We are still learning about the 6 Facts that will help us understand what the Bible teaches concerning Separation (or Sanctification).

Recap
In the last studies, we learned about:
Fact 1 - The Basis of Separation is found in the very nature and Character of God Himself; Holiness. God's holiness means 2 things:

Fact 2 - That God is Separated from all that is created, and God is separated from all that is sinful.
It is certainly impossible for the believer to be separated from all that is created, but the Believer is commanded to be separated from all that is sinful.

Fact 3 - Each and every believer, because he is separated, is responsible to live a separated life. This means that God expects saints to live like saints. Because we have been separated unto God, we are to live separated lives.

Fact 4 - Biblical Separation is twofold: Separation from sin and Separation unto.

Today, we learn about:

Fact 5: God has put a difference between the saved and the unsaved and God demands that this difference be very clear and very well defined. Therefore, the believer MUST live a separated life.

Let's see the following Scriptures to learn about the difference between those that are saved and those that are lost. Match the proper letter with the proper number.

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Luke 15:24.

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
We see that the unsaved is Lost, while the Saved person is Found.

John 3:16.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The unsaved person will perish, but the saved has eternal life.

John 3:18

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The unsaved person faces condemnation, the saved person faces no condemnation.

John 5:24.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
The unsaved person is in death, the saved person has life.

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The unsaved person is in darkness, while the saved person has the light of life.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The unsaved person will perish, the saved person is saved from perishing

2 Corinthians 2:16

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
The unsaved person goes from death unto death, the saved person goes from life unto life.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
The unsaved person works unrighteousness, the saved person works righteousness.

2 Corinthians 6:15

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath ==he that believeth with an infidel?
The unsaved person is referred to as an infidel, the saved person is referred to as a believer in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:5

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
The unsaved person is called the child of the night. The saved person is called the child of the day.

1 John 3:10

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
The unsaved person is called the child of the devil, the saved person is called the child of God.

Leviticus 20:22-23. Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out. And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Accoring to the Scriptures, what did God want the children of Israel to follow?
a. the other nations?
b. the Egyptians?
c. His Word?
d. their own desires?

Of course, the answer is C.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14. When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

God wanted the children of Israel to enter into the promised land so that they could learn the customs of the heathen nations and imitate their ways. True or False? The answer is false.

Does God put a DIFFERENCE between the unclean and the clean? Yes. (Leviticus 10:10. And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11:47. To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten).

John 13:2, 10-11. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

  • Were all of the 12 disciples clean? No
  • What was the name of the unclean disciple? Judas
  • Was there a great difference (in God's eyes) between him and the other eleven? Yes.

Ephesians 2:11-13. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of the time when they were unsaved: "Remeber that ye, being in time past (before you were saved) Gentiles in the flesh. Before you were saved, were without Christ aliens (Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world).

  • Were you without any real hope? Yes
  • Were you without God? Yes.

Ephesians 4:17-19. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

  • According to Ephesians 4:17, should we live the way unsaved people live? No.

  • Should we live the way we used to live when we were unsaved? No.

  • Is Ephesians 4:17-19 a good description of what you were like when you were unsaved? Yes

  • When a person comes to know the truth that is in Christ, will he wan to live the same way he used to live when he was unsaved? No. (Ephesians 4:20-21. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus)

  • Does God want us to imitate the sons of disobedience? No (Ephesians 5:6-7. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.Be not ye therefore partakers with them).

  • Because we are no longer in darkness (John 8:12, Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8), how are we to walk? as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light).

  • What should we put off?

    • we are to put off the old man. (Colossians 3:9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Ephesians 4:22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;)

  • What should we put on?

    • the new man. (Ephesians 4:24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness; Colossians 3:10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him).

  • Because we are in Christ, what are we?

    • a new Creature (2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new)
    • Therefore, should we live a life of sin? No.

1 Thessalonians 4:5. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God

  • We learn from 1 Thessalonians 4:5, that the Gentiles do not know God.
  • Does the believer know God? Yes. (John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent; 1 John 5:20. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.)
  • Should the believer live the same way as those who do not know God? No
  • If a person truly knows the living God, will that make a difference in the way he lives and acts and walks? Yes

Titus 3:3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

  • Is Titus 3:3, a good description of your life before you were saved? Yes
  • Has Christ made the Difference? Yes (Titus 3:4-7. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
  • What should the believer be careful to maintain each and every day? Good works (Titus 3:8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men).
  • We learn in Titus 3:14 that God does not want the believer to be unfruitful (And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.)

As you may have noticed, we reference a lot of scriptures. Even if we think we know the answer to the question. It is to our advantage to lookup each of these verses to see exactly what God has said. Someone said Read the Bible until it Sings to your heart

  • Should we be living our lives according to the former lusts and desires that we had when we were unsaved? No. (1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance)

  • Who now works in us to give us the desire to please Christ? God (Philippians 2:13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure)

  • Has God completely removed our old sinful desires or do we still have them? We still have them (Romans 7:15-25 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.)

  • And yet, because we are saved, we also have the desire to do the will of God. (1 Peter 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God)

  • Why did Christ come into the world? To do God's will (Hebrews 10:7. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God)

  • The Lord Jesus had a great hunger and desire to do what the will of God (John 4:34. Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work)

  • What prayer did our Lord Jesus pray that is a good prayer for us to pray? Not my will, but Thine O Lord (Luke 22:42. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, God's will for our lives includes 3 things:

  • (verse 16): Rejoice evermore
  • (verse 17): Pray without ceasing
  • (verse 18): Give thanks in everything

If we are truly saved,:

  • will our unsaved friends and loved ones be able to see a difference in our lives? Yes (1 Peter 4:3-4. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you)
  • will they think it strange and unusual when we don't do some of the things we used to do? Yes

True or false: I thank the Lord that He has saved me and made me a new creature in Christ, and now by God's grace I want to live differently, doing God's will so that men and women and boys and girls might see my changed life and trust in the Lord Jesus so that they too might have this so-great salvation True

Psalm 40:1-3. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.