I AM WORRIED. I am worried about what appears to be a breaking
down of the doctrine of separation among fundamental believers.
I am worried because I believe that Biblical separation is necessary
for the preservation of New Testament Christianity and the preservation
of the nation. I am worried because I love my country, and I
believe the doctrine of separation and its practice by God's
people is necessary for deliverance of that country and for the
avoiding of the judgment of God.
I AM NOT ANGRY at anyone. I am not angry at those who disagree
with this treatise. I am not angry at those who will attack it
and its author. I am worried-worried enough to feel that this
must be in print, that it must be read and considered.
I AM NOT ACCUSING anyone of compromise. I believe that compromise
is committed when one knows what to do, but for the sake of convenience
or reward does not do what he knows is right or does not preach
his own conviction. I am aware that one may disagree with the
contents of this manuscript and not be compromising; he can be
wrong on his position, but he may nevertheless be sincere, so
I am not accusing anyone of compromise.
I AM NOT SLANDERING the character of those who might disagree.
Some sincere people will, no doubt, not agree with the author's
position. I am not and will not attack them personally or be
accusative in my conversation concerning those who do not agree
with my position.
I AM NOT ATTACKING. No names of fundamental brethren will
be mentioned in the following pages, and there is no desire on
the part of the author to be hurtful, unchristian or unkind.
I AM JUST WORRIED. I am worried because I believe Biblical
separation is necessary for the salvation of this civilization.
I am not asking the reader to believe what the author believes
unless the reader finds himself disagreeing with what he wants
to believe because of conscious or unconscious drifting from
what he once accepted as the Biblical position of separation.
I only ask the reader to examine the contents and consider the
possibility of its being true. I ask this sincerely, not for
the sake of dispute or controversy, but for the sake of my country
whose future I believe does not rest in the White House, the
Supreme Court or the halls of Congress, but in the behavior of
God's people! May these words be read with the same loving spirit
with which they are written.
-Jack Hyles
Chapter 1The Main Reason for
Separation
Dear Reader, Please read Introduction before reading
Chapter One.
Titus 2:14, "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works." Luke 1:17, "And he shall go
before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom
of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Ephesians 1:5, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good
pleasure of His will. " It is obvious from these passages
as to why God created man. Man was created for the glory of God.
He was created for the praise of God. He was created in order
that the great heart of God, Who is love, would have a special
object of His care and recipient of His love. God does not want
us basically to save us from Hell, though that is one reason.
He does not want us mainly to give us Heaven, though that is
another reason. He does not want us mainly to give us joy and
peace, but that is certainly another reason. God mainly wants
us for Himself, that we may praise Him, adore Him, magnify Him,
fellowship with Him and become the object of His great love.
This is why we are commanded to do everything we do to the glory
of God. I Corinthians 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat,
or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
One might then ask, "Isn't it wrong to want to receive
glory for yourself?" Yes, it IS wrong for man to desire
glory, for man does not deserve glory. It is not the desire for
glory that is wrong; it is the desire for undeserved glory that
is wrong. Hence, it is not wrong for God to want glory for Himself,
for He is deserving of glory.
Then why isn't that the reason that God appeals to us to be
saved? Why doesn't He come to man and say, "I want to be
glorified. Would you trust Me as your Saviour and receive Me
as your God because I will get more glory if you do?" The
simple answer is that few would be saved through those incentives.
So God comes to us, offers us peace, joy, Heaven and salvation
from Hell if we will receive Him. When we do receive Him, He
then gives us the Holy Spirit Who leads us to desire to praise
God, glorify God, to fellowship with Him and to be the object
and recipient of His great heart of love.
Now if God does not have us, He is jealous of whatever takes
us from Him. This is the basis of separation. God wants the Christian
to be separate from everything that would take away the purpose
of God's creation and redemption of man. If God doesn't have
all of us, He is jealous of what takes us from Himself. Exodus
20:5, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate Me. " Exodus 34:14, "For thou shalt
worship no other god: for the Lord, Whose name is Jealous, is
a jealous God." Deuteronomy 4:24, "For the Lord thy
God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." Deuteronomy
5:9, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve
them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate Me." Zechariah 1:14, "So the angel
that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith
the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with
a great jealousy." Zechariah 8:2, "Thus saith the Lord
of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was
jealous for her with great fury. " In these and other passages
in the Bible we find that God is a jealous God. At one place,
He is named Jealous. We find in these passages that He is jealous
of His people. He is jealous for Jerusalem. He is jealous for
Zion. This means that since God made us for Himself and redeemed
us for Himself, He wants us for Himself and desires that we be
separate from anything that detracts from His praise, from His
glory and from His fellowship with His special creation.
This is the reason God is jealous of and wants us to be separate
from liberal theologians and those professing Christians who
do not believe the verbal inspiration of the Bible, the virgin
birth, the perfect life of Christ, His deity, His vicarious death,
His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven and His second
coming to earth. When God's people fellowship with such doubters,
there is a good chance that some seeds of doubt will be lodged
in their hearts. God wants to be praised. Anything that takes
away the deity of Christ could be a barrier between the praise
and glory that God should receive from us. He does not want us
to associate with those who doubt His honesty, His deity and
His integrity. Because of this, He tells us to separate from
such people. II Corinthians 6:14-17, "Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he
that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as
God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." You
will notice that we are to separate from unbelievers, from darkness,
from Belial, from the unclean. God is not just being "picky";
He wants us for Himself. He wants the purpose for His creating
us and redeeming us to be fulfilled. Therefore, since this would
be hindered by our fellowship with those things mentioned in
the above passage, He wants us separate from them.
A Christian in bad health cannot praise the Lord as much as
a Christian in good health. This is why He wants us to separate
ourselves from things that would impair our health, thereby limiting
our ability to praise Him, honor Him and glorify Him as we should.
God does not tell us to separate ourselves from unclean things
such as strong drink, narcotics (which would include tobacco
and alcohol), etc. just because He wants to restrain us from
a few of His pet peeves; rather, He knows that if we partake
of these things, we will limit our physical and mental ability
to fulfill the purpose for our creation and redemption.
Since man can praise his God better with a sound mind than
with one that is weakened and deadened, He tells us to separate
ourselves from those things that would limit our mental ability
to give Him the honor, glory and praise that He wants and deserves
from us.
"But," says someone, "jealousy is wrong, isn't
it?" Certainly jealousy for man is a dangerous thing, but
it is not wrong for God. God has a perfect right to our praise,
our glory and our honor, and so the attribute of jealousy is
certainly justifiable for God.
God wants us especially for Himself. Lamentations 3:24, "The
Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."
In the time of the patriarchs, the firstborn belonged to God.
Later, God turned to a tribe. Instead of the firstborn being
set apart for God's service, the tribe of Levi was chosen. Numbers
3:12, "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among
the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth
the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites
shall be Mine." The Levites were chosen because of their
separation after the "golden calf' sin. Exodus 32:26-28,
"Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who
is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons
of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto
them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword
by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the
camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion,
and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according
to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about
three thousand men."
The Levites were divided into three groups-the Gershonites,
the Merarites and the Kohathites. Basically, the Gershonites
were given the responsibility of transporting the tent and the
hangings of the tabernacle as the Jews traveled from place to
place. The Merarites were given the responsibility of transporting
the bars, the boards and the pillars. The Kohathites were given
the responsibility of transporting the furniture. The tribe of
Levi had replaced the firstborn of the patriarchal days, as those
given to God especially for His service.
When the Israelites got to the land of Canaan, the tribe of
Levi was given no inheritance. Numbers 18:20, "And the Lord
spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land,
neither shalt thou have any part among them; I am thy part and
thine inheritance among the children of Israel." Deuteronomy
10:8, 9, "At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi,
to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before
the Lord to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto
this day. Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his
brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord
thy God promised him." Deuteronomy 18:1, 2, "The priests
the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor
inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the
Lord made by fire, and His inheritance. Therefore shall they
have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance,
as He hath said unto them." Ezekiel 44:27, 28, "And
in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court,
to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sinoffering,
saith the Lord God. And it shall be unto them for an inheritance:
I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession
in Israel: I am their possession." God told them that He
was to be their inheritance. He was their portion. In other words,
God wanted to be all that they needed.
Today all believers have access to the priesthood. God is
our portion. He wants to be all that we need. He wants us to
Himself. He wants our praise, our glory, our honor, our adoration,
our devotion and our worship, just as He wanted to be all that
was needed by the Levites.
However, this is not all that God wanted. He not only wanted
to be their inheritance and for Him to be their portion, but
He wanted for the Levites to be His portion. Deuteronomy 32:9,
"For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot
of His inheritance. " Not only was He all that they needed,
but they were all that He needed. He wanted them separated to
Himself so that they could find their all in Him and He could
find His all in them. Today, through salvation, all believers
have access to the priesthood. I Corinthians 2:5, 9, "That
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love Him. "God wants
us to find our all in Him, and He wants to find His all in us.
