Biblical Passages on Separation and Christian Liberty

Key verse and attribute of God (this verse enforces the whole Law):

Leviticus 11:44 — For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.

The Apostle Peter restates this verse:

I Peter 1:14-16 — as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Additional note: Holiness facilitates a change from one’s former way of life.[1]

I. Christian Liberty

A. Acts 15 (A.D. 49-50)

B. Galatians 5-6 (A.D. 50)

C. I Corinthians 8-10 (A.D. 55)

1. Christians must consider others; 8:1-13

2. Christians must consider the gospel; 9:1-23

3. Christians require discipline; 9:24-27

4. Christians are to avoid an association with sin; 10:1-23

5. Christians’ choices should glorify God; 10:29-33

Key verse 10:31 — Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

D. Romans 14-15 (A.D. 57-58)

E. Colossians 2-3 (A.D. 61-63)

II. Separation

A. Ecclesiastical

Once again God’s attribute of holiness comes into play: 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1 — Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…Come out from among them and be separate…perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1. From outside the church (those who inhibit the spread of the truth)

2 Peter warns believers against false teaching, which believers are to avoid those who teach anything other than the Gospel of Christ (key passage 1:20 – 2:2).

2. From inside the church (those who stray from the truth)

Jude warns believers about apostasy; and leaves the church with instruction as how to combat this problem (Jude 20-24).

B. Personal

Standards and convictions are arrived at through one’s continued growth and understanding of Christian liberty; as sanctification occurs in the life of a believer the standards of a person will change based on the broadening of their understanding of grace.  I Corinthians 8-10 provide a basis for personal separation; however It is highly important that a believer has a proper understanding of grace, for the abuse of this privilege does lead to heretical teaching.  The justification of one’s actions as pertaining to grace unfortunately leads numerous Christians away from the true significance of Calvary.  Therefore, while these standards are a means of personal separation, they should not be taken as a means of ecclesiastical separation.[2]

Note that there is no biblical support for secondary separation (i.e. the notion that one should not fellowship with a professing Christian who is living a worldly life); either one chooses to separate completely from unbiblical practices, or does not.

                [1] Karen H. Jobes points out the contrasts between the former self and the new present self of a believer in vv. 14-19 (1 Peter, BECNT [Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005], pp. 112-113).  She states that Peter is not only focusing on the religious aspects of a believer’s life but more specifically that there is a call to live differently than before; it is a transformation that coincides with the believer’s new identity in Christ.  Along the same lines Lewis Sperry Chafer contends that “separation is going from something unto something, consequently in doctrine it means going from evil unto Christ” (Systematic Theology, 7:287).

            [2] For instance, music most assuredly falls into this category; since music carries an intrinsic quality that many disputable matters do not—i.e. morality.  While a musical note is amoral, a musical composition is innately moral; for a person artistically created it.  Matthew records Jesus, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt 12:34b).  This truism works both ways: for the heart of the composer or arranger is manifest in music; and the heart of the listener is evident by their choice of music.  Therefore, while grounds for separation may not be found in a congregation’s preference of music, it does point towards a possible underlying carnality within a particular church body.  For if the edification of the body and the glorification of God is arrived at through worldly standards then in all actuality there is no edification and glorification taking place; in its place is an aesthetically driven emotional response and not true worship.