Corinthians chapter number 6. We'll read this passage. It really is the definitive passage on our topic, and that is biblical separation. Our doctrinal statement says, we believe all saved men should be separate from the outward and inner ways of this world, being holy in mind and in body. And then we'll continue this morning with this part of the statement. We believe, however, the righteousness does not come by keeping of law and commandments, but by an inner change of heart. We therefore place emphasis on the inner condition, trusting the outward appearance to follow accordingly. Let's pray together, then let's read 2 Corinthians 6, verses 14 through 18. We'll review what we studied last time together. and then continue with this thought this morning. Father, we are grateful and thankful to be gathered together in the church this morning. Thank you for a Bible to read. Thank you for a savior to worship God. Thank you for the Christian life to live. Thank you for the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, to lead us and guide us and direct us into the truth. Lord, I pray that our hearts would be willing to receive your truth this morning, that we would receive it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, and may it effectually working us this morning. Please, Father, just give us good understanding and a desire to be hearers of the word and doers of the word and receive the blessing that you promised for it. We love you. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. 2 Corinthians 6, verses 14-18, the Bible says, 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 has said, I will dwell in them. And that's true if you're saved this morning, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. What a blessing. I will dwell in them and walk with them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore, on the basis of everything that was stated in verse 14, 15 verse 16, because God is your father, because he is in you, because he is holy and righteous and light and truth and good, wherefore come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I'll receive you and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. What does it mean to be separated? It means to be clean. means to be holy. It means not yoked with unbelievers. It means no fellowship with unrighteousness. It means no communion with darkness. It means no concord with Belial. It means no part with an infidel. It means no agreement with idols. And God has called upon us to be separate from the ways of this world, both inwardly and outwardly. We said last time, salvation, you can follow along on the notes on the back of your bulletin, salvation is supposed to change more than your eternal destination. I'm thankful this morning because I'm saved. I'm going to heaven. I am thankful this morning. I don't have one bit of worry about ever entering into the flames of hell, I've been saved by the grace of God. My sins are forgiven. Jesus Christ took that punishment. I'll not have to endure it. And that is a benefit. That is a blessing. That is a wonderful outcome having Jesus Christ as your Savior. That was not the intention. That was not the main objective. That was not the ultimate end from God's perspective. Salvation is supposed to change your life. If any man be in Christ, He's a new creature, all things passed away, all things become new. We read from Galatians chapter one, verse four, that Jesus died to deliver us from this present evil world, not just from future punishment for our sins. And again, that is the possession of every saved child of God, praise the Lord, but Jesus died to save us from this present evil world, to rescue us, to deliver us, from the bondage of following the course of this world. Ephesians 2 says, we all walked according to the course of this world. We were subject of Prince, the power, the air, and the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. But you don't have to live like that. You don't have to go down the same road that everybody else is traveling. You can be the fish swimming in the other direction and your life will be blessed for it. You don't have to get caught up in the fads and the fashions. You don't have to get caught up in the mindset and the philosophies. You don't have to get caught up in all the heartache and the degradation that sin brings into a life, Jesus Christ has set us free from that. So God calls upon us, God expects us, God made it very clear over and over that we ought to be different, that we ought to be separate, that we ought to be, Titus 2 said, peculiar, that we ought not love the world or the things that are in the world. 1 John chapter 2, but this morning we want to focus on the fact that though biblical separation has outward evidences, outward conformity is not the same as biblical separation. What do I mean by that? Well, repoint two again. We believe, however, that righteousness does not come by keeping of laws and commandments, but by an inner change of heart. We therefore place emphasis on the inner condition, trusting the outward appearance to follow. accordingly your parents can make you do what's right and that's their job and they should and One day you'll be a parent and God will bless you with children and your job is to make them do What's right? And you better start as early as possible. Okay, just keep that in mind but but outward conformity you can you can do what's right because you're made to do what's right and But that only lasts so long. And maybe you understand that all too well this morning. You can do the right things on the outside without being right on the inside. And as soon as that influence that is forcing you into righteousness is gone, then watch out because what's on the inside is going to make its way out. And so as a parent and as a pastor, the objective is, yes, you want outward conformity, but more than that, you want a changed inner condition, a new heart that leads to a new life. And righteousness does not come by keeping laws, commandments, by an inner change. Let's look at 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and then we'll get to this chart up on the board this morning. 2nd Timothy chapter 3, there's a word in this verse that really demonstrates what we're talking about. 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 16. 