In summary, God made us for Himself. He redeemed us for Himself,
and He is jealous of anything that takes us from Him. So He has
made "off limits" for us anything or any person that
would hinder the purpose for our creation and salvation. He did
not just arbitrarily sit down and make a list of things from
which He wanted us to be separated, but rather, He listed those
things that would hinder the very purpose for His creation and
redemption of His people. Any personal pleasures that would detract
from our purpose of being, any contact with people who would
hinder God's purpose for us, or any endeavor that would damage
our union with Christ for Whom we were made are out of bounds.
He made you for Himself He wants you for Himself, and He wants
you to separate yourself from anything or anybody that would
keep Him from being your portion and keep you from being His.
Chapter 2Sanctify Yourself
Joshua 3:5, "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify
yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
I am worried! Years ago Satan tried to get fundamentalists and
liberals together. These Sanballats and Tobiahs exhausted themselves
in an effort to unite Bible-believing Christians with those who
were infidels. Thank God, they failed. Soon Satan sent a mediator
to pull us together. This mediator was simply a hypocritical
liberalism hiding behind fundamentalist terminology. He said
he believed in the Bible, but not word for word. He believed
in a hell without fire and in sin without enumeration. He spoke
against liquor but not for total abstinence. He had a Heaven
without golden streets and a salvation without regeneration.
He was called a neo-orthodox. Soon the fundamentalist stripped
him of his facade and showed him for what he really was.
Wounded but not defeated, Satan inserted another intercessor
to woo the fundamentalist in an effort to get him to betroth
liberalism. This subtle cupid shot his arrows of love toward
us until we became ashamed of our hatred for wrong. This evangelist
for compromise told us to believe right but to seek acceptability.
He sent us to study Barth and prodded us to read Brunner and
Niebuhr. He taught us that righteousness and justice meant little
and that love meant everything. He sent us to questionable colleges
and compromising seminaries and told us that in order to be prepared
we needed to know both sides. He made us ashamed of proven terms
like "fundamentalism," "mourner's bench,"
"Hell-fire and brimstone preaching," "altar calls,"
"revivals," "get right with God," etc. He
put liberal eye shadow on our fundamentalist eyes and liberal
earrings on our fundamentalist ears. He put liberal rouge on
our fundamentalist cheeks and liberal lipstick on our fundamentalist
lips. He put liberal powder on our fundamentalist noses and liberal
shoes on our fundamentalist feet. He put liberal dye on our fundamentalist
hair and liberal terminology on our fundamentalist doctrine.
He appealed to our second-generation city slickers in an attempt
to make us ashamed of our founding fathers. He reminded us of
their lack of education and refinement and assured us that we
could be suave AND fundamental. He made us ashamed of our heritage
and clouded what our forefathers said by ridiculing how they
said it. This was new evangelicalism. We courted him for awhile
but soon saw through his man-made love and found it actually
to be hatred.
Finally we rejected his proposal only to find that there is
another girl in the block. It is hard to tell whether she is
loving us to right or seducing us to wrong. She is very attractive,
but I worry about the look in her eye. In as much as I want to
like her, I feel very suspicious about her.
Now who is this temptress? It is fundamental preachers becoming
involved with outsiders in secular endeavors, and I am afraid
that this contact with the liberal crowd will make us like them,
for believe me, they ARE likable, and this new girl in the block
just may accomplish what liberalism, neo-orthodoxy and new evangelicalism
could not accomplish.
All of us have one thing in common. We long to see our nation
and its freedom preserved for our children and grandchildren.
Because of this we find occasion to rejoice. We can rejoice at
the growth of our fundamental churches. We can rejoice at the
inevitable results of this growth such as Christian schools for
our children and Christian colleges for our youth and rejoice
because of the men whom God has given us to appear at courts
of justice on our behalf, and we can even rejoice at the political
clout that has followed our new miraculous growth. It may be,
however, that we have become so excited that we can mistakenly
feel that we are ushering in the kingdom. We may be tempted to
rush out and buy a lion and lamb to lie down together. We may
bore a hole in the cockatrice den. It may be possible that we
have forgotten the real reason that God spares societies; that
is, in a miraculous response to the sanctification of His people.
We seem to have forgotten that God was not looking for ten saved
people in Sodom; He was looking for ten righteous people in Sodom.
We face a peculiar kind of Christianity where a professed, born-again
quarterback gives an interview to Playboy Magazine and implies
that Jesus would do the same thing if He were here.
A famous singer who is a professing Christian appears at nightclubs,
and at giant rallies he testifies concerning his love for Jesus.
A publisher of a pornographic magazine says he has been born
again yet continues to publish his illicit material. A famous
evangelist says that he is not sure if Hell has fire. All of
a sudden we old-timers cannot believe it!
The children of Israel were in the wilderness. They had no
house of God, they had no law, they had just left Egypt. God's
command is for them to sanctify themselves. Exodus 19:10, "And
the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them
to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes."
These same Israelites came to a place where they had no flesh
to eat and pleaded with God to provide flesh for them, but first
they must sanctify themselves. Numbers 11:18, "And say thou
unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye
shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying,
Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt:
therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat."
Now they stand before the Jordan River. It is time to cross
the Jordan and enter into the land of promise. God will give
them the victory, but first they must sanctify themselves. Joshua
3:5, "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves:
for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
After they entered the Promised Land, the Israelites lost
the battle at Ai. Now they come to Ai for the second time. Before
God will give them the victory, they must first sanctify themselves.
Joshua 7:13, "Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify
yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of
Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel:
thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away
the accursed thing from among you."
The ark of the covenant is gone from Israel. God wants them
to have it returned, but first they must sanctify themselves.
I Chronicles 15:12, "And said unto them, Ye are the chief
of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and
your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of
Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it."
Under King Ahaz there has been terrible apostasy! God raises
up the good king, Hezekiah, and revival is about to come, but
before revival comes, the people must be sanctified. II Chronicles
29:5, "And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify
now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your
fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place."
Then there comes even a worse apostasy under Manasseh and
Amon. God raises up a young king named Josiah through whom comes
a great revival, but first there must come the sanctifying of
the people of God. II Chronicles 35:6, "So kill the passover,
and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they
may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses."
When the temple was dedicated God wanted the people sanctified
before the dedication. II Chronicles 7:14, "If My people,
which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will
I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land."
America needs a miracle ! Though voting is important, this
country will not be spared the judgment of God at the ballot
box. We need a Red Sea to part or some walls around Jericho to
fall or the sun to stand still or a pillar of cloud to lead us
or the fire to fall. If America is saved, she will be saved because
of direct intervention from God Almighty in response to a sanctified
people. The troubles in our nation are not caused mainly by the
homosexuals, though it is a godless crowd. The troubles in America
are not mainly caused by the liquor traffic, though it is a disgrace
to our nation. The troubles in America are not caused basically
by the dope traffic, though it is a horrible Satanic menace.
Nations are spared when the remnant is sanctified. God looks
for ten righteous people in Sodom. He looks for a covenant of
salt. He looks for Gideon's three hundred who are set apart wholly
to God. God will intervene and spare this nation when His people
are sanctified; when Christian ladies turn off the soap operas;
when Christian young people forsake their rock music; when Christian
ladies learn to dress modestly; when a liberal is a liberal again
and a fundamentalist is a fundamentalist again; when right is
right, wrong is wrong, black is black and white is white again;
when God's men are prophets again; when we again hear sermons
on judgment, Hell, drinking, dancing and gambling; when fundamentalists
sing like fundamentalists, talk like fundamentalists and dress
like fundamentalists again; and when we get back to our sawdust-trail,
mourner's-bench Christianity which preaches holy living from
the pulpit and practices it in the pulpit and the pew! Let us
fight abortion. Let us fight the liquor traffic. Let us fight
communism. Let us fight the dirty television shows.
Let us fight indecent dress. Let us fight homosexuality. Yet,
we must face the issue squarely-the salvation of any nation is
caused by God's intervention in response to the sanctification
of His people in that nation.
Chapter 3Liberty through Separation
Psalm 119:41-46, "Let Thy mercies come also unto me,
O Lord, even Thy salvation, according to Thy word. So shall I
have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust
in Thy word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my
mouth; for I have hoped in Thy judgments. So shall I keep Thy
law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty:
for I seek Thy precepts. I will speak of Thy testimonies also
before kings, and will not be ashamed."
In our fundamental churches and schools we have some rules
and standards. We have rules about dating, rules about hair styles,
rules about clothing, rules about smoking and dancing and rock
music, rules about speech and respect and behavior, rules about
contact with the opposite sex, and rules about many other matters.
Immediately the accusations begin to roll: "Legalism! Legalism!
