"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. " (John 15:7, 8)

" If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. " (John 15: 10, 11)

" You are My friends, if you do what I command you. " (John 15: 14 )
 

These words of our Lord Jesus Christ teach us that even though we have the " free gift" of eternal life and can "never" lose it (John 10:28), the Lord Jesus still wants us to be obedient Christians. Loving Him, having our prayers answered, bearing fruit, having joy, and being Jesus' friend, all depend on "if you keep His commandments!"

 This booklet teaches us about the Lord Jesus' commandments to Christians concerning SEPARATION. From Genesis to Revelation, the Lord has wanted His people to be separate. In Genesis 6:2, when God's people stopped being separate, the whole world became corrupt. Only 8 people remained separate.

In Luke 18:8, Jesus wonders if He will find anyone faithful on the earth when He returns. In Rev. 3:4, there are only a "few" in the church that will walk with Jesus in white. In the last church of the last days, Rev. 3:16, there is no one! The Lord says He will spit (vomit, in Greek) them out of His mouth.

In Rev. 18:4, during the 7 year tribulation period, some of the believers do not stay separate, but are involved with the Harlot, Babylon, the false church of that time. The voice from heaven warns them to "come out of her" (the Harlot false church) "MY PEOPLE" (the true believers) to avoid the discipline of their disobedience.

You may be in a "Christian" church that has a false gospel, no gospel, or unbiblical doctrines right now! Or you may know other believers who are in error. You must be faithful and gracious to provide the biblical information exposing their errors, and explain why you must obey God's commands and separate from them if they continue in error. If they are reasonable and teachable, you need to be willing to spend the time necessary to correct them, in obedience to the following verses:

 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you,  so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

“And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God will grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of truth, " (ll Tim. 2.24, 25)

"And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (II Thess. 3:15)

We pray this bible study will help you understand your responsibility as a Christian to obey God's commands in this area of SEPARATION.

Read II Tim. 3:16,17
In vs. 16, what does "All Scripture" refer to? _________________ Who gave the Scriptures to man? ________The Bible teaches that Jesus is God in flesh. Could we say that the whole Bible is Jesus' words? _________ In vs. 16, what is the purpose of the Scriptures? _______________________________In vs. 17, what do Jesus' words equip us for? __________________________________

Read John 14:21-24
Do you love Jesus? ______ In vs. 21, what will a person be doing if they love Jesus? ______________________________ In vs. 23, if you love Jesus what will you do? _________________________ What does it mean to "keep His word?" __________________________________In vs. 24, what if you do not "keep His word?"_______________________

Read James 1:22-25
In vs. 22, if you know what the Bible says and refuse to do it, what kind of person are you? ________________________  In vs. 25, if you do what the Scriptures say, what will happen to you? _____________________________
 

UNBELIEVERS -- those who do not believe that Jesus is Creator God, equal to His Father, or they do not believe that forgiveness from hell is a one time, irrevocable free gift of grace, by faith in Jesus' suffering alone!

Read II Cor. 6:14-18
These Scriptures give us commands in regard to our relationship with unbelievers. Vs. 14 says, "Do not be _______________ with unbelievers." What do you think this means? _______________________________________
In vss, 14-16, list the five words used as examples of being "bound together." ____________________________________
These are some people, and groups a Christian should not be bound with: unsaved fiance, unsaved business partner, public school, A.A., Catholicism, and Mormonism. Can you think of any others? ______________________________
Are you involved in any of those? ______ In vs. 17, what does the Lord command you to do when you are in one of those situations? _____________________________ What will the Lord do if you do this, vss.16 and 18? _________________
What happens if you' refuse to obey these commands? __________________ What does the Bible call disobedience to the Lord's commands?___________
 

Read Luke 17:3
What should we do with a Christian who sins? ___________ If  he repents? _______________ If he doesn't? __________

Read Prov. 27:5.6
What is better? ___________________________ What is faithful? ______________________________

Read Matt. 18:15-17
If a Christian continues in sin and will not listen to you, your brothers nor the church, according to vs. 17, how does Jesus tell us to treat that brother or sister? _________________________What does that mean? _____________________
In II Thess. 3:14, what should we do about a sinning Christian? ____________ What is true about you if you refuse to do what the Lord commands in Matt.18: 15-17 and II Thess. 3:14?  ______________________What must we also do in
II Thess. 3:15? _____________________________ In I John 5:2,3 what is genuine love? _______________________

Read John 5:7-14
What is Jesus" warning in vs. 14? _____________________________________ In John 8:11, what is Jesus' warning to the adulterous woman? ______________ What do you think Jesus would warn us? _______________________________
 

