 Thank you, brothers for praying appreciate that good to see everybody glad you're here. Welcome back Hope you had a wonderful afternoon of fellowship, and it's a joy to be back with you tonight to study God's word together We're going to do that this evening from 2nd Corinthians chapter 6. So turn there with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 As you know, we are on Sunday evenings working through our series on the essentials. We're calling it the essentials one subject one sermon Essential to the health growth maturity of the Christian we're in part two of that series dealing with ecclesiology And so we come tonight to the subject of biblical separation In our outline if you're following along in that outline, you'll see the subjects that we have to cover I believe we probably have 15 or 20 sermons left in this series, but tonight we in the middle of our ecclesiology series dealing with the subject of biblical separation We're gonna do that from 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 beginning in verse 11 running down to chapter 7 verse 1 So if you found that text in your Bible Read along as I read the word of God for us 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 11 through chapter 7 verse 1 Ocarinthians we have spoken openly to you our heart is wide open You're not restricted by us, but you're restricted by your own affections now in return for the same I speak as the children you also be open Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness and What accord has Christ with belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever and What agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of a living God As God has said I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God. They shall be my people Therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty Therefore Having these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Perfecting holiness in the fear of God This is the word of God. Amen. Amen. Let's pray together and then we'll consider this text tonight pray with me Father in heaven We're very grateful to you for your word and again just grateful for the many ways in which you instruct us through your word and Certainly on this subject now that we're considering this evening biblical separation and there's very clear text to help us consider this a very grateful for that Lord help us to Understand certainly illumin our mind our understanding by your spirit, but then as well Lord The difficulty often with this subject comes in the application. Please Lord help us to live according to what you've taught us here we often often don't fully comprehend the gravity of our own circumstances or the the gravity of theological danger or The difficulty sometimes that we face we're like children often not knowing our right hand from our left and So Lord help us to simply trust you in faith and obey you in this good instruction You've given us because we know that through it Lord you use it as a means to protect us to preserve us in the faith to hold us fast and Lord for us to remain in Blessed safety that you've intended for us Lord. Please help us to faithfully follow you in this instruction Help us for tonight as we consider this text these subjects may it be for the edification of your people and the glory of your own name We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen In the title of our sermon this this evening biblical separation second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 11 through chapter 7 verse 1 JC Ryle said this I've had a deep conviction for many years that practical holiness and entire self Consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians. That's a power pack statement I want you to hear that hear that again what JC Ryle is dealing with right? He says I've had a deep conviction for many years practical holiness and entire self Consecration to God Reminding when I think of that that statement of Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 where we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices Holy acceptable to God right which is our reasonable service of worship Well, Ryle says that he's aware they have this deep conviction for many years that that practical holiness and entire self Consecration to God They're not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians Politics controversy party spirit worldliness have eaten out the heart of lively piety in too many of us the subject of Personal godliness has fallen sadly into the background the standard of living Christianity has become painfully low in many quarters the sound Protestant and evangelical doctrine is Useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life It is worse than useless. It does positive harm Now that's a true statement that it's worse than useless and it does positive harm think about the ways in which it does positive harm with me Is there anything more damaging to the cause of Christ than a hypocrite? It's been that way for centuries. We hear it all the time witnessing to people go to the church if it weren't for all those hypocrites The one who professes to know love and truth and yet clings to error The one who professes to have been saved from sin and yet persists in sin The one who professes to be loved by Jesus Christ and yet treats others with contempt Or the one who professes to be a Christian and yet lives like the world Those are a walking contradiction. They don't line up with the testimony of a genuine Christian, right? It's In our day, isn't it disgusting and intolerable to hear the near incessant preying of so many about Love and justice and right and wrong when they themselves live in abhorrent sin Like the baby murderers pontificating about social justice. Are you kidding me? How much worse then how much worse how much more disgusting more intolerable when a professing Christian does the same thing the Lord Has called his people to holiness The Lord says to his people unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees You will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven Matthew chapter 5 verse 20 Therefore you shall be perfect just as your father in heaven is perfect Matthew chapter 5 verse 48 I don't think there that the Lord Intends merely whole as your father in heaven is whole as someone like to interpret to today But perfect as your father in heaven is perfect first Peter chapter 1 verse 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children Not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance But as he who called you as holy you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written be holy For I am holy The Lord shed his blood Delivered up his body in death at Calvary that we might be holy That those who live Should no longer live for themselves But for him who died for them and rose again second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 15 That he might Sanctify and cleanse us with washing of water by the word that he might present her the church to himself a Glorious church not having any spot or wrinkle or any such thing But that she should be holy and without blemish Ephesians chapter 5 verses 26 and 27 holiness refers to sanctification It's a setting apart Sanctifying a thing Consecrating a thing in short holiness involves separation it involves separation When the Bible refers to holiness there's often a twofold sense of separation that's being communicated in the use of that word One holiness refers to separation from sin We see that in second Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 in our text tonight therefore having these promises beloved Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We are to be set apart Sanctified set apart from sin Paul is referring to our sanctification Putting to death the deeds of the flesh We are to labor in the Christian life to lay aside sin and perfect holiness But secondly not only is separation the separation involved separation from sin But holiness also refers to a separation from sin to God. That's what JC Ryle meant by entire Consecration right entire self-consecration We're to be separated from sin to God a separation To his purposes a separation to his cause his use his worship Titus chapter 2 verse 14 Jesus Christ gave himself for us So that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own Special people now that is a glorious blessing a Glorious privilege, but that comes with responsibility doesn't it we are his we've been bought at a price. You're not your own Therefore glorify God in your body. You're not your own, right? You're not your own We are his own special people zealous for good works. So what are the implications of that? implication is pursue holiness pursue sanctification pursue entire self-consecration to God the pursuit of holiness the pursuit of our sanctification the pursuit of Biblical separation is the command of God and is the responsibility of everyone who names the name of Christ pitiable hypocritical deluded deceived and lost is the man who professes to be a Christian while living comfortably With his sin With no change in his relationship to sin while living comfortably in the sinful patterns of this fallen world The entire text of scripture Militates against that very idea Biblical separation is then a necessary consequence to the call To perfect holiness in the fear of God to perfect holiness in the fear of God Biblical separation is necessary those who've turned from sin to entrust themselves to Jesus Christ are referred to as the called in scripture Right the call called out of sin called out of living life for themselves called out of this world They're called to live in repentant and obedient faith to Jesus Christ The very word for church in the New Testament refers to the ecclesia the ec Calleo the called out ones the ones who are called out. We are to be set apart Sanctification we are to be separate we're to be set apart This refers to the practice brothers and sisters of biblical separation. I want you to see from scripture This is a biblical doctrine of biblical practice It's something that every Christian needs to be pursuing needs to be aware of and this is the very clear teaching of our texts this evening in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 beginning in verse 14 The implications of this command this call to be separate become very clear Paul says come out from among them and be separate now. How are we to do this? How are we to do this? Well first we are to cut ties with the godless Cut ties with the godless. There's a command in verse 14 That refers to this do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers the reason then is given what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial what part has a believer with an unbeliever and what agreement has the temple of God with idols? in the words Paul The beginning of this text is concerned with two camps two realms two types of people believers and unbelievers the righteous and The lawless the bride of Christ and the children of the devil those who are saved by the gospel and those who are the enemy of the Gospel Paul does not say note with me here in verse 14. Paul does not say separate yourselves from all unbelievers We're not to separate ourselves from all unbelievers We're not to run to the caves and hills like we talked about this morning Right set ourselves up on mountaintops or build monasteries and convents Paul had written to them clarifying this very issue previously 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9 Paul says I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people Yet, I certainly did not mean the sexually immoral people of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or idolaters Since then you would need to go out of the world But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother Who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or vile or a drunkard or an extortioner not even to eat with such a one so Paul in This command verse 14 to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers is not calling us to shun or To avoid unbelievers He says there do not be unequally yoked I think we know enough to know what a yoke is right that wooden contraption they put on the shoulders of animals To get them to do work in the field. We're not to be unequally yoked We're not to tie ourselves to in the way that Paul is going to describe here We're not to be yoked together unequally with unbelievers the Old Testament says it this way Deuteronomy chapter 22 verse 10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together There's a principle involved in that Old Testament text God is not concerned only with straight lines in the field God's concerned with a spiritual principle that arises as a result of this text the ox and the donkey Could very well be employed in doing the same kind of work You might find them in the field doing the same kind of work. They're just not going to do it well together Right. We understand the principle behind the statement You can't yoke cows and cockerspanels