Legalism!" Such statements are often made by men with neo-evangelical
hearts who masquerade in fundamental clothing. Sometimes they
are made by men who have been fundamentalists and yet have become
weary of the battle and yearn to return to the onions, watermelons,
leeks and garlic of acceptance.
Then this cry of legalism often comes from the desks of colleges
and seminaries built on a fundamental foundation with walls of
compromise and a leaky roof of pseudo-liberty.
'Tis sad but true, we have grown to desire that our truth
be accredited by worldly error. We want a license from wrong
to do right. We want darkness to approve light. We want the unclean
to accredit the clean. We want Belial to give Christ the right
to exist. In so doing, not only are we betraying the standards
of our forefathers, but we are betraying our own standards of
a few years ago. If we cannot have padded pews AND Hell-fire
and brimstone preaching, then let's return to the sawdust trail
in a storefront building! If we can't have organs AND trained
choirs without the sevenfold amens and crusty anthems, then let's
go back to the piano and the tuning fork! If we can't have a
marriage of proper grammar and mourner's-bench Christianity,
then let's go back to splitting infinitives, dangling participles
and hanging gerunds! If tiled rest rooms and chandeliers aren't
conducive to the old-time religion, then let's mark off a path,
build an outhouse and use 60-watt light bulbs! If we have to
include Kierkegaard, Niebuhr and Brunner in order to be theologically
intellectual, then let's go back to the blue-back speller, the
A,B,C's and the Word of God!
We have listened too much to the worldly psychiatrists and
not enough to the prophets of God. We have listened too much
to humanistic philosophers and not enough to men of God.
The beautiful feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace
have historically been shod with common shoes. The hands that
have wielded the Sword of the Spirit have historically been callused
ones. The eyes that look through the helmet of salvation have
been tear-stained ones. The bodies that have been protected by
the shield of faith have been pure ones. Yet sad to say there
are those who would have us forsake our standards of behavior
and they cry, "Legalism! Legalism! Legalism ! "
Someone needs to inform these dear souls as to what legalism
really is. Legalism is attaching something besides faith to salvation.
Salvation by faith plus works is legalism. Salvation by faith
plus baptism is legalism. Salvation by faith plus keeping the
law is legalism. Salvation by faith plus communion is legalism.
Salvation by faith plus confirmation is legalism. Salvation by
faith plus Sabbath keeping is legalism.
The legalist is not the godly mother who insists that her
daughter be modest. The legalist is not the dedicated old dad
who takes his son to the barber shop. The legalist is not the
faithful pastor who insists that his Sunday school teachers do
not drink or smoke. The legalist is not the godly educator who
forbids his students to dance or listen to Satan's music. The
legalist is not the man of God who cries aloud and spares not
concerning the evil of our generation.
Was Paul a legalist when he told men not to have long hair?
I Corinthians 11:14, "Doth not even nature itself teach
you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"
Was Paul a legalist when he told ladies not to have short hair?
Was Moses a legalist when he gave us the ten commandments? Was
Paul a legalist when he admonished the deacons in I Timothy 3
not to be double-tongued, and to be the husband of one wife,
be honest and temperate? I Timothy 3:8-13, "Likewise must
the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine,
not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith
in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then
let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even
so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful
in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling
their children and their own houses well. For they that have
used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good
degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."
Was Paul a legalist when he told pastors to be sober, the husband
of one wife, not given to wine and greedy of money? I Timothy
3:1-7, "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office
of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour,
given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker,
not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity; (for if a man know not how to rule his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice,
lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation
of the Devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which
are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the
Devil."
Was Paul a legalist when he admonished Titus to tell the aged
men to be sober, grave, temperate, sound, loving and patient?
Titus 2:2, "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate,
sound in faith, in charity, in patience." Was Paul a legalist
when he told Titus to tell the aged women to be holy and temperate?
Titus 2:3, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour
as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine,
teachers of good things." Was Paul a legalist when he told
Titus to teach the young women to be sober, love their husbands,
love their children, etc.? Titus 2:4, 5, "That they may
teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to
love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home,
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be
not blasphemed." Was Paul a legalist when he told Titus
to tell the young men to be sober minded, clean, pure, etc.?
Titus 2:6-8, "Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine
shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that
cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may
be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Was Paul
a legalist when he told Titus to exhort the servants as to their
behavior? Titus 2:9, 10, "Exhort servants to be obedient
unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things;
not answering again; not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity;
that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."
Was Paul a legalist when he gave us standards for women's dress?
I Timothy 2:9, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves
in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with
broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array."
Now why do we have these rules? Notice Psalm 119:45, "And
I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts." The Psalmist
says here that he walks in liberty because he seeks God's precepts
or because he keeps His commandments. Modern thought teaches
us that if we walk in liberty, we don't have to keep commandments,
but the Bible says the liberty is in keeping the commandments
and not in being free from them.
The Scripture here deals with walls. The Psalmist is likening
commandments to a wall of protection around a city. The ancient
Eastern cities had walls built around them in order to keep the
enemy from the people. Now these walls were not to keep the people
from liberty, but to keep the people in liberty and free from
those who would kill them or enslave them. Suppose an attack
were to come from without and the enemy armies would begin to
advance. Where would the people be free? Inside the walls or
outside the walls? Inside, of course! The walls were built around
the people in order that they may be free from the bondage of
the enemy attacking from without. Rules and standards do not
enslave; they liberate! The very purpose of commandments, rules
and standards is to build a wall so those things which could
enslave cannot reach our people. We have a rule against drinking
because drinking enslaves. Hence, it is put outside the wall.
We have a rule against narcotics because narcotics enslave. Hence,
they are put outside the wall. We have a rule against stealing
because stealing enslaves. Hence, stealing is placed outside
the wall. The very purpose of rules is to build a place of freedom
so those things that enslave us cannot reach us.
There is a commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill."
Now where is freedom? Inside the commandment or outside the commandment?
Inside, of course! A man may say that he is free to kill, but
he loses his freedom when he kills. The same is true with adultery,
dope, drink, smoking, rock music, homosexuality and other things
that enslave.
Humanistic universities often shoot their satiristic barbs
toward fundamental schools and say they are prisons. Nothing
is further from the truth! The humanistic school is the prison.
Many of the students there are bound by liquor, bound by narcotics,
bound by homosexuality, bound by immorality, bound by nicotine
and bound by rock music. No one loves them enough and no one
is wise enough to build a wall of standards around them in order
that they may be free from those things which enslave. Freedom
is not in the university which has no rules; freedom is in a
university which loves its students enough to build rules of
protection around them. Love is not breaking down the walls;
love is building the walls! Love is not freedom to go to the
captor; love is freedom from the captor!
Recently I was in southern California. It was a beautiful
morning, so I took a walk. I saw a perfect illustration of this
point. I walked by a corner house which had a fenced-in back
yard. Inside that fence was a little Chihuahua dog and outside
the fence was a giant bulldog. The little Chihuahua began to
run up and down the fence barking. Then I thought I heard him
speak a little bit. I think I heard him say, "Let me out!
Let me out! Let me out! I want my freedom! I'm tired of being
a slave. Let me out. I want to be free. Let me out!" How
foolish that little dog was! The big bulldog had already put
his napkin around his neck and said grace. Now where was the
freedom for the Chihuahua? Inside the fence or outside the fence?
Inside, of course. There are millions of young Americans like
that Chihuahua. "Let me out. I want to be free. Woof! Woof!
I want to be free. " Then they are allowed to leave the
freedom provided by the fence. They leave what they think is
slavery and are soon captured by those things from without which
hitherto were not allowed to reach them because of standards
and rules built as a fence for their protection. When I was inducted
into the Army in World War II, the first night I slept in a tent
in Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. A sergeant came to me and said, "Private
Hyles, do you see that fence over there?"
I said, "Yes, I do."
He said, "Those men on the other side of that fence are
the worst of the German prisoners of war. You are not allowed
to go over there."
Brother, he wasted his time and effort in making that last
statement. I wasn't about to go over there, for my freedom was
provided by that fence. The boundary itself gave me freedom.
To go across the boundary would be a loss of freedom.
Many years ago when I was pastoring in Garland, Texas, I had
a daily radio broadcast. Ordinarily the broadcast was live. However,
on occasion, if I were scheduled to be out of town for a day
or so, I would make a tape and take it to the radio station located
on the eleventh floor of the Stoneleigh Hotel of Dallas, Texas.
On one occasion I took a tape to the station. When I got on the
elevator, I told the operator, who was an attractive young lady,
that I wanted to go to the eleventh floor. She didn't hear a
word I said! She was in a daze because Elvis Presley had just
ridden her elevator. Finally I convinced her that I needed to
go to the eleventh floor, and all she talked about was the fact
that she had been alone with Elvis Presley for a few minutes.