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 16. The Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God. God breathed these words, the Bibles, not the words of men. It's the words of God. Men wrote it down, but God told them what to write down. And we can be confident this morning knowing that everything we have in the Bible is right because God said it. All scripture given by inspiration of God and is profitable. It's there to help your life. It will profit you, it will benefit you, it will bless you to pay attention to what God said, to read it and to learn it and to apply it to your life. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction. for instruction and righteousness. For doctrine, it'll teach you what's right. For reproof, it'll tell you where you're wrong. Correction, it'll help you get it right. Instruction, help you keep it right. For doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect. That is complete, mature. That the man of God may be perfect. And here's the word, throughly furnished, unto all good works. Some Bible publishers, unfortunately, take the liberty of adding a letter to that word and changing the word, and we're more familiar with the word thoroughly, but the word in the verse is throughly, and there is a significant difference. It might not seem like a big deal, but I believe it's a big deal. Thoroughly, we understand that, it's completely, it's wholly, it's entirely not leaving anything But when the Bible says that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works, it carries this idea beginning on the inside and working its way out. Throughly furnished unto all good works. So what God wants to do through his word is change our hearts. And that will be evidenced in the way that we conduct ourselves, in the way that we behave ourselves, in our language, in our vocabulary, in our actions, in our choices, in our friends and our entertainment in the way we the in our appearance and all of those things will be affected by what's on the inside and God wants to get his word in our hearts so that we are throughly furnished unto all good works. So biblical separation, yes, it's being different. That means looking different and acting different and talking different. But it's not just different for the sake of different. I mean, all of us are kind of different. Some more than others, some less than others, all of us in different ways. I mean, normal people are weird. Because everybody's weird, right? But it's not just weird for the sake of weird. We're trying to follow God's word. That'll make you plenty weird. But it's not just about how you appear on the outside because ultimately that's not what God's interested in. First Samuel 16, 7, man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looks on your heart. God's going to judge not just what we do, but in first Corinthians three, the Bible says that at that judgment seat, he will examine what sort our works were. Okay. So what God's interested in this morning, primarily, most importantly is where your heart is. Now I can't see that. I can't see that about you. You can't see that about me. Only God can see the heart, but eventually it's going to come out, okay? So you can be here this morning, guys, in a suit and tie. You can be here this morning, ladies, in a nice Sunday dress. You can have on a smile. You can sing the hymns. You can do all the church stuff and your heart be a million miles away, and I would never know it, but God knows it. And one day we're all going to know it, because where your heart is, that's where your life's going to go. Okay? And the heart is so, so important. So when we talk about separation, don't think it's all about what you are externally, because it starts with what you are internally. And in the book of Proverbs, we have three types of people. We have the simple and the full and the wise. And the simple, he has the willingness to do what's right. Simple man has a good heart. What he lacks is information. He's simple. It's not stupid. It's different. Simple. He has the willingness to do what's right, but not the ability to do what's right. There are things that this guy just needs to learn so he can put them into practice, but he has the desire to put them into practice. You understand? The fool has the information. The fool has the ability. The fool's problem is not the things that he doesn't know. The problem with the fool is he doesn't have the willingness. He doesn't have the right heart. He doesn't have the right desire. If he wanted to do the right things, he couldn't do the right things. He just doesn't want to. The wise in the book of Proverbs has both the willingness and the ability. Now, where do you fall on this chart this morning? You know, it'd be okay to fall in the simple category. That's easy to fix. We've got a Bible. You can read it and learn it and come to church and hear it preached and learn things and apply them to your life. If you're only simple, meaning you have the willingness to do what's right, it's easy to get you what you need. But if you're a fool this morning, if you've grown up in church all your life and you've heard everything the Bible has to say, and you know how to dot your Christian I's and cross your Christian T's, but you just have no interest in it, that's difficult to fix. That takes the work of God in your heart. Now he can do it, he's willing to do it, he wants to do it, we're gonna help him do it. That's gonna take some difficult choices on your part. Or whys? You've got the willingness and the ability. You've got the right information and you've got the right desires. Now, where are you? I'm not asking you to answer out loud, but you need to think about that. Let's fill out this chart. We've got four different types of people right here. We'll fill out this column there in your notes. We've got an outward condition and an inward condition. Someone with a wrong outward condition and a wrong inward condition. We're going to call that individual the rebel. It's not a history reference. It's something different, okay? So the rebel, just against the rules because it's a rule. I'm not going to perform on the outside. I'm definitely not right on the inside. Then we've got a wrong outward condition, but a right inward condition. We'll just call this person a bathing Christ. Kind of lines up with the symbol. They've got the right heart, want to please the Lord, want to do what's right, they've got some learning to do, okay? And so maybe they haven't learned all the things that a Christian is supposed to do or how a Christian is supposed to learn. Maybe they haven't gotten there yet, but that's the direction