as we've said before it's simply not going to work. Okay Why why may you ask? Well, Paul gives us the reason for the spiritual principle here What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? We need to consider What Paul's saying here, right what metake what partnership? What sharing together in common goals or common efforts has righteousness with lawlessness in other words We don't we don't have common shared goals or common efforts in righteousness Right the one who conducts himself in righteousness obeys the law of God the one who conducts himself in lawlessness disobeys the law of God these are two Categorically opposed people of Paul Rhetorically asks How can the one who practices righteousness and the one who practices lawlessness? Partner in any common goals The believer loves righteousness and hates lawlessness. He's governed by righteousness. He pursues righteousness He's a slave of righteousness. The other is a slave of his sin, right? Now you may have for example Two people who are at work employed with the same company. They're both pursuing the company's goals One is going to pursue that goal in righteousness The one may cut corners and pursue that goal in unrighteousness But they're not yoked together in the pursuit of the Christians goals or aspirations. They're not going to yoke themselves together and furthermore verse 14 What communion what coin onia has light with darkness? Light has no Communion with darkness none whatsoever Jesus Christ is the light of the world in him there is no darkness The light that shines in this world dispels the darkness He's called his people out of darkness into his marvelous light Right light is truth and understanding and wisdom and goodness and holiness and righteousness Darkness is ignorance and sin and error and rebellion hopelessness death and hell Where there is light there is no darkness where there is darkness. There is no light They are mutually exclusive. Do you see mutually exclusive Paul says in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 5 That believers are all sons of the light Sons of the day. We are not of the night Paul says nor are we of the darkness the unbeliever is a son of darkness Chapter 4 verse 4 this very book the God of this age has blinded their minds Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them Verse 15 adding reasons upon reasons upon reasons What a chord symphonesis what symphony what harmony or agreement has Christ with Belial? None whatsoever none whatsoever Belial here the Transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning worthlessness or destruction that word came to be known for the adversary the enemy Satan Christ is the righteous one the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of his kingdom Belial is the lawless one the ruler of darkness the darkness of this age to Entirely opposed Kings to entirely opposed kingdoms to entirely opposed citizens, right? 15 verse 15 what part what Maris what what portion what shared commitment has a believer with an unbeliever None whatsoever We may share common graces Both made in the image of God both living on the same planet. We both may eat the same food We breathe the same air, but we live in a radically different We are to live in a radically different world We have a radically different heart. We're to think in radically different ways We have radically different hopes and radically different joys Radically different motivations radically different affections, right? There can be no shared commitments between us. It's just not possible Do not be unequally yoke together with unbelievers these two are so incompatible in fact in fact that attempting any fellowship between them at all would be like setting up altars To pagan idols within God's own temple Verse 16 what agreement what union has the temple of God with idols? None whatsoever none whatsoever, right two different Kings two different kingdoms two different kingdom causes two different kingdoms citizens two different people two different people Biblical separation Is the acknowledgement that God has called us out of this world? God has called us out of this world. It's acknowledging that Fact we are the called out ones We've been called out of the midst of a sinful Culture do not go wallowing in it, right? We've been called out of the midst of a wicked and perverse generation do not act wickedly or perversely We've been called into a Personal covenant with and a commitment to God himself So Paul says in verse 14 do not be unequally yoke together with unbelievers come out from among them and be separate says the Lord we are to Be separate we are to separate ourselves that separation needs to be obvious and evidenced that kind of Yoke relationship that fellowship that communion that a core that partnership or agreement Can only be possible with others of light precious faith and practice in other words It's only possible with other Christians that kind of yoke to fellowship that Paul has in mind here that kind of yoked Relationship is only possible with other genuine Christians that doesn't mean we're not to have contact with unbelievers That's not what Paul is saying here He made that clear in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 doesn't mean we're not to have contact with unbelievers It doesn't mean we're not to work with unbelievers or even acquaint ourselves with unbelievers I think it's good to acquaint ourselves with unbelievers. Why? Because we should be witnessing to them. We want to see them saved right like our Lord We can be friend sinners without partaking in their sin But the Lord's reason for doing so was their eternal good Right, not selfish gain or ambitious gain It was their eternal good through the preaching of the gospel. We are in this world. We're not to act of this world We are called to be separate within this world, but we are called brothers and sisters to Separation I want you to consider that as you think about your own Christian life, right? How is it that you evidence the separation that Paul has in mind here? How is it that you evidence live a separate life from the world while living in the world? What does that look like if you don't know it's something you need to consider in your heart and mind How am I evidencing this separation? This separation? Maybe personal or it may be ecclesiastical Maybe personal or ecclesiastical personal separation would certainly involve for example Let me give you an example personal separation Would certainly involve drinking parties Why would personal