HOLINESS AND SEPARATION

Sermon at TLBPC’s 11th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service, 5 October 2014

“I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. … 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 20:24, 26). God says to His people, “I have separated you, … and have severed you …”. Unfortunately, separation is not welcomed today. In the 21st century, the constant hype is unity, togetherness, connection, cooperation, one world. In fact, the church at large has also bought into this ecumenical worldliness and is quite opposed to biblical separation.

How about the Bible-Presbyterian Church? An elder of a Bible-Presbyterian church once told me, “We do not want to be known as a separatist church anymore, just a church which knows God’s Word well.” Well we cannot have one without the other. The God of the Bible is a Separatist: “I have separated you”, “I have severed you”. God wants us to be like Him as well, separated and severed from this ungodly world of Satan which is so full of sin and evil.

Separation is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith. No church can do without it. Sadly, there are Christians who do not think so. They think it is only a denominational doctrine, only for Bible-Presbyterians but not for all Christians. They think that the fundamental doctrines are only these five: (1) Inerrancy of Scripture, (2) Virgin Birth of Christ, (3) Miracles of Christ, (4) His Substitutionary Atonement and (5) His Resurrection. No, these are just the five denied by the Presbyterian Church of the USA. There are a whole lot more than these. For example, there is the doctrine of Creation and the doctrine of the Trinity. We need to know our doctrines. That is why in our church camp next year (DV), we will spend time thinking about doctrine—“The Saving Power of Doctrine”.

Nowadays, Christians are woefully illiterate—they do not know the Bible, they are ignorant of doctrine. They think it is enough just to know John 3:16. There are many today who say, “It is enough just to share the gospel. Getting people saved is most important. No need for more. No need for doctrine. Doctrine divides.” But what did Jesus say in His Great Commission? “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, … teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. … And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matt 10:34, 38). The cross is a sword that divides. Doctrine does divide but it also unites. It separates us from sin and error and unites us to Christ and His Truth. The church needs to know the whole counsel of God. Doctrine faithfully and accurately taught will bring clarity and certainty of faith and in the things of God.

We must realise that we are living in a sin-cursed and heresy-ridden world. This world is full of satanic falsehood and human wickedness. We are living in such a dangerous world. 1 Timothy 4:1 warns us, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Faith-destructive doctrines abound today in so many places, in Modernism which venerates the human mind and denies divine revelation, in Postmodernism which teaches that truth is relative, in Roman Catholicism which teaches that salvation is not by the grace of God through faith alone, but through human traditions and works, in Ecumenism which seeks to mix Christianity with all the religions of the world to make a one-world religion, in Charismatism which teaches a hedonistic prosperity gospel, in Open Theism which denies that God is all-knowing, in Neo-evangelicalism which denies the perfect inspiration of God’s Word, in Neo-fundamentalism which denies the perfect preservation of God’s Word, and in so many other false isms that are found in the apostate church and in the cults today.

That is why the doctrine of separation is a fundamental and indispensable doctrine. We cannot do without it. Just like our human body cannot do without blood, the church cannot live without separation. Just like our body must have red blood cells as well as white blood cells, so must the church not only believe in the fundamental, life-giving doctrines of the gospel (red-blood-cell doctrines), but also the doctrine of separation (white-blood-cell doctrine). Just like we need white blood cells to protect us from all the harmful bacteria and viruses out there, we need the doctrine of separation to protect ourselves from all the spiritual dangers that abound today.

Now the Lord tells us to be separated from unbelievers, “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, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:14-18). We have nothing in common with the world, and should stay away from all forms of unbelief and ungodliness. Separation is not a choice, but a command.

As God is holy, so must we be as well. That was why Jesus prayed this prayer to the Father, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 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.” (John 17:14-16). Jesus also prayed that the Father would sanctify His church, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17).

Now, the Bible does teach unity as well. Unity is something good and pleasant and should be cherished. Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” However, for true unity to exist between God and man and among brothers and sisters in Christ, there must be separation. Again, the Lord says, “I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. … 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 20:24, 26). “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 will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:17-18). Separation is the biblical recipe for unity. JK

THANKSGIVING

Mdm Paruvathi

We have been praying for Dewi’s mother Mdm Paruvathi who is warded at the Ren Ci Hospital. Dewi has been telling her mother about the Lord Jesus Christ. Elder Joseph and Elder Pillai had visited her also to share with her the gospel. She was responsive. Mrs Gaby Buijs (Dewi’s employer and our church member) has also visited her several times and prayed for her.

I visited her on September 26, 2014. In my previous visit, she had high fever due to pneumonia and was fast asleep. This time she was quite awake and alert. She smiled at me when Dewi told her that her pastor had come to see her. I shared with her the gospel. As Dewi communicated my words to her in Tamil, she verbally repeated the words after Dewi. I asked her whether she wanted to believe in Jesus Christ. She said yes. I then asked her to say a simple prayer for Jesus to save her. She did that. I asked again, “If you believe in Jesus, put your hand on my hand.” Without hesitation, she placed her hand on mine. Having confirmation that she understood and truly believed in the Lord, I baptised her and prayed for her. She thanked me very much before I left.

Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy on Mdm Paruvathi. Dewi is overjoyed and thankful for her mother’s salvation. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:10). Mdm Paruvathi is still in hospital. We continue to pray for her.

Vietnamese BPC (Brisbane)

Rev Nguyen Gia Hien recently reported that the Vietnamese BPC will have to find another place for their worship because the rented church hall they now use has just been sold. Good news, the Lord has since provided for them another church hall in the town of Inala. Inala is well located because it is in the heart of the Vietnamese community in Brisbane. The Vietnamese BPC is well positioned to reach out to the Vietnamese people in that area.

New Life Orphan Centre

October 6, 2014

Dear Pastor Jeffrey,

By the grace of God and True Life BPC prayers and love gift support, I and my family and all the children are fine and doing well till today. Praise God.

Now, all the children are schooling and studying hard for their school lessons and they got good results in their monthly exam and some got top 10, first, second, third etc in their monthly exams. They are more improved and clever in their education. Praise God. I praise God because He gives more good health, strength, good education. We always give thanks to God for His goodness to us and also I believe that because of True Life BPC prayers and support we all here are fine and doing well in our daily life. By the way, Muan Suan is now in good health and teaching the children in their school lessons faithfully.

Again we all here are so happy and thankful to God and to True Life BPC. Thanks. We all here also pray for you and for True Life BPC and FEBC always.

Yours in Christ,

Brother Thangno
New Life Orphan Centre
Yangon, Myanmar