Corinthians 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Webster's 1828 dictionary defines separate in the following way "...2. To set apart from a number for a particular service."

I know...not the spiritually uplifting devo that we like sitting down to during a quiet moment of our stressful, taxing day. However, please bear with me as I share what the Lord has been teaching me over the last year or so regarding this matter of separation. I am burdened for the state of Christianity. I am burdened for our churches. I am burdened for our marriages. I am burdened for the condition of our families. Most of all, I am burdened for the decisions, we as Christian ladies, are making in our daily walk with Christ. That I make. Decisions that really do matter... in light of eternity.  It is my prayer that you can see my heart in this devotion and pray with me that each of us, as Christian ladies, will understand that EACH decision we make really DOES matter.

 Webster's 1828 defines hypocrisy as "feigning to be what one is not." God has been teaching me these last few years just how important my testimony as a Christian is, in glorifying him and pointing others to him. How vital it is that people do not look at my life and think that I am a hypocrite because I proclaim to be a Christian (follower of Christ) yet I have failed to separate from the world in the areas of relationships, entertainment, clothing, and church etc... As Christians we have been called apart from this world (I Cor. 6:17) for a particular service: To honour and glorify God with our lives  as stated in I Cor. 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." In so doing, we will point others to Christ.  Too many of us are saying we are Christians (followers of Christ) but to the world our life represents hypocrisy because our life does not match the label of Christian. The lost see no difference in us as Christians so they reject Christ.  I do not know about you...but that weighs heavy on my heart!  While we understand that each person is responsible to make their own decision for Christ, it breaks my heart to think that my lack of separation and holiness could contribute or cause someone to turn away from Christ.

Too often we make changes in separation issues (standards). We do not want to call them compromises but that really is what they are.  Compromise by definition is to "adjust and settle a difference by mutual agreement." The thing is...the mutual agreement to lower or get rid of a standard is not with God (Malachi 3:6 tells us God does not change).  The mutual agreement we are making is with the world. When I decide that I want to do something to fulfill a lust of the flesh (watch something, wear something, listen to something, go somewhere, say or do something contrary to holiness), I compromise (change) my place of standing with God on that issue...and I move toward or with the world. God did not change positions on that issue - I did.  God has been showing me that unless I am separated unto holiness (I Peter 1:15-16) ... a lost and dying world will not see a difference in me, therefore they will not be pointed to Christ and be saved. It really DOES matter.

If we were to ask a lost person if a Christian should do this...or that...they are pretty quick to be able to answer. At least they used to be. The line that separates us as Christian from unsaved people has grown so blurry these last number of years. But ask someone like my dad (who is unsaved) and he can readily tell me what a Christian should and should not be doing and what they should look like. Dad will tell you that Christians should not go to the movie theater or dances, wear immodest clothing, get tattoos, cuss or gossip etc... The unsaved are watching and we will never win the lost to Christ by being like them. This reminds me of a time that although we did not ask, a couple in our church once told us they dress casually to church because they want people to feel welcome when they come to church in their casual wear.  Sorry, not sorry, but no! Shake their hand, talk to them, invite them out to eat to show them they are welcome.  But we must not compromise on holiness and separation to appease our flesh. We have gotten into the terrible habit of not calling sin...sin, so that we can appease our fleshly lusts. Or we claim grace.  Over the last few years, I have been saddened to see fellow Christians ("followers of Christ") change in their standards.  From wearing skirts (Deut 22:5)...to wearing shorty shorts.  From listening to psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19)...to listening to CCM. From not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together (Heb 10:25)...to attending church when it is convenient or as long as it fits their schedule.  And when asked what caused the change...they say grace. God refutes that line of thinking in Romans 16:1-2 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.  How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" I never want to use "grace" as a reason to  sin. That is not Christian liberty. That is hypocrisy being called something different so that I can fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Instead...I want God to continually sanctify me through the washing of the Word. This is why the closer I walk with God...the more Bible I digest...the more sanctified (set apart) I will become.  In so doing my love for Christ will grow and I will grow in my desire to honour him with my life.  May my motive in all this be that I love God with all my heart and want to please him.

In closing, may I challenge each of us (especially me!) to be constantly evaluating who we are emulating.  May our example be Christ.  I am burdened seeing so many of our Christian ladies promoting female authors who violate God's Word in getting tattoos and preaching to men...among other things. We must be ever aware of the fiery darts of Satan which come in so many forms such as social media, reading material, entertainment etc..  May each of us be diligent in remembering that it really DOES matter. Love you, my friends! - Julie