Someone is watching. Someone hears what we say and watches what we do. People in certain social positions might have many people observing their lives. When I was teaching I routinely reminded my students that no one lives entirely to him/herself. We never get to the point that our words and deeds concern only ourselves. There is a notable expression that sums up this truth: “No man is an island.” Regardless of how obscure we might think we are, someone is sizing us up. Though the watchers might not be consciously taking note of our actions, words, etc., they are doing so nonetheless. Let it be known throughout the global Christ-professing community: WHAT WE DO AND SAY, WHERE WE GO, WITH WHOM WE ASSOCIATE, WHAT WE WEAR, THE T.V. PROGRAMS AND MOVIES WE WATCH, THE BOOKS AND MAGAZINES WE READ, THE MUSIC WE LISTEN TO, WHAT WE DO ON GOD’S HOLY DAYS AND WITH WHOM WE WORSHIP–all these things paint a picture of us that others remember. WE ARE THE SPIRITUAL KEEPERS OF ALL WHO KNOW US. We are commanded not only to obey God’s Word in letter and spirit, but to distance ourselves from those who do not when it comes to serving the Lord. As the Apostle Paul tells us, we cannot operate in isolation on a social and economic level, but we must segregate ourselves when it comes to the worship of and the obedience to the Biblical God (1 Cor. 5:9-11). Though the vast majority of those we know, including our immediate family members, will reject our walk with the Lord, if we put forth His light in our daily walk we will stand before His son at judgment knowing that we did what He required of us.

When I show people what God says in His Word about separating themselves from the professing church (Catholicism/Protestantism), church people routinely reject His Word and therefore reject Him. I have found that the more religious the hearer, the quicker and more adamantly the rejection, ministers having the quickest and loudest tongues. From the minutely few who will agree that God is right but who do not have the spiritual spine to obey Him, I normally hear something to this effect: “I’ll stay in the church so that I can win others to the Lord.” This is 1) an expression of fear of the reaction of family, friends, etc. to one’s decision to obey the Lord and, 2) a rejection of His Words. GOD COMMANDS THAT WE COME OUT OF THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH. PERIOD. The ultimate statement in this regard is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Here the Lord commands those who truly seek Him to come out of Satan’s house of religious prostitution where parishioners have a standing appointment. On schedule, with money in hand, parishioners arrive and settle in for an hour or so of religious feel-good before being sent on their way. Before leaving, Satan’s pimp (minister) reminds them to return for their next appointment at their full-service ear-scratching station. In 2 Tim. 4:3 Paul warns Timothy that a time would come when church people would not endure sound–Biblical–doctrine, but would instead hire those who would scratch their itching ears, who would turn them away from the Truth and to fables–“doctrines of devils” (4:1). WE ARE LIVING IN THAT DAY.  See Simon of Samaria and What is Truth? To be continued. L.J.