She finally gathered herself together and took me to the eleventh
floor. She waited as I took the tape across the hallway to the
station and then took me back to the main floor. On the way,
however, she stopped the elevator, and Elvis Presley got on.
He had on a green satin suit and at that time was in his heyday.
I introduced myself to Elvis, we shook hands, and then I asked
him, "Elvis, do you know, if you died today, you would go
to Heaven?"
His answer was startling. "I certainly do," he said.
"I was saved when I was a child." Then he proceeded
to tell me the circumstances. As best I remember, he said that
his grandmother or some other relative had taken him to hear
an old-fashioned Gospel preacher. He had received Christ as his
Saviour. He told me in clear, positive language of his salvation.
I then looked him square in the eye and said, "Elvis,
how could a person who is born again live the kind of life that
you are living?"
He said, "Jack, I got tired of the rules. I wanted to
be free."
Need I say more? The very type of death that he died is living
proof that though he thought he was leaving slavery to go to
freedom, he was leaving freedom to go to slavery.
We have the idea that freedom is detachment, but this is not
so. Freedom is being delivered from one master to a higher form
of servitude to our Deliverer. Freedom is deliverance from the
law for a higher law. Freedom is a higher law liberating me from
a lower one. Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Freedom is deliverance from that which God did not intend for
me to do in order that I may be a servant to that which God intended
me to do.
Jeremiah put it this way. Thou hast broken the yokes of wood;
but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron." (Jeremiah 28:13b)
Abstinence from liquor is a yoke of wood; when it is broken,
its place is taken by alcoholism which is a yoke of iron. Abstinence
from narcotics is a yoke of wood; but when it is broken, it is
replaced by the yoke of iron which is addiction.
David said, "I will be free," and in so doing, he
became a slave to his passions. Lot said, "I will be free,"
and in so doing, he became a slave to the sins of Sodom. Samson
said, "I will be free," and in so doing, he was bound
to the mill with his eyes blinded. Solomon said, "I will
be free," and in so doing, he became a slave to lust.
I thank God for an old-fashioned wall-building mother who
built around me a wall of rules that kept me free from those
life-ruining things that would have enslaved me. I thank God
for an old-fashioned wall-building preacher who preached multitudes
of "thou shalt not's" and in so doing kept me free
from the captor. I thank God for old-fashioned schools, churches
and preachers who still in this permissive society build little
places of freedom and wall these places with rules so that our
young people cannot be captured by the enemy.
Choose if you will, the bondage of compromise, but build for
me the liberty of fundamental separation, or as one has previously
said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
Chapter 4A Christian's Attitude
Toward Other Christians with Whom He Cannot Cooperate
Recently I was flying to a speaking engagement. The gentlemen
seated beside me on the airplane looked at me and asked, "Aren't
you Dr. Jack Hyles?"
I said, "Yes, I am."
He introduced himself to me as a Christian brother who was
in the Lord's work full time. He was saved, and yet was aligned
with a group with whom I could not align myself in cooperation.
However, we had a nice conversation on the airplane. We talked
about salvation, how wonderful it was to be a Christian, and
many other things that we mutually shared. Now I would not have
this brother in my church to speak nor would he have me in his
church to speak. There is no way that I could cooperate with
him in an endeavor that would cause us to yoke up together, but
that did not mean I was unkind to him. That did not mean that
I doubted his salvation, and that did not mean that we could
not spend a few minutes rejoicing in our common salvation.
Recently I was in a clothing store. A former member of First
Baptist Church who is now leading a compromising life was there.
I went to that member, talked with him and we enjoyed being together
for a few minutes. We have some common experiences and memories
that we relived and shared. For about fifteen minutes we talked
and laughed and reminisced. Now this does not mean that I would
invite this member living in a position of compromise over to
my house for an evening, nor does it mean that I would cooperate
with him in some kind of an endeavor.
Not long ago I crossed the path of a husband and wife who
have drifted far from God and His purpose for their lives. They
are saved but backslidden. I chatted with them courteously and
kindly and then passed on. I did not have to choose between yoking
up with them in some endeavor which involved my compromising
and being rude to them. The Bible is plain concerning how we
are to behave toward believers as far as our manner toward them
is concerned. Following are some of the attitudes that we are
to have toward all believers:
1. We are to love each other. I John 3:14, 15, "We know
that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever
hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer
hath eternal life abiding in him." Romans 12:9, 10; "Let
love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave
to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." Ephesians
4:15, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into
Him in all things, Which is the head, even Christ."
2. We are not to hate a Christian brother. I John 2:9, "He
that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in
darkness even until now."
3. We are not to count a Christian brother as an enemy. II
Thessalonians 3:14, 15, "And if any man obey not our word
by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him,
that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish
him as a brother."
4. We are to edify our Christian brother. Romans 14:19, "Let
us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and
things wherewith one may edify another."
5. We are not to have bitterness, wrath, anger, malice or
evil speaking toward our Christian brother. Ephesians 4:30, 31,
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, Whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put way from you, with
all malice."
6. We are to be kindly affectioned toward our Christian brother.
Romans 12:10, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another."
7. We are to offer forbearance to those in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:2, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering,
forbearing one another in love."
8. We are to respond to their evil with good. Romans 12:21,
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
9. We are not to sow discord among Christian brethren. Proverbs
6:16,19, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven
are an abomination unto Him . . . a false witness that speaketh
lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
10. We are not to cause our Christian brother to stumble.
Romans 14:10-13, 21, "But why dost thou judge thy brother?
or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all
stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written,
As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give
account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another
any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock
or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. It is good neither
to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother
stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."
11. We should do all we can to restore a Christian brother
o has erred. Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the
spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
12. We should warn a Christian brother concerning unruly behavior.
I Thessalonians 5:14, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn
them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak,
be patient toward all men."
13. We are to do our best to strengthen our Christian brother.
Romans 14:1, "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye,
but not to doubtful disputations." Romans 15:1-3, "We
then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,
and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour
for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself;
but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached
thee fell on me."
14. When our Christian brother does err, we are to speak the
truth to him, but we are to do it in love. Ephesians 4:15, "But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things,
Which is the head, even Christ."
15. We must always realize the possibility of our stumbling.
Galatians 1:7-9, "Which is not another; but there be some
that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed." Notice the Apostle Paul entertains the possibility
that someday he could come and preach the wrong doctrine. This,
no doubt, prevented him from thinking too highly of himself Romans
12:3, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every
man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than
he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath
dealt to every man the measure of faith." He always entertained
the possibility that he could also fall. I Corinthians 10:12,
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall."
16. We should give extra care in our attitudes toward pastors
who are saved and are God's men. They who rule well are to be
counted worthy of double honor. I Timothy 5:17, "Let the
elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially
they who labour in the word and doctrine."
We are not to lift our hands against God's anointed. I Samuel
26:9, "And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who
can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be
guiltless?" I Chronicles 16:22, "Saying, Touch not
Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm." Psalm 105:15,
"Saying, Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no
harm."
We are to take extra care in our treatment toward God's men.
I Timothy 5:1, "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as
a father; and the younger men as brethren." I Timothy 5:19,
20, "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before
two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that
others also may fear. "
There are many other attitudes and manners of behavior that
we are supposed to have for God's people. This does not mean,
however, that it is always proper to yoke up with the people
of God in some kind of Christian endeavor. Romans 16:17, "Now
I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them." I Timothy 1:19, 20, "Holding faith, and
a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith
have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom
I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme."
Philippians 3:17-19, "Brethren, be followers together of
me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you
even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation
is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ." There are Christian students in Christian
schools to whom our children should be friendly and courteous
and kind but with whom they should not have their social lives
interwoven. There are Christian young men that should not be
dated by spiritual young ladies. This does not mean that they
should be looked down upon or mistreated; it simply means that
there are some Christians whose lives must cause us not to enter
into close contact or social interaction with them.
There are preachers who are saved men but who belong to compromising
denominations and who support schools that lean toward infidelity.
It is not wrong for us to be kind to these preachers and even
to feel kindly toward them. It is unwise, however, for us to
choose them for places of leadership or places of honor or have
them speak in our churches.
I traveled with such an one recently. He believes the Bible,
he is saved and was on the same airplane with me. He changed
his seat, came up and sat beside me, and I was pleased that he
did. I did not scold him for his relationships and affiliations.
He already knew how I felt about that. I felt kindly and brotherly
toward him and enjoyed being with him, just as I did with the
brother mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. He is my
brother in Christ, and though I cannot endorse him nor speak
for him or have him speak for me, I nevertheless felt kindly
toward him and realized that we are brothers in the same family.
