-living, cling to the false teaching of Rome.

As we saw earlier, in the examples of great men of faith in the past, the proper activity of those who have been separated by the grace of God to His service is to seek to live after the perfect pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself in order to save them, and by all means to preach the true gospel to those who are still in darkness, that some of them may yet be saved from God’s judgements.

“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 I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17,18).

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