The Doctrine of Separation: Practical Applications (part 2)

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Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Therefore, go out from their midst, and be seperate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (2 Cor. 6:14 - 7:1)

Ministry

After looking into what the Doctrine of Seperation has to say about our responsibilities into how we choose a church, and also as to whether to stay or remain in it (among other things we must consider, of course), let us look into what implications the Doctrine of Seperation has on Christian Ministry.

First of all, most of what was mentioned regarding the implications on the church would thus be valid with regards to ministry, as in the case of church-based ministry. Therefore, we should not partner with heretics (first degree seperation), nor should we participate with people in their compromise of the faith (second degree seperation). However, the situation gets complicated because ministry does not have to be church-based. Something as simple as partnering with another believer to witness to others for Christ is already a non church-based 'ministry' in a sense. Ministry broadly speaking is basically what one does which seeks to further the cause of Christ; be it 'official' or 'unofficial'. Also, while church is more or less permenant, ministry, and especially collaboration in ministry, may not be permenant or even long term. Therefore, with such factors included, how do we go about obeying Christ in implementing this command of His?

To answer this, we must first remember the entire rationale behind the command of seperation, otherwise we would fall into the legalism of the seperatists who seperate from everyone who is even a bit different from them. We seperate so as to magnify the glory of our Lord and Master, that we do not denigrate His majesty. Thus, all things should be judged according to that foundational principle. If by so doing, I would bring disgrace and disrepute to the name of Christ, I should not do it. Therefore, applying it to ministry, we can minister alongside others in circumstances whereby doing so would not bring shame to Christ. Therefore, this rule out all heretics immediately. However, with regards to Christians, we can partner with them when they are not compromising the faith, even if they compromise the faith elsewhere. Of course, this assumes that the Christian whom you are partnering with is not so tained with compromise that we compromise our testimony by partnering with them even if no compromise is inherently done in the immediate works of that partnership. An example would be partnering with Rick Warren in an official 'Christian' program in caring for the sick, since his name has become synonymos with the Purpose Driven paradigm he has created and therefore we should not be seen to give even a remotest support to his PEACE plan. Besides these parameters, to further limit how we can interact and minister as members of Christ's Body is to go beyond Scripture and is not helpful at all, and in fact grieves the Holy Spirit. Just because ecumenism with sinners is bad does not mean that undue seperation from believers is good either.

This principle when applied could give rise to several seemingly strange scenarios. For example, an obedient Christ would rightfully refuse to join a group in a prayer meeting which have its foundation in heresy, while he may yet partner with them in other areas of ministry, even in other prayer meetings. Charges of double-standardness and condemnations from both sides of the extreme may very well pour in. The New Evangelicals will criticize the person of being judgmental and unloving, not to mention the possible charge of being 'disobedient to church leaders', while the seperatists will criticize the person for still serving with compromisers. Of course, the fact that Jesus mixed with sinners evade the seperatists, and the fact that he never join them in sinning nor condone their sin (and in fact call them to repentance) evade the New Evangelicals. As an aside, isn't it strange that some seperatist Chrstians have no problem ministering to unblievers but will not minister to compromising believers? To follow the Scripture in this regard is therefore difficult, but with God's strength, those who purposed to do so will find strength in Him.

Marriage

This is by far the most non-controversial section of this entire article of mine. It goes without saying that in something as intimate as a marriage relationship and covenant, we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, as our main passage of 2 Cor. 6:14- 7:1 shows. Furthermore, marriage is for the purpose of bringing forth godly offspring (Mal. 2:15), and this cannot be done when one party is an unbeliever.

Practically, such an unequally yoked union will definitely harm the couple. The fact that one is destined for heaven while the other to hell unless he/she repent should be enough to discourage such unions. Also, as we Christians have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we acquire a new love for Christ and the things of God, which the unbelieving partner, being dead in sins (Eph. 2:1) will not desire and in fact even resent this passion on the part of the believer, since the carnal mind is hostile against God (Rom. 8:7). The worst part of course is that divorce is not allowed just because one party is a believer and the other is not, so both parties have just to live amidst such tension 24/7, until one party gives way (And guess which party normally is the one who does so?)

All of these is basic Christianity 101. In fact, the new birth in the heart of the Christ should already render such a union unlikely, because the believer and the non-believer will come to have different likes and dislikes, if the Christian grows in his/her love for Christ that is. Therefore, I shall not belabor this point further but carry on to the next point.

The next point is with regards to the point of unequally yoked as applied to Christians. Yes, to Christians. The most obvious part of such seperation is with regards to Christians who are passionate and Christians who seem to be just nominal. Going to church regularly does not make anyone a Christian; anymore than going to MacDonalds make anyone a burger. Serving in church is not a good indication also, because people can serve with all kinds of ulterior motives. Discernment is really needed here, but then, what's new?

One area of which must be looked at is with regards to spiritual maturity, especially with regards to areas such as this doctrine whereby friction may occur. Although not something exactly to seperate on and may possibly be resolved, such issues may very well cause friction, especially when one party rightly or wrongly think that the other party's action is biblically wrong. Such issues should definitely be worked on, of course, not via the dialetical way of compromise but the biblical method of searching the Scriptures in order to grow into the same knowledge of the truth.

Conclusion

The whole doctrine of seperation with all of these practical implications, it must be realized, is one that is an extension of the command of God who commands us "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). As such, such a doctrine is only embraced correctly by those who truly love and fear God more than Man. Men pleasers like most New Evangelicals will never get it, for their focus is more on humans than on God. Those who have seen a vision of the holiness of God and His absolute demand for purity from His followers, and from His Church, will not be so flippiant in explaining away such passages as 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1 in advocating for ungodly ecumenism, all in the name of so-called 'Christian unity'. Let us therefore turn once more back to God and spend time with Him in our prayer closet, and understand more of God. Only then will we be able to understand Him and not be effeminate men pleasers, but people like the Apostles who stood firm for their faith despite the opposition of Man.

"He who has an ear, let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 3:22)