There seems to be an attitude that I either have to slander him
or cooperate with him. What is wrong with doing neither? What
is wrong with being courteous and nice to him, loving him and
having forbearance toward him just as I am commanded, and at
the same time realizing that he is not in a position spiritually
but IS in a position ecclesiastically that would keep me from
wanting him to speak for me or wanting to enter into some spiritual
endeavor with him. He has chosen the crowd with whom he wants
to run. I have chosen the crowd, according to the Scriptures
as I see them, with whom I want to run. If I entered into some
joint endeavor with him, we would have occasion to be tempted
to be unchristian toward each other I can be a better Christian
if I am nice and courteous to him at a distance rather than being
tempted to discourtesy up close. By at a distance," I mean
avoiding joint endeavors, etc.
Whether we believe it or not, we all as Christians practice
this type of separation. The wise parent says to a daughter,
"I know the young man is a Christian, but he is not living
right and I don't want you to go with him." The wise parents
say to a son, I know she is saved, but she is not the kind of
young lady that we want you to date." A wife may say to
a husband, "I know the fellows at the job are saved, but
I wish you would not associate with them; they are doing questionable
things Wise parents who have children in Christian schools will
say to them, "Now you be nice to everybody at school, but
there are some of the Christian young people that are doing wrong
things and I don`t want you to be close to them You be courteous
and nice but don t you socialize with them Now you can call this
secondary separation or anything you want to call it It is just
something that all spiritual Christians practice.
Without malice, bitterness, wrath or clamoring, we choose
for ourselves and for our loved ones those particular Christians
who are spiritual with whom we want to fellowship and with whom
we want our loved ones to fellowship.
If the unseparated Christians will let us, we will help them
If they want us to, we will restore them If they seek it, we
will forgive them but until they are restored and have proven
themselves, we refrain from social intimacies and cooperative
endeavors. We all practice this form of secondary separation
We don't want our children running with the wrong crowd of Christians.
We don't want our children running with Christian young people
that run with the unsaved We exhort them to be nice, yes; to
be kind, courteous and forgiving of course, and yet not to run
with them as good, close friends Now if this be true for our
young people, why wouldn't it be true for Mom and Dad? Perhaps
parents should not make their close friends and associations
with those who run with the unsaved Then why shouldn't it be
true also for a preacher? Perhaps a preacher would be wise to
be careful not to run with other preachers who run with the unsaved
A preacher can be courteous to them and even thank God for the
measure of faithfulness they have to the Word of God and even
rejoice with them in their salvation, but if contact with them
puts him in a position to be tempted to violate the Biblical
laws of separation, he might be wise to take extra care. One
does not have to choose between running with the wrong crowd
and being intimately associated with believers who are running
with the wrong crowd and being courteous and kind with all the
body of Christ.
When our girls were teenagers I did not feel unkind toward
the boys whom I would not let them date There were simply some
Christian boys whom I felt they should not date. This did not
mean I hated them nor wrote articles against them nor slandered
them. It just meant that my daughters could not go with them.
When our son, David, was a teenager, there were some Christian
girls whom he could not date. Some of these attended First Baptist
Church. I was their pastor, I loved them and I was happy to be
their pastor; I simply felt that their Christian lives were not
such as I wanted my son to date them. There were young ladies
in Hammond Baptist High School that I did not want him to date,
and there were young ladies in Hyles-Anderson College that I
did not want him to date. I loved them, taught them, trained
them, prayed for them, strengthened them, encouraged them, and
even accepted the fact that someday they could be restored to
a place where David could go with them. They had done nothing
to cause them to be expelled from school, but they had not done
enough to cause them to be the kind of young lady that I wanted
Dave to date and eventually marry.
There are carnal adults, preachers, and members of First Baptist
Church with whom I would not suggest spiritual folks become intimately
associated Yet I love them and am doing my best to restore them
to the position of spirituality they once knew While awaiting
that time, I am going to continue to love them. I am not going
to slander them. I am going to encourage my people to be courteous,
kind and gracious toward them. I am simply not going to suggest
that my spiritual people get so interwoven with them that they
too will become carnal.
Chapter 5What About Secondary
Separation?
One of the big issues of our day is not only, "Should
we separate, from the wrong crowd?" but also, "Should
we separate from those who run with the wrong crowd?" We
could go on and on and ask, " Should we separate from those
who run with those who run with the wrong crowd?" and "Should
we separate from those who run with those who run with those
who run with the wrong crowd?" To enter into such a subject
is like tiptoeing through mine fields, but since the issue needs
to be faced, we will do so.
Sin is basically that which causes bad consequences to me
or to someone else. This is an oversimplification, but to say
the least, sin has consequences. The ultimate consequence of
sin is death. Because of this, the wise person will find what
leads to death and avoid it. The answer to this is in James 1:14,15.
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his
own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
The Bible teaches us that sin brings death. We are reminded in
the Word of God that the soul that sinneth shall surely die.
We are reminded that the wages of sin is death. If we could just
find what brings death and avoid it, we could avoid death-death
of dreams, death of homes, death of hopes, etc. Since we don't
want to die, then we should avoid sin, for sin brings death.
What brings sin? We find in our text verses the answer to
this. Temptation brings sin. Hence, the wise person will stay
away from death by staying away from sin and will stay away from
sin by staying away from temptation, for temptation leads to
sin and sin leads to death. To be two steps from death is better
than to be one step from death.
We could be even safer if we could find what brings temptation.
Again, our text verses tell us that enticement causes temptation.
Enticement is someone or something trying to get us to consider
wrong. Since enticement leads to temptation and temptation leads
to sin and sin leads to death, then a person is farther from
death if he stays away from enticement. If one does not want
to die, he should avoid sin. If he wants to avoid sin, he should
avoid temptation. If he wants to avoid temptation, he should
avoid enticement. If this can be done, we are another step farther
from death. Far too many of us walk just inside the boundary
of sin, and then one stumble sends us across the line ! However,
if a person can find that temptation brings sin and enticement
brings temptation, he can be several steps from death; then if
he stumbles, he will not stumble into sin but into enticement.
Recently a young lady in Hyles-Anderson College came to my
office in tears and completely broken. I asked her what was the
trouble. She said, "Dr. Hyles, I am a fallen woman."
I said, "Oh, my, I'm sorry!"
She said, "I know I have broken your heart. I never thought
it would happen to me, but it did. I know my parents will be
heartbroken! My pastor will be crushed! I know, Brother Hyles,
that I have hurt you deeply."
As she told me this she was weeping uncontrollably. I wept
with her. I asked her, "Where did this happen?"
She said, "In the halls of Hyles-Anderson College."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I said, "Exactly
what did you do?"
She said, "Brother Hyles, I held a boy's hand."
Though I continued to look concerned, I could not help but
rejoice inwardly. To her, to become a fallen woman was to hold
a boy's hand. She had stayed so far away from sin that when she
did stumble, she was far enough away from the edge of sin not
to go into sin itself How tragic it is that many schools have
their rules just between temptation and sin! The only rules are
those which keep young people from sin. Why not make rules that
keep them from temptation? Then why not make rules that keep
them from enticement? Then why not make rules to prevent enticement
in order to keep the young people even farther from death? If
sin brings death, let us stay away from sin. If temptation brings
sin, let us stay away from temptation. If enticement brings temptation,
let us stay away from enticement.
If we could find what causes enticement, we could take another
step away from death. The answer once again is in our text. Lust
brings enticement. Lust simply means "desire." We lust,
then we are enticed, then we are tempted, then we sin, then we
die. We could take a step farther from death if we could find
what leads to lust or desire. Again we find in our text that
being drawn away leads to lust. God has a plan for each of our
lives. Each of us is to be busily engaged in fulfilling that
plan. When we are drawn away from that plan and the work that
God has called us to do, we then notice what the world has to
offer and we desire it. Once we desire it, there is always someone
who can entice us. Then we are led to temptation which leads
to sin which leads to death!
If we would keep from death, we must keep from sin. If we
would keep from sin, we must keep from temptation, which takes
us two steps from death. If we would be kept from temptation,
we must be kept from enticement, which makes us three steps from
death. If we are kept from enticement, we must be kept from lust,
which puts us four steps from death. If we are kept from lust,
we must be kept from being drawn away, which makes us five steps
from death. It just makes sense that the farther one can stay
from death the better off he is, and since death is caused by
sin and sin brings death, we should stay as far away from sin
as possible. Everyone who goes into sin follows the same pathway.
He is drawn away from doing the things he is supposed to do.
His eyes see something after which he lusts. Then someone entices
him to take, whereupon he is tempted. The temptation leads to
sin, and sin leads to death.
When I was a boy my mother taught me to come straight home
from school. There was a certain route that I was to take every
day. One day I did not take that route but joined some other
boys in traveling another way. We had taken the first step. I
was drawn away!
On this new way home there was a peach orchard which also
had a big pecan tree nearby. We came by, looked at the peaches
and pecans and desired them or lusted after them. Now we had
taken the second step toward death which is lust.
