The Doctrine of Separation: God’s Call to Purity
Summer 2024
Any true and beneficial understanding of the doctrine of biblical separation must begin with the foundation of that doctrine: the holiness of God. In Isaiah 6, the prophet is given a vision of seraphim flying about the throne of God crying one to another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” It is worth noting that the one attribute of God that is singled out is God’s holiness: not His love, not His wisdom, not His power nor any other divine perfection. It is His holiness. They immediately join the Lord’s holiness with His glory as their praise continues with “the whole earth is full of his glory.” It brings to mind that triumphant proclamation of Moses in Exodus 15—that first recorded song in Scripture—“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” When we search the Scriptures and see how frequently the Lord unites His glory with His holiness, we can only conclude that the holiness of God is His glory. A.A. Hodge put it like this: “The holiness of God is not to be conceived of as one attribute among others; it is rather a general term representing the conception of His consummate perfection and total glory. …Infinite moral perfection is the crown of the Godhead. Holiness is the total glory thus crowned.”
What does all of this have to do with the doctrine of separation? The Hebrew words translated “holy” or “holiness” derive from a verb that means to set apart, to consecrate, to be separate. The obvious point is that it refers to separation from sin, separation from anything and everything that is contrary to the holiness of God. The term so often used in the Old Testament to express God’s utter hatred for sin is “abomination.” It means that which is disgusting, despised, and detested. Because God is holy, He cannot and will not approve of any sin, but will only detest and condemn it. Whether it is through our election, regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, sanctification or eventual glorification, the Lord has saved us from sin and set us apart for Himself. This sovereign work of grace calls us to a live a life of separation from sin unto a life of holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Because He is holy, He calls the Church to be holy (1 Peter 1:16). That call to separation from sin is to be carried out in two areas: ecclesiastical and personal separation.
Ecclesiastical Separation
Ecclesiastical comes from the Greek term ekklesia, which is translated in our AV as church. While that term is used in Scripture to denote five different expressions of the Church, it is the Church throughout the world composed of all true believers that is to be understood in this doctrine of ecclesiastical separation. The Lord’s call to separate from sin includes a call to separate from false doctrines, false teachers and the false churches and organizations that promote them. In the formation of the FPCNA, several addendums were made to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Our historical position on ecclesiastical separation is stated in an addendum to chapter 25 which deals with the Church:
It is the duty of particular churches to maintain the highest possible standards of purity of doctrine and practice.1 To be faithful to Christ, they are called to separate themselves unto Him from all fellowship or cooperation in worship or service with churches or other organizations or individuals that have degenerated into apostasy by denying or by maintaining fellowship with those who deny any of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith;2 or by adopting the moral relativity of the world in defiance of the ethical standards of the Scriptures of truth.3
They are further called to separate from brethren who maintain fellowship with those who deny the faith4, to repudiate all false ecumenism, and to refuse to compromise any essential truth of the gospel in an effort to achieve visible church union with degenerate churches.5
1. Psalm 93:5; 96:9
2. Eph. 5:11; 2 Cor. 6:14–18; 1 Tim. 6:3–5
3. Matt. 5:17–20; Heb. 10:16
4. 2 Thess. 3:6, 14–15; Rom. 16:17
5. Prov. 23:23; Amos 3:3; 2 John 9–11
Separation “from all fellowship or cooperation in worship or service” with apostate churches, organizations, and individuals means that:
a. We do not participate in making joint statements of belief and practice with those who are in membership in Roman Catholic, ecumenical, Charismatic, or liberal churches;
b. We do not hold fellowship on a denominational level or in any council or association that would include as our colleagues’ representatives from those bodies;
c. We do not cooperate either as individuals, churches, or as a denomination with men from those bodies by engaging in joint worship services or in joint efforts in evangelism.
As to the second area of separation in the addendum, our separatist position is one which calls for our denomination to separate from brothers in Christ who insist on maintaining fellowship with apostate churches, organizations, and individuals. Since the very basis of unity and fellowship in the Church is the truth of Scripture, there can be no fellowship with those who deny that truth. Therefore, when Christians are wittingly and actively engaged in fellowship or cooperation with those who deny the faith, we cannot maintain fellowship with them without being guilty of compromising the gospel we have vowed to defend. Theologian, Kevin Bauder put the issue in sobering words when he wrote: “To align oneself with the enemies of Christ is never virtuous. Though not a denial of the gospel, it is a betrayal.” It is a failure to be “separated unto the gospel” (Romans 1:1). During the midst of the “Downgrade-Controversy” (1887-88), C. H. Spurgeon wrote: “It is our solemn conviction that where there can be no real spiritual communion, there should be no pretense of fellowship. Fellowship with known and vital error is participation in sin.”
Personal Separation
Where ecclesiastical separation deals with our fellowship with other churches, organizations, and individuals, personal separation deals with the individual believer’s pursuit of holiness. Our Lord calls us to present our bodies as a holy, living sacrifice and to not be conformed to this world, but be…transformed by our minds being continually renewed (renovated) by the gospel of Christ. God tells us to separate from sin when He exhorts us to “yield…our members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Romans 6:13). We have been crucified with Christ on the Cross to be “freed from sin” (Romans 6:7). In light of this truth, Paul asks those obvious questions in 2 Corinthians 6: “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?” It is as clear a call from God for every believer to separate from all sin in his personal life.
The devil works tirelessly to persuade the child of God that the world is his friend and all of its pleasures are something to be pursued. But John makes it crystal clear when he tells believers: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 1:15). The apostle James reiterates this: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Here are truths that every professing Christian needs to carefully consider.
The vital thing that we must always remember in all of this is that separation from sin is not merely a negative attitude and action of the believer toward sin. Separation from sin and the world is always positive because it is fundamentally about separation unto Christ! It is turning your back on the world and turning your face to Jesus Christ. When Christ is the great pursuit of your life, you cannot help turning your back on sin and “all of its pleasures, pomp and its pride.” If there is one thing more than any other that is vital to the believer’s pursuit of a holy life, it is that of seeking a close, constant, and intimate relationship with Christ. Walk closely with Him and you won’t walk closely with the world. Live near His cross and you won’t live near the world.
Rev. John Wagner | Minister-at-large, FPCNA