The following question was given to a Pastor Owen with his reply.

 

Should we separate from other believers because of the matter of original sin?

Question: When the Bible talks about separation, who are we to separate from? I know that we're not supposed to fellowship with those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6 and others but what about the people who go to church and act right but believe strange things? Like the 'sin nature'? Should I separate from them because one area of their Christian belief is not according to the Bible?

Answer: In 2 Cor 6:14-18 we read about being separated from sinners. We cannot yoke up with unbelievers because there is just too much difference between us. We are in disagreement with them on the most important matters. We don’t even agree on what life is about or how it began. Our values are different and our morals are different. Our goals are all different. There is simply not any common ground on the things that matter most. Besides that, we will be corrupted in our minds and in our hearts by associating with lost people in such a way. We will start to think and reason like they do. We will begin to love the things they love and our heart will be drawn away from God. We are clearly warned that this will happen in the Word of God. God warned the Israelites repeatedly that if they took strange wives and gave their sons and their daughters to be married to the heathen around them they would forsake God and serve their idols, and that is exactly what happened over and over. We are a better and stronger influence when we don’t make leagues with the world, but keep ourselves separate from them. We have to live in the world and we have to buy and sell, etc., but we don’t have to yoke up with them. We shouldn’t involve ourselves in close relationships and fellowships with worldly people.

There are worldly people in the church that a good Christian shouldn’t form close fellowship with. People who attend church but live their life in the realm and fellowship of the world are more dangerous than those outside the church. They have a cloak of “Christian” but are of the same mind and heart as the world. Because they are such we have a difficult time dealing with them, but we must treat them just like we do the lost world – with kindness and friendliness, but guarding against any close relationship that will draw us into their realm.

For all these same reasons we cannot worship and serve God with those who do not believe the basic doctrines of the Bible. For example, we cannot associate and fellowship with Catholics because they do not believe in salvation by grace through faith. They believe and practice many other things that simply cannot work with what we know the Bible says, such as praying to Mary, baptizing babies, the priesthood, etc.

This matter of being “born a sinner” is an issue that we believe is very important, as you can tell from our other writing. However, this issue alone is not something that should cause you to separate from other believers. The doctrine of original sin is an abomination that the devil has been able to use to weaken the gospel and confuse many people. But many of us were saved in churches where this doctrine was taught and believed. I have known many men through the years who claim to believe this doctrine but reject all the natural conclusions that follow if they would simply study and reason it out. They believe that men are responsible for their sin and must repent and trust Christ in order to be saved. They believe that there is victory for the Christian – that the “old nature” is dead and we are now partakers of the “divine nature.” They believe we are overcomers and “more than conquerors,” just as the Bible teaches, but they still occasionally fall back to the idea that we were “born sinners.” It is confusing and it is discouraging to those who have seen the falsehood of this doctrine, but it isn’t grounds, in my opinion, to separate from them.

Now there are different degrees in which people immerse themselves in this doctrine. I mentioned that I know some men who still cling to the doctrine, but rarely mention it. There are others who cannot present the gospel without using original sin as a starting point. Everything they believe is based upon this false doctrine. You will hear it every time they preach. It affects everything they believe and therefore it affects the way they live their lives. It also affects the way their listeners live their lives. There will be no victory and there will be much lasciviousness and loose living there. If I were in a situation like that I’m afraid I would have to separate from them. People like this will make an issue of this doctrine. If they find out that you don’t believe their basic doctrine they will demand that you agree with them or they will do the separating and you won’t have to worry about it.

Separation is very important, but we should be very careful about it. It is a serious thing to separate from brethren and there are consequences that last forever. Our hearts are affected in ways we don’t even realize at the time, and so are the hearts of our children and everyone else who is watching. We better be doing right when we separate from each other. Remember that there is also another verse in the Bible that says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 12:18) If we do have to separate from brethren it better not be with a haughty or arrogant attitude, but with a broken heart, or our motives are wrong and God is not pleased.

________________________________________________________________________________