Then one of the fellows suggested that since I was the smallest,
I should climb to the top of the fence and the other boys would
keep me from falling inside. I could lean over the fence, pick
up some pecans and peaches and throw them out until there was
enough for all of us. Then they would pull me back over the fence
and we could go our way. There was the enticement. I was a step
closer to death.
As I looked at the peaches and listened to their plan, I was
tempted, and I was a step closer to death.
Then came the sin! I climbed the fence and reached for the
pecans and peaches on the other side. One boy was at the top
of the fence holding me, another boy was at the bottom of the
fence holding him and the other boy was on the ground holding
him. I got several pecans and peaches and threw them outside
the orchard, and just as I was about to get enough, I noticed
that the police had arrived! I was the only boy inside the fence,
and as soon as the other boys saw the police coming, they let
me go! I fell inside the fence and they scurried home. (This
is always the case! Those who lead you into sin always drop you
as soon as they are through with you or as soon as trouble comes.)
There I was facing the police officers. Being drawn away had
brought lust, lust had brought enticement, enticement had brought
temptation and temptation had brought sin. Sin brought the police.
(My mother had called them and told them to scare me to death.)
They took me to the police station and warned me of my plight.
I could see life imprisonment or perhaps even the electric chair!
My predicament was caused by sin. My sin was caused by temptation,
my temptation was caused by enticement, my enticement was caused
by lust, and my lust was caused by being drawn away from the
straight route home.
How foolish we are to live just outside sin! How foolish we
are to make our rules and standards just outside sin! The farther
we can walk from sin, the safer is our walk, and the farther
from sin that we can keep those young people over whom we have
authority, the safer will be their walk. Too many of us have
our rules and standards right after temptation or right after
enticement or right after lust or right after being drawn away.
The wise leader will keep himself and his followers as many steps
from death as possible; hence, as many steps from sin as possible.
Now concerning the matter of secondary separation, this is
not even the issue. The issue is to be as safe as possible. If
it is safe not to run with the wrong crowd, then it is safer
not to run with the crowd who runs with the wrong crowd. Let
us suppose, for example, that when our oldest daughter, Becky,
was dating the young man who is now her husband, her boyfriend
came by one night to get her and had with him a friend. Suppose
he said, "Brother Hyles, I want you to meet my friend. He
is a sex pervert who has just escaped from the mental ward of
the state penitentiary. He is going to go with us on our date
tonight. " My daughter would not have gone on a date that
night, and I would have told Tim so!
Suppose he would have said, "Brother Hyles, don't you
approve of me?"
I would have said, "Yes, Tim, but I don't approve of
your crowd. Now you take the sex pervert home before you take
my daughter out, and you sever your relationship with him before
you think seriously about my daughter."
Now if a person is a Christian, he is my brother in Christ,
and I am to be kind to him, but if he is running with the wrong
crowd, I will not promote him. I think it not necessary for me
to declare the names of those with whom I do not choose to cooperate.
I simply quietly use care so that I may stay as far away as possible
from sin. Many churches and ministries have died because the
pastor and people have not stayed far enough away from death
and that which brings death-sin.
I have no tabloids or papers in which I verbally abuse the
brethren, but there are brethren whom I love dearly and whom
I think are saved whom I will not have preach for me. I am not
going to list them, be unkind to them or verbally abuse them,
but I will very quietly exercise care. The reader may call it
what he wants to call it. I call it being careful. Perhaps this
chapter should be called, "Careful Separation," but
whatever it is-whether it be the sin of drinking, the sin of
adultery, the sin of dope, or the sin of denying Christ and the
Bible, the farther that I can stay away from it, the safer I
am.
Because the command of the Bible is to be separate from sinners,
it is wise that we exercise special care as we deal with others
concerning this subject and its implementation.
If a young person wants to stay away from adultery, which
is sin, then he would be wise to stay away from heavy petting.
If he wants to stay away from heavy petting, he should stay away
from petting. If he wants to stay away from petting, he should
stay away from kissing. If he wants to stay away from kissing,
he should stay away from embracing. If he wants to stay away
from embracing, he should stay away from hand-holding. There
is nothing in the Bible that says hand-holding is sin, but there
is certainly nothing wrong with exercising care and good sense.
I am very aware of the fact that there is a great difference
between the hair standards required for our young men at Hyles-Anderson
College and what would be called sin. A young man could wear
his hair much longer than we at Hyles-Anderson do and not sin,
but why stay right next to the edge? The same is no doubt true
with standards concerning young ladies' dress, but we believe
that there is safety in staying a great distance from sin and
its consequence-death. Each man must decide for himself how far
that distance is, but there is certainly wisdom in safety.
Now the Bible is plain concerning separation from unbelievers.
II John 7-11, "For many deceivers are entered into the world,
who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This
is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we
lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive
a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come
any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into
your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him
God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." You will notice
that we are not to receive false teachers into our house and
we are not to bid them God speed when they leave, lest we become
partakers of their evil deeds. If a nice, personable fellow comes
by with a briefcase, a tape recorder or slide projector and tells
you that he wants to talk to you about religion, you are not
supposed to receive him into your house until you are sure that
he is not a false teacher.
The Bible promises a great blessing to those who abstain from
fellowship with the ungodly. Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth
he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper." Here are five points or steps to guaranteed
prosperity and success.
1. Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
2. Do not stand in the way of sinners.
3. Do not sit in the seat of the scornful.
4. Delight in the Law of the Lord.
5. Meditate in the Word of God day and night.
Notice that three of these deal with separation from the wrong
kind of people.
There is also a blessed fellowship offered to those who separate
themselves from being yoked with unbelievers. II Corinthians
6:14-18, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord
hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Notice verse 18 where God promises a sweet relationship between
Himself and the separated believer. To be sure, all of us who
are saved are God's children, but sometimes that relationship
is strained and God will not treat us like His children. This
depends upon our running with the right crowd and being separated.
Unbelievers want us! Acts 20:28-31, "Take heed therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after
my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore
watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased
not to warn every one night and day with tears." Jude 3,
4, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you
of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto
you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are
certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ." II Peter 2:1-3, "But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves
swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways;
by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And
through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise
of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and
their damnation slumbereth not."
Just as Sanballat and Tobiah wanted to help in rebuilding
the wall around Jerusalem, even so unbelievers want believers
and their fellowship. For one thing, they need our zeal. Their
only hope for growth is the zeal and fire of those who believe
and preach the Gospel. Apostate denominations love to confuse
zealous believers and use them as window dressing. They put them
in front of the denomination national meetings in order to convince
the denomination that everything is all right while behind the
scenes they continue to chop away at the foundations.
They also want God's blessings. This is why they came to Balaam
and asked him to come to Moab. Though they themselves were heathen,
they wanted the blessings of God that accompany God's men.
Then they want our money. They don't mind you criticizing
them as long as you feed them and send your money to their liberal
programs.
Then they want our fame. They love to choose some famous evangelist
and appear before him because he is famous. The truth is, if
he were not famous, they would destroy him if they could. Wrong
always wants to run with right. An immoral boy always wants to
marry a moral girl. Wrong always entices right, and the tragedy
is that right always seems to think that it can change wrong.
This is never the case. Those decaying denominations are never
salvaged from within by their zealots. A long time before the
zealots realize the decay, the places of denominational leadership
and the schools have turned toward apostasy.
The Bible is clear that we are not to yoke up with unbelievers,
but how about those who do yoke up with unbelievers? That has
been discussed from many angles in this chapter. Much care should
be taken here. Suppose your son has a good friend, but the good
friend runs with homosexuals. Would you want your son to run
with a fellow who runs with homosexuals? The truth is, the farther
away he can get from the homosexuals, the better he is. Somebody
says, "Prove it by the Bible." In this case, I do not
have to do so. I can prove it by good sense. I am thinking now
of a Canadian preacher who once was a successful evangelist,
but he got the idea that he could run with the National Council
of Churches and not be affected. He soon became their evangelist.
He did not change them; they changed him. He then got out of
the ministry. While sitting in a motel room in Canada, I saw
him on a television program, and I heard him deny the Bible,
deny Christ and even declare atheism!
The hope for America is the sanctity and purity of God's people.
It is the hope for your children and mine and for your grandchildren
and mine. Too much care cannot be taken to preserve this holy
position in order that God may, for His people's sake, spare
our generation!
Chapter 6Separation from Good
Christians
Yes, you read it right. This chapter does not deal with separation
from liberals, separation from new evangelicals, or even separation
from carnal Christians. It will deal with separation from good
Christians, from spiritual preachers, from godly deacons, from
good, dedicated Sunday school teachers, and from loyal and faithful
staff members. To be sure, Christian fellowship is important
for God's people, but this fellowship should be both planned
and scheduled lest Christians spend an excess of idle time with
each other. Someone has said, "Great minds talk about ideas;
good minds talk about things; weak minds talk about people."