Read Romans 16:17,18
What are the sins of "those" Christians in vs. 17? ________________________________________________________
List four or more examples of teachings in Christian churches today that are "contrary to the teaching you have learned" from the Bible. ________________________________________________________________
In vs. 17, what two things are we told to do about a brother or a sister who continues in these sins?  _______________________________________________________________________
In vs. 18, what are these Christian slaves of? ____________________________ And what will they do if you do not obey vs. 17? _________________________ What could happen to you, if you do not obey this command of God? ________

Read I Tim. 4:1-6
How does vs. 1 apply to the command we just read in Rom. 16:17? __________________________________________
What are the false doctrines in vs. 3? __________________________________ Some churches teach these false doctrines by demanding abstinence from alcohol and forbidding marriage to those whose spouse divorced them, contrary to God's word. List other examples of false doctrines: ________________________________________________________________
How does vs.6 encourage us? __________________________ Do you consider yourself a "good servant"? ___________

Read Col. 2:16,20-21
What should we not do? __________________________________________________________________________

Read II Tim. 4:1-4
What are we commanded to do in vs.2? ______________________________________________________________
What does God predict will happen in the end times in vs.3? _______________________________________________
What will they also do in vs.4? _______________________________________  How does this apply to what we saw earlier in Rom.16:17-18? ______________________________________________________________________
How does II Thess. 3:14-15 apply to Christians with false doctrine? _________________________________________
 

Read I Cor. 5:1-13
In verse 1, what is the sin of this Christian in the Corinthian church? __________________________________________
In vs.3, what had the Apostle Paul already done with this man? _____________________________________________
What else had the Apostle done in vs.5? ______________________________________________________________
What word is used for sinning Christians in vss.6-8? _______________ What should we do about it in vs.7? __________
Who should we not associate within vs.11? ______________________ List the sins a Christian should not be involved with in vs. 11 ______________________________________________________ Is this a complete list? __ What other sins might a Christian fall into? _________________________________________ What are we not to do with a sinning Christian in vs. 11? __________________ What are we to do with a sinning Christian in vs. 13? _____________________
 

Read I Cor. 5:12
Who are Christians supposed to judge? _________________ What had Paul already done in vs.3? __________________

Read I Cor. 6:1-5
What was the shame of the Christians in vs.5? __________________________________________________________
Why must we learn to judge correctly now, vss. 2-3? _____________________________________________________

Read I Cor. 11:13-15
What should we be able to do in vs. 13? ________________________________

Read Matt. 7:1-5
According to vs.4, when should we not judge? ____________________ In vs.5, when can we judge? ________________

Read I John 1:9, Gal. 6:1
How do we get the log out of our eye?  ________________________________

Read Luke 12:57
What does Jesus question? __________________________________________

Read John 7:24
How does Jesus command us to judge? ________________________________
 

Read II Thess. 3:6
How are we told to respond to an unruly brother? ________________________ What does that mean? _____________  ________________________ What does "unruly" mean? __________________________________________
What should Christians live according to? ______________________________ What are the traditions received from the Apostles? ______________________

Read II Thess. 3:14
Why should we obey the instructions of the Apostles' letters? ______________________________________________
How should we treat a Christian who does not obey the Apostles' letters? _________________________________ For what purpose? _____________________________ What is the balance in vs. 15? ____________________________

Read II Peter 1:20-21
Where did the Apostles get their information for their letters? __________________________________________

Read Titus 3:9-11
What kind of controversies are we to avoid in vs. 9? __________________________________ Why? ____________ ______________________________________ In vs. 10, what are we to do with a Christian who continues to argue about these things? _________________In vs. 11, what is that Christian's real problem? _______________________________
 

In II Cor. 6:14-16, we are commanded to "NOT be bound together with UNBELIEVERS." That means no PARTNERSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, HARMONY, COMMON, or AGREEMENT with them. Yet, in I Cor. 5:9-10, we are told we can associate with them; because to get away from them we would have to ____________________________

ASSOCIATION represents a shallow, casual, mixing or mingling with the unbelievers while not compromising, bringing doubt or reproach to your Christian testimony and Biblical principles.

List some situations where you may be associating with unbelievers, but not fellowshipping or being bound together with them.  _____________________________________________________________________________________________
 

The earlier verses we studied concerning sinning Christians, makes it very clear that GOD COMMANDS US to NOT ASSOCIATE with them. We are to reject them, keep aloof from them, remove them from your midst, and turn away from them. Yet if they are teachable, we are to "...not regard them as an enemy, but admonish them as a brother." Many Christians refuse to obey the Lord Jesus Christ's commands concerning SEPARATION. How about you? Perhaps you did not know these verses before, but now you do. I pray that you would be an obedient Christian so God can bless you with answered prayers, bearing fruit, having joy, and being Jesus' friend. If you have any questions, please call or write:
 

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