they're heading because that's the direction they want to go, okay? And again, that's okay. And then we've got the right outward condition, but the wrong inward condition, and this is bad. This is to be avoided. That's the Pharisee. Jesus did not have nice things to say about them. Read Matthew 23, for example. Over and over, he said, woe unto you Pharisees. The problem was, they knew all the right things. And they did a lot of right things. Their hearts were just corrupt. They were proud. They were stuck on themselves. They oppressed others. They wanted the glory for themselves. They wanted other people to see how righteous they were. He said, man, you guys are whited sepulchers. You look pretty on the outside, but you are dead on the inside. And it's not difficult to get there as a Christian in a church that teaches the Bible because we know all the things we're supposed to do. And it's such a novelty to be a Christian in the United States of America in 2022 who's interested in the Bible and knows the Bible. And look, it's not difficult to conform externally. and have the wrong thing on the inside, okay? So that's the Pharisee. Outward is right, but the inward is wrong. And then we're just gonna say, the Christian, where we're doing the right thing, saying the right things, we wanna look the right way, but it's because we love God. It's because we love the Bible. Because we wanna please the Lord. because God absolutely deserves our complete obedience and 100% allegiance, okay? Now, find yourself on the bottom chart. Which line are you on? You a rebel, a babe, a Pharisee, or a Christian? Which do you wanna be this morning? Go to Proverbs chapter four, verse number 23. Proverbs chapter four. Verse 23, a well-known verse, but a very important verse, and one we'll consider together, Proverbs 4, verse 23. Proverbs 4, verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence all diligence. You've got to be serious about this. You've got to put effort into this. You've got to be consistent about this. Keep thy heart with all diligence for, here's why, out of it are the issues of life. Most important thing is having your heart in the right place because everything else springs from that. Now, what does it mean to keep your heart? The Bible says, keep your heart. Now, this is not something God is going to do for you. This is something God told you to do. Okay? Keep your heart. That means to guard it. It means to protect it. It means to hold on to it. Because you want that heart devoted to God, you're not going to allow it to be influenced in the wrong direction or affected by the wrong types of influences. Keep thy heart with all diligence. What you allow in to your heart is going to have an effect on you. It is impossible for that to not be true, for that to not take place. Here's what the Bible says in Lamentations 3.51, mine eye affecteth mine heart. Here's what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2, that Lot was a righteous man who vexed his righteous soul through seeing and hearing. So we're talking about keeping your heart. We're talking about biblical separation. We're talking about you being very careful about what and who you allow to influence you. Really important what you look at because it affects your heart and your heart affects everything else in your life. What you allow your eyes to focus on. what you take in through these gates. You need to post some keepers at those gates, because if it gets in through there, it is going to affect your heart. As long as the Bible is true, everything you see, it affects your heart. Gotta look at the right things. Everything you allow in through these gates right here, it's going to affect your heart. Can't help it. going to happen. What you listen to influences you. You got to watch the right things. You got to listen to the right things. You got to look at the right things. And look, there is so much out there. There is so much out there to look at and to listen to that is going to take you away from Loving Jesus Christ, it's gonna take you away from following the Word of God. It's gonna take you away from a right inward Condition got to be so careful young people what you watch what you listen to what the entertainment choices that you make Because it really really really does affect you got to be really careful about social media and Because on social media, there are influencers. You get it? They are seeking to influence you. What type of influence? It depends on which ones you choose to follow. Right? Now here's the thing about this. A lot of this, it's very easy for you because your parents make those decisions for you. And that's what they're supposed to do. That's their job. And sometimes you're not real happy about it, but later you'll be thankful for it. Okay? A lot of your parents are keeping your hearts to the best of their ability, protecting you, sheltering you. Right? But one day it's going to be up to you. And maybe it already is. If it's not now, it soon will be. You gotta make your own choices about what types of influences you're going to allow. Why? Because your heart affects everything in your life. So keep your heart with all diligence. Let's keep going. Psalm 119, verse 101. Psalm 119, 101. In Psalm 119, 101, the psalmist said, I have refrained my feet from every evil way. There are some things I refuse to do. There are some places I refuse to go. There are some people I refuse to be associated with. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word. In your notes, separation does not equal spirituality. Separation does not equal spirituality. Just because you look different doesn't mean you're right with God. It's the point we're making here. It is possible to be separate and not be spiritual. Now again, we need to look different, we need to live different, we need to act different, we need to make different choices about what we watch, listen to, all those things. That's good, that's important, that's right. But that's not the finish line. Separation is not spirituality. You can go ahead and fill in the next one. Separation is a means to an end. The reason that I am really careful about what I allow to influence me, the reason that I don't watch all the same shows the world watches, go to the same movies the world goes to, listen to the same music the world listens to, the reason I don't dress that way, the reason I don't talk that way, the reason I avoid all of those things is because I want to be able to do What pleases God? I want