separation? Certainly involve drinking parties because drinking parties are specifically prohibited in scripture right first Peter chapter 4 verse 3 Don't run in the course of this world with them in their debauchery, right? We're not to be a part of drinking parties, but You may also Separate because it may look like a drinking party and that's in accord with 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 22 or You may want to avoid Temptation to drunkenness so you may separate Romans chapter 13 verse 14 or Because you have a personal conviction regarding alcohol Romans chapter 14 verse 5 The Bible says let each one be fully convinced in his own mind We are to practice separation right and we're to work these things out. These are things that we're to wrestle with We're intended to wrestle with them. We should rep wrestle with them, right? We shouldn't be just laxadaisical so to speak and how we live in this world We're to practice biblical separation the concern of personal separation personal separation is not How can I avoid? Any contact with the world so as to maintain separation. That's not the concern of personal separation, but rather How can I live in this world as a Christian while keeping myself from its deadly influence and Preserving my testimony for Jesus Christ while I live in it That's the concern of biblical separation How can I live in this world as a Christian while keeping myself from its deadly influence and Preserving my testimony for Christ while in it if you don't believe that this world yields or wields a deadly Influence you are mistaken out of your mind. You're careless, right? Learn what the Bible says this world wields a deadly influence. We are to practice biblical separation In addition to that I'm to be a light for Christ in this dark world I have my testimony to be concerned about so we should be considering thinking about how it is That we evidence lives separate from the world Separation is necessary to keep my light from being diminished or tarnished. Okay So separation may be personal. Secondly separation may also be ecclesiastical ecclesiastical ecclesiastical church separation May involve separation from false teachers Or false churches stop listening to them Please do not send them anything Put their fliers for church funda in the garbage can Separation from false teachers or false churches separation from apostate organizations or apostate professing Christians What fellowship does light have with darkness? All right through Separation and this good instruction from the Lord this instruction for our good through separation We are to deny them influence in the Lord's church And yet so many Christians Don't take seriously Paul's commands here his instruction here and that Influence continues to leech through the modern-day professing church. You see people given over to it all the time To the point. We're now false teaching false doctrine is so prevalent in the church people take offense when you mention one of their Pet preachers as a false teacher, right? What are you talking about? Discernment brothers and sisters biblical discernment practicing biblical separation. We need to know separation from false teachers false churches We're not to be ecumenical Ecumenical right we're not to promote Unity at the expense of truth We don't promote unity at the expense of truth We are to be the pillar and the ground of truth even and especially when it entails separation for the sake of truth Preserve the truth separate Matthew chapter 18 Romans chapter 16 second Thessalonians chapter 3 Titus chapter 3. We're also ecclesiastical separation We're also to separate from those who have been put out of the church under discipline not for a punitive purpose of casting shade, right? It's not We're not separating for the sake of a taking a punitive measures against them we are Obeying the Lord in this praying the spirit of God would work praying for their repentance so we're taking this action for the restorative purpose of Saving of cutting off the infection sometimes in the church Very painful surgery is necessary in order to heal and preserve That surgery is Painful can be very painful, but listen brothers and sisters you and I we need to be prepared For this occurrence. This is a church that practices church discipline, and I've lost People very close to me if you've been here for any length of time. You've lost people very close to you That's a very painful circumstance But God calls us to this obedience for the sake of their soul For the sake of the church and in hope of restoration, right? It's best. We simply obey God who is all wise, okay? Second time of the chapter 2 verse 17 Paul says that the ungodly influence of wicked men spreads like cancer We're there probably better translated gangrene Increasing it increases to more and more ungodliness that has to be frankly cut off John Calvin all Physicians pronounce the nature of the disease to be such that if it be not very speedily counteracted it spreads to the adjoining parts and Penetrates even to the bones and does not cease to consume till it has killed the man Now again if you've been here for any length of time, and you've seen the the spreading gangrene of Sin and leaven and division and discord in the Lord's church, you know exactly what Calvin's referring to you know Exactly why Paul is commanding what he's commanding here, and you would say with the Lord. Amen. Get it done, right? Do the necessary surgery to preserve the body the health of the body and pray for the restoration of the sinner Now that being said separation Whether it's personal or ecclesiastical is not meant as a practice within the church Unless it is in keeping with church discipline We're not to separate from people Within our church, you know they said on that side of the auditorium I'm gonna sit on that side of the auditorium. It's like, you know, I love them There's just some people are harder to love than other people No Matthew 18 is our rule when it comes to that when it rule comes to conflict in the church Matthew 18 is to be our guide Biblical separation is no grounds forever avoiding brothers or sisters Biblical separation gives you no excuse to divorce your unbelieving spouse Paul speaks very clearly against that specifically in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 and finally Biblical separation is no reason To include from fellowship those who are weak Did you hear me on that? Biblical separation is no reason never a reason to exclude from fellowship those whom you