In the beginning, God created mankind—both male and female—in His image and likeness. However, when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they ingested a spiritual contaminant that distorted their spiritual nature, polluting their ability to produce offspring in the pure image of God. As a result, humanity could no longer fully reflect His character and likeness. To restore what was lost, God set His redemptive plan in motion—a plan that has been unfolding across generations, dispensations, and ages. Today, He continues His work of separation, making a clear distinction between those who have been truly born again and those who choose to remain in their fallen, Adamic state.
Separation, as defined by Google, is “the process of distinguishing between two or more things” or “the action or state of moving or being moved apart.” Throughout the Bible, God issues urgent clarion calls for those who claim to believe in and love Him to set themselves apart. Why then do we act as if Christianity is an all-inclusive party where God can be equitably distributed among a diversity of beliefs and lifestyles?
While anyone is welcome to come as they are, they are not meant to stay that way. Everyone who knocks will find the door opened—but opened to change—because God is the ultimate change agent. Encountering the true and living God brings transformation, and while this change doesn’t happen overnight, it is a process every believer must be willing to embrace.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP): But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A CONSECRATED NATION, A [special] PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were NOT A PEOPLE [at all], but now you are GOD’S PEOPLE; once you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
We live in a world today that clamours for all-inclusion. Everyone wants their tail waxed as bearers of truth — from LGBTQ proponents to atheists, political parties, and various religions. From the world’s perspective, it may be all well and good to accommodate the opinions and ‘rights’ of all men, but as Christians, we do not bend God’s Word to accommodate anyone or anything that is Anti-Christ i.e. opposed to the Word of God and opposed to Christ as the only way, truth and life.
We cannot water down the Word of God to make people feel as if they are Christians when they have not truly been born again. Christianity is not just a label; it is the identity of those who are fruit bearing branches on the vine of Christ. Therefore, no, you cannot desire to be a gay Christian, just as you cannot claim to be a revelling Christian, a fornicating Christian or a Christian that practices witchcraft or new age practices. You may claim the name, but the real question is: does God lay claim to you? It is a dangerous thing to be mesmerized by the tenets of God’s grace and mercy for sinners while overlooking the fact that God is a God of judgment too.
As citizens of the Kingdom, we must be steadfast in clamouring for obedience to God’s Word, for holiness, for transformation as new creations, and for living as a royal priesthood set apart for His purposes. The royal priesthood does not exist solely in between the church walls but they must exist and stand for God’s truth in every sphere of society from government to the marketplace.
Scripture makes it clear that God is in the business of separation—wheat from tares, sheep from goats, children of the devil from children of God, light from darkness, the world from the Church, believers from unbelievers. He has called for His bride to be without spot or wrinkle, yet so many Christians today want to straddle the fence—engaging with cultural abominations while claiming to represent the Kingdom of God. We cannot be double-minded, neither can we be lukewarm. God has made it plain: the hot must be separate from the cold.
It is vital that we study the separation of the Israelites from other nations and understand why God was so deliberate in setting them apart. Why did He ordain them as a chosen people, bound to specific statutes and commands? Why was their obedience so valuable to Him, and their disobedience so grievous?
God’s intent was for Israel to be a living reflection of His holiness—a nation that bore His image and revealed His righteousness to the world so that through them, all nations might come to know Him. Their victories, their trials, and even their chastisements were meant to testify of the power, justice and glory of God. Through Israel, God established the lineage that would ultimately bring forth the Messiah. Christ did not come through just any people, but through a specific bloodline—chosen, preserved, and ordained by God. Their role as a holy nation was not merely about privilege but about responsibility—to uphold the standard of righteousness, to intercede as priests, and to prepare the way for the Redeemer through whom all people, Jew and Gentile alike, would be blessed.
Do we truly see how important being set apart has always been to God? Has He had a change of heart about distinguishing His own from those who do not love Him? God continues to be very intentional about drawing a clear line between the holy and the rebellious. Just as He separated Israel to be His chosen people, He continues to call His royal priesthood to a life of distinction. This separation is not about prohibiting others but moreso, about identity—it is a mark of those who truly know, love and honour Him.
The truth is this: Christianity is exclusive, yet its exclusivity is open to all. It may seem like a paradox to say that its exclusivity includes every kind of sinner—yet that is precisely the heart of the Gospel. Anyone, regardless of their past or sinful nature, can enter in, but only through the choice to be born again. Salvation is offered to all, but only those who accept Christ and surrender to His transforming power truly become part of God’s chosen people.
As Christians, believers, and children of God, we are called to live by a higher standard. Our focus and attention should be on heavenly things, not earthly ones. We are not swayed by the fleeting trends of our culture, nor do we promote culture over the Kingdom in an attempt to fit in with our peers. There must be a clear distinction in our words, thoughts, actions, inclinations, and even our proclivities. Should I dare say, even our social media presence should reflect this separation. God should never have to question whether we are Christians based on what He sees on our page.
Hear me out! This isn’t a call for us to be pretentious either, pretending to be godly through external religious acts for validation or good deeds for social recognition. Remember, your Christianity is more about pleasing God than seeking the approval of men both in and outside of the church. While men may judge us from the outside in, God examines our hearts from the inside out.
Matthew 25:32 (AMP): All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats.
2 Corinthians 6:17 (AMP): So come out from among unbelievers and be separate says the Lord and do not touch what is unclean; and I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favour].
Separatism is embedded in the very meaning of the word church, which comes from the Greek word ekklesia, meaning “a called-out assembly.” This doesn’t mean Christians should avoid contact or involvement with unbelievers, but it does mean we must not participate in sin with the same attitude and heart posture as they do. Some may take offense here, pointing out that we are all sinners—which is true. However, the distinction between the believer and the unbeliever lies in their attitude toward sin. The believer is not characterized by a repeated, intentional, and habitual pattern of sinning against God. Rather, the believer is empowered by the Holy Spirit to be repentant and resist sin, guided by His strength to “sin no more” as Christ commanded.
Christ paid the ultimate price for sin, and through Him, we have the power to resist the devil and put off our old selves and former ways of life. We must be intentional about doing this daily so our lights are not dimmed or put out when it ought to be alight. As believers, we are called to shine our light in a dark world, pointing others to Christ and Christ alone as the true light of this world.
John 8:12 (AMP): Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-16 (AMP): You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honour and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
When God calls you, He always calls you out of something. I’ve never seen God call a man and leave him unchanged. I’ve never seen God call a woman and have her remain bound to the same routine, lifestyle, or relationships. What is God calling you out of? What has He been asking you to separate yourself from—whether it’s friends, a significant other, a workplace, a ritual, an unhealthy habit or a contrary lifestyle? Don’t be afraid to step away from it, because God always replaces what He erases. He will turn your darkness into light, your fear into courage, your bitterness into love, your unforgiveness into forgiveness, and your lack into provision.
Do not compromise, nor take for granted
The grace and mercy of Almighty God,
For our days are numbered, fleeting on this earth,
And we’re not privy to His divine count.
Obedience to God outweighs any sacrifice,
Any act of service you could ever give
Don’t be misled about the love language of God
And fall prey to the devil’s devices
Be faithfully encouraged!
Available for purchase on Amazon – ” What do you Believe – Spiritual Contemplations for One’s Soul”
