As one who grew up in the Apostolic Pentecostal tradition, one scripture that was quoted over and over was found in 2nd Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord”. Now understand that the saints of those days took that and ran with it, and held that with complete conviction and separated themselves completely from the world as much as possible. No movies, some no television, children were not allowed to play sports teams of their High School, no proms, as they were determined not to be like the world if at all possible. Now understand that they had to work, go to the store, and such, but the things that the world took pleasure…..they wanted no part.
Here we are many years later, and many who held on this belief are now gone on to be with the Lord, and the mindset of many in today church have changed, as we are still coming out, but how far have we come out, and do we stay out, once we came out. We now go to movies, we now allowed our children to play sports, and many things that weren’t allowed, the church has found that we can still live saved and holy. But nevertheless, God has called us to be different than the rest, to be a peculiar people, and while He doesn’t expect us to be a bunch of hermits, we can watch TV, we can vote, we can have a favorite football team; and so on…..But He does want us to be different.
My question today is where the difference is, if the unsaved go to the clubs and we do as well, where the difference is, if the unsaved listen to music with vulgar lyrics (and I don’t have anything against mood music if I can say that way), but if the saints are listing to music that call women out of their names, then where is the difference is. God knows I am not perfect and still dying to many things yet today as I type, but often in my dying, and in my struggles, I ask myself if the Lord came back at that moment, would I want Him to come back and find me doing what I was doing. Do you want the Lord to come back and find you in the smoke filled club, do you want the Lord to come back finding you holding a drink, when He has told you to come out from among them and be ye separate. WHERE IS THE SEPERATION, if we are doing the same things that those who don’t confess Christ are doing? If the unbeliever drink and you drink, if the unbeliever cruse and you cruse, if the unbeliever talk about the church and you talk about church…..then again where is the separation.
In closing, I am talking or putting anyone down, I have a lot of growing myself and lot of separating left to do, but if God be God, and He is, then His word is true. As we are not to be snobs, we are not to be hermits, but we are to obey the Word of the Lord where it says, love the world, but not the things of the world. As the commandment is true….. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Not I, not the pastor, but the Lord.
A PLACE CALL AGAPE 
Wonderfully put preacher. Even though I strive to separate myself from the world.. It seems that I still have a ways to go.
I believe God’s Word is true; God is not a man that He should lie. I think that scripture means just what is says; it is imperative that those who name the name of Christ be separate from this world. We cannot do everything that the world is doing; we must make a difference because if we don’t we’ll never win over the unsaved, period. In the putting off of the old man, we are admonished in Colossians 3:5 to ‘mortify’ our members which are upon the earth; ‘mortify’ means to KILL. If we are to ‘kill’ our members which are upon the earth, how much more then are we to separate ourselves from the world. That means that saints are not to get caught-up in those things that would cause us to be out of fellowship with God. Remember ‘conviction’ and ‘santification’? We don’t hear those words a lot today; we’re too busy making excuses for our flesh. If conviction and santification isn’t being taught, than people will think that its alright for them to engage in activities that are unpleasing to God. In Romans 12:1 Paul instructs us that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, that’s our reasonable service, in other words, that’s the very least we can do. Paul goes on to instruct us in verse 2 to not be conformed to this world; but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Paul instructs the Church on more than one occasion that we are not to conform to this word and that our minds are to constantly (my word) be renewed. Our minds are constantly being renewed by never ceasing to pray, staying in God’s word, reading material that will uplift and inspire us. Saints should engage in “WHOLESOME” activities. Seek God, trust God, stay with God and know that He is able to keep that which has been committed to Him.