It would be a good idea for Christians to cease their fellowship
when they leave off talking about ideas; certainly before they
begin talking about people. Even casual talk will often deteriorate
into criticism.
1. The Christian is not to talk about unclean things. Ephesians
5:1-3, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
savour But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,
let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."
Certainly this includes obscene talk, but it goes beyond that.
We are not to talk about unclean things that are true. For example,
I was in a certain city preaching. I had been to the same church
on two other occasions while another man was its pastor. He had
obviously run into some difficulty at the church and had resigned.
The young preacher met me at the airport. In a few minutes he
said, "I guess you heard about the trouble the former pastor
had."
I said, "No. The only thing I heard was that he resigned."
The young preacher then told me that it was a sad story and
began to tell me the story.
Immediately I said, "Hold it, son! I don't want to know
what happened. I'm here to be a blessing, and if there is something
bad about the former pastor, I do not want to know it unless
he himself comes to me for help. Then I must learn the story
in order to help him. Otherwise I have no desire to know."
During the two days that I was at the church, numerous pastors
and laymen mentioned how sad they were about what had happened
to the former pastor and each began to tell me. Each time I said,
"Hold it! I don't want to know what happened. I don't need
to know unless it is to help the brother, and then I want to
find the facts from him." Of course, gossip is bad, but
it is also bad for the Christian to talk about unclean truth.
The mind is the original computer. It is unwise to allow unclean
things to enter therein.
The word "covetousness" in Ephesians 5:3 means "wanting
to know more." The word "named" means "mentioned
or talked about," which means we are not to want to know
more or talk about or mention things that are unclean, even if
they are true.
Recently I was talking to a friend on the telephone. He said,
"Did you hear about so-and-so doing a certain thing that
was bad?"
I said, "I don't believe it and don't want to talk about
it."
Several years ago I was in a motel room fellow-shipping with
two great preachers. One of them asked if I had heard something
negative about another great preacher. I said, "No, I have
not heard it, and I don't want to hear it. In the first place,
if I heard it, I would not believe it. In the second place, I
do not want a negative thought to enter into my mind about that
brother."
I was preaching in a Midwestern city in a church pastored
by a dear friend. He asked me if I would go out to eat with him
after the service. (He knew that I rarely did so.) I told him
I felt like I didn't have time. He said, "Please, Dr. Hyles.
You are going to be here only one night, and I want to fellowship
with you. Would you come if I promise not to talk about people?"
With a grin I agreed to do so. He kept his promise. We had
blessed fellowship together.
2. The Christian is not to spend much time talking about light
or frivolous matters. Ephesians 5:4, "Neither filthiness,
nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks." The word "filthiness"
in this passage means "shameful." The term "foolish
talking" comes from the Greek word "moros" which
means "silly" or "comic." The word "jesting"
comes from a word that was used concerning the quick movement
of apes and people. It means "quick talk" or "chitchat."
The word "convenient" means "properly timed. "
This means that we should be appropriate with our humor, our
jesting and our chitchat. It does not teach that we are never
to be humorous, folksy or casually humorous in our talk. It means
that such talk is to be properly timed, which should be in good
taste and should be limited. God wants us to laugh. He certainly
is not opposed to a funny story that is appropriate.
I have known personally some of the greatest Christians of
the past. I was an intimate friend of John R. Rice, Bob Jones
Sr., Lester Roloff, Bill Rice, G. B. Vick, Ford Porter and other
great men of God. All of these men were delightfully humorous,
but always with propriety and within boundaries and limitations.
God is telling us here that planned, limited, appropriate chitchat
and humor are acceptable, but this should not be unbridled, and
it should not occupy a great portion of our time.
I suggest to our young people that they plan their dates.
I suggest that they plan to do things together and not to spend
a lot of time sitting and talking. Perhaps at the end of a date,
ten to fifteen minutes could be allowed for chitchat and conversation,
but when a young couple just sits and talks they usually will
say things they should not say, or they will have a problem in
their relationship.
The wise Christian will allow a set amount of time for telephone
chitchat. It is a good idea to make notes prior to telephone
conversations in order that the conversation may go in a proper
direction and to prevent a waste of time. At the end of the conversation,
perhaps two or three minutes could be allowed for casual talk,
but it is dangerous for people just to call and talk by telephone
for a length of time without a planned conversation. Soon the
conversation will deteriorate into gossip, criticism, or people
talk, or become a waste of time, or all four.
3. The wise Christian will put some time in his schedule for
light talk. For over 22 years I shared platforms all over America
with Dr. John R. Rice. I preached with him over 2200 times. I
have shared the same motel with him, shared hundreds of meals
with him and flown tens of thousands of miles with him. When
we were together in a Bible Conference, we would set some time
for light talk. We would share a funny story. I can hear him
now as I would arrive at the destination and see him on a Monday
afternoon. He would say, "Dr. Hyles, did you have a good
day yesterday?"
I would reply in the affirmative and share some of the blessings
of the day.
Then he would slyly say, "You know, that First Baptist
Church of Hammond would really go to town if it had a pastor!"
Dr. Rice would come to breakfast in the morning. He would
sit across the table from me and I would say, "Dr. Rice,
did you sleep well?"
He would look across the table over the top of his glasses
and say, "No, Dr. Hyles, I confessed sin all night."
I would say, "Dr. Rice, with as many sins as you have,
it probably would take all night."
He would smartly reply, "Dr. Hyles, I wasn't confessing
my sin. I was confessing your sin!" We would then enter
into conversation about the Bible, about the spiritual condition
of America, or about some philosophy. We had our time for light
talk, but it was brief and planned.
It is wise for the Christian not to get close to people who
talk about people. Certainly we should be their friend, but we
should avoid spending excessive time with them.
The same is true concerning family time. Family time should
be planned. If Dad is home for an evening, let him plan a game
of PingPong with his son. Then maybe they could take a trip to
a drive-in restaurant and maybe go for a drive around town. Some
of the worst gossip and most idle conversation takes place around
the family circle. Many children have been turned off to Christianity
and have lost faith in Christian people and in God's men because
of casual talk by parents!
When our children were growing up, I spent planned time with
them. I would take one of the girls on a date. I would get the
basketball and shoot baskets with Dave or play a game with one
of the children. The time spent was not as much as I would have
liked, but it was planned time and quality time.
Every Monday I arrive at an airport somewhere in America.
I am met by a pastor or a Christian layman and driven to my motel
room. I am then driven to the services at night from my motel
room and again the next morning and again the next night. I try
to plan some conversation just in case there is nothing in particular
that my driver wants to discuss. Recently I was driven from my
motel room to the morning services by a fine man. I decided it
would be a good thing for us to talk about the blessings of sleep
and rest. When I got in the car I said, "Good morning, my
brother. Did you rest well through the night'?"
He replied that he did and asked if I rested well. I then
said, "Yes, I slept like a baby, which means I cried all
night!" (Now this was a little planned, brief humor.) I
followed it with this statement: "My brother, I sure thank
God for sleep. How we ought to be grateful if we can sleep well!
Millions of people last night could not sleep. Thank God, He
gives His beloved sleep."
He replied with a statement of praise, and we had a delightful
time driving to the services praising God for rest and sleep.
We had had a brief moment of light talk and then about fifteen
minutes of giving praises to God.
God is not telling us that we should never be folksy or humorous.
He is saying that we should keep it within bounds and that it
should be planned and appropriate.
4. The Christian should bypass disagreements in his conversation.
I Timothy 2:23, "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid,
knowing that they do gender strifes." The word "foolish"
in this verse means "silly." The word "unlearned"
means "conversation where no one learns or teaches."
The word "avoid" means "to walk around or to detour.
"God is telling us that we should detour conversation that
is silly or where no one learns or teaches. Many times I am met
at the airport by somebody who wants to discuss his pet conviction
or his pet hate. He will bring up some controversial subject
or some silly thing that divides fundamentalists. I often think
that he is hoping that I will disagree with him so he can debate
with me and thereby gain some measure of self-esteem.
On the other hand, I am often impressed by some young preacher
who will meet me at the airport and will say, "Dr. Hyles,
would you mind my asking you a question concerning your book
on rearing children," or "Brother Hyles, I am in a
building program. Could I ask you a few questions about it?"
or "Brother Hyles, I am counseling with a couple, and I
need to probe your mind concerning some wisdom." I am not
in the car three minutes until I can usually predict the success
or failure of my host.
In my contacts with great men of the past, I have always tried
to probe their minds in order to gain knowledge, information
and wisdom.
5. The Christian should avoid conversation that does no good
to anyone. II Timothy 2:16, 17a, "But shun profane and vain
babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And
their word will eat as doth a canker." The word "profane"
in this verse could be translated "accessible." The
word "vain" means "void of results." The
word "babblings" implies "picking up scraps."