to be able to do what is right. And I can't do both. All right? But just because I'm separate, just because I'm different, just because I'm peculiar, that doesn't make me spiritual, that doesn't make me right with God. Here's how I know that. There are Amish people who are very separate. Right? I mean, they look different. They act different. They make really different lifestyle choices. I've been trying to work there with heaven. I was saved. Don't have a right relationship to God. Have you ever seen something called a burqa? Like the trash bag thing that the Muslim women wear, all right? I mean, all you can see is the eyeballs. That's taking modesty really far, okay? That's separate, that's different, that's peculiar. Doesn't mean they're right with God. Doesn't mean they're going to, right? Okay, so the mark of spirituality is not how long your dress is. The mark of spirituality is not do you wear a church to suit on Sunday morning, a suit to church. on Sunday morning. Now, there's a place for all of that, but it's not a measuring stick, right? Some people get caught up in this competition with who can be more separate thinking it means who can be more spiritual. It doesn't work that way. The reason we are separate is so that we can, Psalm 119, 109, that I might. Keep thy word, does that make sense? It makes it, separation doesn't make me spiritual, it makes it possible for me to be spiritual. It's not the whole thing, it's just one little part, one necessary ingredient. Look at 2 Timothy chapter two, verse number 19, 2 Timothy two. In verse 19, the Bible says, nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that name in the name of Christ depart from iniquity. We shouldn't fellowship with Jesus and with sin. If we're gonna follow Jesus, that's gonna take us away from that which displeases God. Verse 20, But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor, some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, the dishonorable things, the iniquity of verse 19, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, set apart, and meat that is suitable, fitting for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also, verse 22, youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace within the calling Lord out of the pure heart. So I'm supposed to depart from iniquity, verse 19. I'm supposed to get dirty things out of my life, verse 20. Why? So that God can use my life. So I can be a vessel that is suitable for his use, right? Being separate doesn't make me a stellar Christian. Being separate makes it possible for me to be a productive Christian who can do something for the Lord. You've got to have both steps in this. We're not going to turn an EMI at 1028 as our 621, but separation always has a from and an unto. We are separate from the world, but that is not complete until we are then separated unto God. That's the purpose of the sanctification in 2 Timothy 2. Sanctified, that means set apart, but it carries the idea of consecrated. The reason we're set apart is so that God can use us. So it's not just about being different from the world. That's part of it. It's being different from the world so that, so that we can be set apart unto God. Separation has a from, has an unto. We read in Romans chapter 12, last time, how we're not conformed to this world, but be transformed. You've got to have both parts. Without either one, it's incomplete, right? One more verse, look at Ezra chapter four. This one isn't in your notes, but it's in the Bible. Ezra chapter four. Love this phrase. Ezra chapter four in verse three. In the book of Ezra, they're gonna rebuild the temple. The nation is turning back to God and they're facing all types of opposition from the enemies of the Lord. Verse one, when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard the children of Israel, I'm sorry, children of the captivity built of the temple and the Lord God of Israel, they came into Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers and said to them, let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do. And we do sacrifice in him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Asher, which brought us up hither. Now, verse number two, what they said was completely false. It was a lie. We can read other places in the Old Testament. That was not an accurate portrayal the history. These people were inciting the people of God to compromise with idolatry. Okay? In verse 3, but Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them, you have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God, but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the King of Persia, hath commanded us." So say, you know, we are not going to compromise with you guys. We are not going to join you guys. We're not going to let you guys join us. The ship and the water, a good thing. Water and the ship, a bad thing. Okay? So the church and the world, that's the way God designed it. The world and the church, that causes all kinds of problems. We're not going to let it happen. We're not gonna join up with you. We're not gonna yoke up with you. We're not gonna fellowship with you. But we, ourselves, that's separate, together will build unto the Lord. So one other thing I wanna say about separation is separation does not equal isolation. Separation does not equal isolation. Because we, ourselves, ought to be separate, but we're separate together. And we need each other. Being separate doesn't mean you have no friends. Being separate means you have the right friends. Being separate doesn't mean you don't watch or listen to anything. It means you set things before your eyes and put things in your ears. They're gonna help you and they're gonna honor and glorify God, okay? So it's important to understand both these aspects. We are separate from, but we are separate unto, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Let's pray together. Father, thank you this morning for your word, the truth that it teaches us, God, and how you've given us instructions to guide and direct our lives, help us pay attention. Lord, I pray that our hearts would be in the right place. Pray that you'd examine our hearts this morning. Pray that we would look into our hearts this morning and be honest about what we find, that we would invite you with the psalmist to search us and to try us and to show us, Lord, so that we can come into a right relationship with you. God, you're so good, and we love you, thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.