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Christians should walk, talk, and
be different than people of the world.
Titus
2:14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.
1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are 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;"
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God."
I John 2:15-19 "Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and 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, and the
lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as
ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are
there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the
last time. They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have
continued with us: but they went out, that they might be
made manifest that they were not all of us."
Christians should
separate from certain people and groups of people.
James
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."
II Cor. 6:14-17 "Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 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. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you."
I Cor. 5:9-13 "I wrote unto you in an epistle not
to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the
fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs
go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not
to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be
a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no
not to eat. 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."
Note: The two passages directly above explain how
Christians should not fellowship with or be directly
associated with persons who are living an obvious, and
perhaps openly, sinful lifestyle. The two passages
directly below describe separation in the spiritual
realm from doctrinal sects and "brothers."
Romans 16:17 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offences contrary to the
doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
2 Thess. 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw
yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,
and not after the tradition which he received of us."
If Christians are living the way God wants them to,
separation is an easy thing to do.
Luke
6:22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you from their company, and
shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for
the Son of man's sake."
I Cor. 4:9-14 "For I think that God hath set
forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to
death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and
to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake,
but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are
strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even
unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and
are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain
dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands:
being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of
the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto
this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as
my beloved sons I warn you."
Matt. 10:34-39 "Think not that I am come to send
peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's
foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and
he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and
followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth
his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for
my sake shall find it."
John 15:18-20 "If the world hate you, ye know
that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word
that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than
his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also
persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will
keep yours also." |