perceive may be weak love must compel the setting aside of perceived liberties for the sake of Love and unity and peace and fellowship, right? Love must compel you to set aside those perceived liberties What is the reason then? What's the reason that we are to cut ties with the godless as Paul begins in chapter 6 verse 14 Well, we are to be in communion with God Look at verse 16 For you are the temple of the living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk among them I will be their God. They shall be my people Therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch what is unclean and I Will receive you we talked about the holiness of God this morning, right the holiness of God talked about the holiness of God some tonight God says be holy and I will receive you I will be a father to you verse 18 You shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty in other words our Disunion with the godless is a necessary consequence of our communion with a holy God you see Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners But fellow citizens with the saints Members of the very household of God having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together Grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom in the Lord you are also being built together for a Dwelling place of God in the spirit And we're to be separate Paul brings that up. I believe that's in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 that Why would you tie a harlot to the body of Christ? Right make her one with the body right we would never conceive of doing such a thing We must be diligent faithful vigilant in our practice of biblical separation third as a consequence of this there must be a commitment to godliness Verse chapter 7 verse 1 therefore Having these promises beloved what promises is Paul referring to? Well promises those promises that Paul is referring to are those new covenant promises to the Israel of God Alluded to by quoting here in this text these Old Testament passages, right Paul is quoting the Old Testament in the context of Covenant promises made to Israel Now here under the new covenant made to the Israel of God So he's talking about here the promise that God made to Abraham To be God to him and to his descendants after him the promise that God made to Israel to dwell among them to walk among them Where they will be his people and he will be their God The promise made under the new covenant to cleanse them of all their sin and to dwell among them again the promise that his People would be sons and daughters to him that he would be a father to them all these promises. Yes, and amen in Jesus Christ Right, but ultimately that promise that God would dwell with his people that God would commune with his people That's our joy and hope and great desire is to have That intimate fellowship that intimate communion with God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit Therefore having these promises beloved Let us then cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It is a necessary Consequence of that communion that we pursue Biblical separation let us come out from among them and be separate. Amen You are the temple of the living God a dwelling place of God in the spirit So I'm reminded and thinking about these things from Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly. What's that speaking of there speaking of biblical separation? Don't walk in the council of the ungodly. Don't do it, right? Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly Nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he Meditates day and night He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season Whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper the ungodly are not so But are like the chaff which the wind drives away Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish as Paul would say Summarizing if you will Psalm 1 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers come them out come out from among them and be separate says the Lord Do not touch what is unclean? This is the biblical doctrine of separation. Amen. Let's pray Father in heaven Or thank you for this truth from your word. Thank you for how clearly this is given to us And thank you Lord for Your wisdom your infinite wisdom in it We just Lord in our in our own worldly wisdom wouldn't conceive of what we need But you Lord so gracious so merciful in your wisdom Not only conceive of that Lord, but give us such good clear instruction. Help us Lord to obey it help us to put our faith and trust in you for You to protect us through it and I pray Lord I pray that you'd preserve us protect us Protect each brother sister here Lord from the wicked influences of this world protect our church from the evil Influences of this world Hold us fast Lord. We pray Keep us in the way and help us Lord to Live for you as we should serve you as we should to separate from those Godless Influences and help us to maintain that separation help us to see more clearly The danger that that presents Help us to sense Lord more earnestly the damage that does to our testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ and help us to be careful help us to be earnest in our consideration of these things and not to be Flippant and cast them aside as though unimportant Lord But help us to be diligent in this work that you've appointed for us of separating ourselves from the from the world But whereas we separate ourselves in the way that you've called us to Lord help us to be diligent and faithful and Living in this world in the way that you've called us to preaching the gospel to the lost Desiring making acquaintances with lost people that we might preach the gospel to them and they might be saved Help us with Paul to say I do all things for the sake of the elect To see them come to faith in Jesus Christ and help us to be faithful to you in that to that end lights in this world not putting our light under a bushel or obscuring our light diminishing or tarnishing our light with Terrible testimony, but help us Lord to be faithful to you in that good work. We love you Lord We're so grateful for all that you've done. Please Lord continue to build your church for your glory continue to protect her and preserve her and Lord we pray these things and ask for your strength and help as we obey you in these things until you call us home and The church militant will be the church at rest and we look forward to that day where we will worship you in eternity We'd love you. Thank you in Jesus name. Amen