Come Out of Their Midst and Be Separate
Believe it or not, we live in an uncivilized world. God has shown man that they are but beasts (Eccl. 3:18). Mankind has a heart that is desperately wicked and more deceitful than anything you can imagine. It is so evil, it is impossible to know (Jer. 17:9 King James Version). The days are only getting darker and the world revealing more wickedness as each day goes by.
When humans do not obey the Lord, they are like brute beasts (Psalm 73:22). They are self-willed and indulge in the flesh with its corrupt desires, despising the authority of God, instead of living a life of doing good and doing God’s Will (Gal. 5:18-20; Rom. 1:24-32). Doing God’s Will is practicing kindness, justice and goodness towards others. Humans remain creatures of instinct doing Satan’s will in their bodies; they are like beasts meant to be destroyed (2 Tim. 2:26; 2 Peter 2:10). When you have human nature, you are by nature a brute beast (Jude 10).
Becoming civilized, then, is a process of living by every word of God (Deut. 8:3; Prov. 30:5; Matt. 4:4). It was never meant for man, whom God created, to direct his own steps and live by the way he thought was best for himself (Jer. 10:23). Mankind was to walk in, live by or keep all of God’s Ways, which God has commanded us to keep for our own good (Deut. 5:33; 8:6; 10:12-13; 19:9).
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are God’s Ways our ways. God’s Ways are all righteous; our ways are all wicked (Is. 55:8; Psalm 145:17). All our ways and thoughts are not good (Is. 65:2). This is why God says, in Isaiah 40:17, that all nations before Him are as nothing. They are accounted to Him as less than nothing, yet there were times when God would spare a whole city if there was just one person who was practicing charity towards others (doing justice) and seeking the truth (Jer. 5:1; Gen. 18:22-32; Dan. 4:35).
When will mankind realize it is God Almighty who makes nations great and then destroys them when they forsake Him (Is. 60:12)? God has a policy and He does not change (Mal. 3:6). All nations who forget God will return to the grave (Psalm 9:17; 10:16). It is God who rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28; Job 12:23).
Jesus is returning soon to set up His kingdom, which will have no end (Luke 1:33). It will be a kingdom where only righteousness dwells. People will only be keeping God’s Ways and doing God’s Will towards one another each and every day. All the nations who are left will come up from year to year at Jerusalem so they may learn God’s Ways in order to be civilized (Is. 2:3; Micah 4:2).
Are you becoming civilized by keeping God’s Ways and doing God’s Will on this earth daily as it is being done by God in heaven (Matt. 6:10)? Are you practicing deeds of kindness and love to everyone you meet? Are you becoming born again by practicing righteousness towards your fellow man daily as Jesus gave us example to do (1 John 2:29)? Are you living this Way for Christ (Col. 3:17)?
The Lord is coming soon! It’s time to get on His side, so we are off of His hit list (Is. 66:16). Separate yourself from the world and all of its foolishness (Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor. 6:17-18). Draw away from the world and its distractions, and instead draw near to God and His wisdom (1 John 5:19; Mark 4:19; Mark 8:36; James 4:8). Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by others in your life, who are not living God’s truth wholeheartedly (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Do not allow yourself to be influenced by television, movies, the internet, political figures and those of the world promoting themselves and their worldly causes (Luke 9:25, John 15:19; 1 John 2:15-17).
When we look at the definition of faction, in Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, it means - A party: in political society, combined or acting in union. It also means, discord, dissension, tumult (the commotion, disturbance or agitation of a multitude usually accompanied with great noise, uproar, confusion of voices). We know who the author of confusion is, Satan himself (1 Cor. 14:33). God uses factions, whether political or other groups in our lives, to reveal who have godly character and are approved, according to Him, so that they may clearly be seen (1 Cor. 11:19; 2 Peter 1:4). These groups reveal who is like-minded, and when it comes to factions, that means like-minded in the world. A faction is listed in Galatians 5:20 as a deed of the flesh, and it tells us that those that participate in the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). God says we are to be in full agreement in what we say, so that there be no factions among us (1 Cor. 1:10 AMP). That we be perfectly united in our way of thinking and judgement, according to God and His Ways (Phil. 2:2; Titus 3:9). We cannot be united if we are divided by anything of this world. We are to do nothing from empty conceit (through factional motives or strife) but with an attitude of humility being neither arrogant or self-righteous, regarding others as more important than yourselves (Phil. 2:3 AMP).
It is more important than ever to align yourself only with God and leave all worldliness behind; whether politics, or any other worldly group or individual that promotes something other than the whole truth of God’s Will for us (2 Tim. 3:1-7 AMP). The wisdom and the knowledge of this world is foolishness before God (1 Cor. 3:19). God’s word says that the knowledge of this world is demonic, which means it comes from demons (James 3:15; 2 Thess. 2:2; 1 Tim. 4:1). And be careful, as many will seem as though they promote God but secretly have another agenda (Matt.7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). Isn’t that what is going to happen when the antichrist comes (Rev. 20:1-3)? The message will be so similar to God’s truth, that even the elect, if possible, will be deceived (Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22). This is why it is so important not to get swept up in what is happening in the world (Luke 21:34-35; Col. 3:2; Heb. 12:1). This is why it is so important to build, and maintain, your stand-alone faith. If we are not studying daily and reminding ourselves continually of this truth, and God’s Ways, then Satan can use that as an open door to manipulate and confuse us (1 Cor. 14:33; John 6:33; Matt. 6:11). We must be sober and spiritually aware to what is all around us (1 Pet. 5:8). It is crucial, as the world is deteriorating and more divided than ever (Mark 3:23-26). Be on the alert, at all times, for deception. We are in the midst of spiritual warfare and must have our spiritual armor on at all times (Eph. 6:10-18). We must be united with God, and only God, knowing we come under His protection and promises (Phil. 2:2; Heb. 4:2; Psalm 91:1-3; Heb. 6:11-13).
Remember always that God is in control and He is in the process of fulfilling His plan for this world (Isa. 25:1; Jer. 23:20). We do not want to get in the way of His plan. And, we certainly do not want to be stumbling blocks to anyone who is trying to enter the kingdom, because God is going to make a determination between the righteous and the wicked, the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad fish, and the hearers of His word and the doers of His word (Matt. 18:7-9; Rev. 3:15-16; Matt. 23:13). He is making a determination between the ones who are civilized and those who choose not to be civilized (Mal. 3:18; Matt. 25:40-41; 13:37-38, 29-30, 48; James 1:22; John 5:29; Rom. 2:7).
The faith of those who have good works is not dead, but alive (James 2:14-26)! Doing good is what makes people civilized. Stay close to God, stay in prayer and study your Bible daily to remind yourself of the truth of His Ways (James 4:8; 1 Thess. 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:1). If you come out of the world and are separate, standing with the Lord, you will be His and He will be yours (2 Cor. 6:16-18). It will surely serve you well in the end (Eph. 4:1-3; 1 Tim. 1:5; Matt. 25:21).
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