The word "canker" comes from the word "gangrene"
or "an eating sore." God is telling us here that we
should avoid conversation that is void of results, that picks
up scraps of information or that discusses an eating sore. Notice
Titus 3:9, "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies,
and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable
and vain."
For years I have set boundaries on my fellowship, as follows:
(1) I do not fellowship with those who want to argue.
(2) I try not to fellowship with those who just want to talk.
(3) I will not join in criticism of persons.
(4) I will not listen to nor share gossip.
(5) I will avoid discussing bad truth.
(6) I will do no second-party counseling. In other words,
I will not counsel with someone for another so that they can
take my counsel to a friend or loved one.
(7) I put a time limit on light conversation.
(8) I refrain from giving my opinion unless I feel it will
help.
(9) I am always for the one who is attacked. I defend the
one who is absent.
(10) I try never to believe bad about anybody. In other words,
when I hear a rumor about someone, I do not believe it.
(11) I try not to have an opinion about something unless my
opinion is needed.
(12) I do not seek to know bad news or something bad that
a person is alleged to have done.
This means that the Christian must spend much time alone.
He will have to separate himself from many unnecessary meals,
from much of what is called Christian fellowship, from continuing
telephone conversations after their purpose is ended. This does
not come easy for me. I love people. I love to be with people.
I love humor. The truth is, I can see humor in so many things,
but I have to guard myself constantly lest I engage in an excess
of idle talk and light conversation. Knowing this, I discipline
myself concerning the time and quality of time I spend with good
Christians. I believe this helps us to remain good Christians.
Chapter 7Separation of God's
Money
That which is God's is supposed to be kept separate- it is
sanctified. The word "sanctified" (holy) is a very
important word in the Bible. It means, "set apart for God's
use only. " When something is set apart for a specific purpose,
it is called "sanctified. " The pulpit in the First
Baptist Church of Hammond is sanctified. It is not a perfect
pulpit; it has scratches and marks and is marred by much use,
but it is sanctified. It is set apart for one thing-for the preaching
and the teaching of the Word of God. It is used for nothing else.
It is a sanctified pulpit. The chairs in the choir are sanctified,
which means they are set apart for a specific purpose. The church
pews are sanctified.
Some things in the Old Testament were sanctified to the service
of the Lord. In such cases man could not touch it. For example,
the ark of the covenant was that little piece of furniture inside
the Holy of Holies. It was sanctified to the Lord and could not
be touched by the hands of men. When Uzza steadied it while it
was shaking, he was immediately taken by death because he touched
that which was sanctified to God.
In the Old Testament, God sanctified the tithe. It was set
apart to Him. It was His, and man could not touch or use it.
The first tenth of all the increase was sanctified to the Lord.
The firstborn of all animals was sanctified to the Lord. The
firstborn child was sanctified to the Lord. Jesus Himself was
sanctified. I Corinthians 15:23, "But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's
at His coming." The Word of God is sanctified. The very
fact that we call it "Holy Bible" means "sanctified
Bible."
The firstfruits belong to God. The first ten percent of our
increase is His. It is not something that we give to Him; it
is already His. It is not ours to give. It is holy and sanctified
to God.
1. The sin of Adam and Eve was taking that which was sanctified
to God. God said to Adam and Eve,- "All but one of the trees
in the garden are yours. You can use them; enjoy them, but one
is Mine. It is sanctified. That one is not for your use."
When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree they were taking
that which was sanctified to the Lord. In other words, the sin
of Adam and Eve was the sin of not tithing. That tree was God's
just like ten percent of our income is His. They took it for
themselves, and when they did, a curse came upon the entire human
race. An entire race fell because that which God had set apart
was taken by the hands of man. They had touched that which was
holy which is the same thing that the Christian does when he
touches the firstfruits of his income.
I was teaching this in a service one night, and a man who
has a great knowledge of botany and horticulture came to me with
a startling statement. He told me that all the trees in the world
originated from nine trees that were in the Garden of Eden. He
listed these trees as the pomegranate, the mulberry, the berry,
the rose, the palm, the ebony, the rue, the nut and the vine.
If this be true, then there were ten species of trees in the
Garden of Eden- nine were for man and one was for God. One of
the ten was sanctified. Whether or not the statement from this
expert on botany is true, one thing is true for sure, and that
is, the one tree that was set apart and sanctified as holy to
God was taken by man! This is the same sin committed every Sunday
in thousands of churches around the world when God's people walk
out of the church building with the tithe in their pockets. Malachi
3:8-10, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But
ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this
whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough
to receive it." I Corinthians 16:1, 2, "Now concerning
the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches
of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,
that there be no gatherings when I come."
The first money that I ever made was as a ten-year-old boy
when I had a Dallas morning newspaper route. The first week I
made $3. As soon as I got home, my mother told me to change one
of the dollars. I did. She took three dimes and set them apart
and said, "Son, these are God's. This is the tithe. It is
not yours." I confess that 1 did not quite understand it,
for God did not throw my papers for me nor get up at three o'clock
in the morning to fold them and deliver them, but I believed
Mother, and the next Sunday morning I placed my 30 cents in the
offering plate. From that moment until this, the first ten percent
has always been God's.
2. The sin of Cain was the sin of not tithing. Genesis 4:1-4,
"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare
Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again
bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain
was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to
pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering
unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of
his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto
Abel and to his offering." Hebrews 11:4, "By faith
Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by
which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying
of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Notice
that Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock. This was that
which God had set apart to Himself. Nothing is said about Cain
bringing the firstlings of his flock. Oh, yes, it was a sin for
Cain not to bring a blood sacrifice, but it was also a sin for
him not to let God have that which was holy. The firstling of
the flock was holy. Abel brought to God that which was sanctified
to Him. Cain did not. Cain's sin was that of not tithing. An
entire civilization was destroyed because of this wicked sin.
Just as a race fell because Adam and Eve did not let God have
that which was sanctified wholly unto Him, even so an entire
civilization was destroyed because Cain did not let God have
that which was set apart.
3. The sin of Achan was the sin of not tithing. When the Israelites
came into the Promised Land, God wanted the firstfruits for Himself.
The first city was Jericho, so God said that Jericho was a holy
and sanctified city, set apart to God Himself. When Achan took
the Babylonish garment for his wife, the wedge of gold and 200
shekels of silver, in a sense he was taking the tithe. This was
the first city of the land, the firstfruits of the land, and
it was God's! It was set apart unto God. Because Achan took that
which was sanctified unto the Lord, he was stoned to death, as
were his wife, children and animals. It makes one get the idea
that not tithing is a pretty wicked thing.
4. The body of the believer is sanctified. I Corinthians 6:18-20,
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without
the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against
his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost Which is in you, Which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
The very word "saints" comes from the word "sanctified"
and means "sanctified ones." Your body is the Lord's;
it is not yours. You are bought with a price and your body belongs
to Him. He sanctified it and made it so.
5. Jesus is sanctified. I Corinthians 15:23, "But every
man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they
that are Christ's at His coming." Notice especially the
words, "Christ the firstfruits. " Here we go back to
the tithe. The firstfruits are God's. The first tenth is God's,
and Jesus is called the firstfruits. He was set apart, holy and
sanctified to be our Substitute.
THEN THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SET ASIDE AS HOLY ! The tithe
is already set aside as the Lord's, but there are times when
we make promises and vows to God to give more than the tithe.
When this vow is made, then the amount of money that is pledged
becomes sanctified, just as the tithe is sanctified, and it becomes
as holy as the tithe.
This was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Barnabas had sold
a piece of ground in Cyprus and had given to God all of the money
received for the ground. Ananias and Sapphira also had a piece
of ground. They made a vow to God that they would sell it and
give all the money to Him. When they made that vow, their pledge
joined the tithe as being sacred and holy. When they did not
give it all to God, their lives were taken. They had done the
same thing that Uzza did. Uzza touched that which was sanctified,
which was the ark of the covenant. Ananias and Sapphira touched
that which was sanctified, which was a vow that they had made
to God. Had they not made that vow, they would not have been
killed. Suppose, for example, they had promised God half of the
sale. Then that half would be sanctified and they could be at
liberty to use the other half. If they had kept all of it for
themselves except the tithe, they still would have continued
to live if they had not made God a promise to give more than
the tithe. When that vow was made, God transferred that money
into the treasury of the Lord, and it became holy just as the
tithe is holy.
When a person makes a promise to give so much to a building
program or a pledge to a special offering at his church, the
amount of that pledge and promise becomes holy and sanctified
to God. It is a serious mistake and tragic sin to use it for
one's self. Only eternity will reveal how many people have been
taken to Heaven prematurely because they used that which was
God's.
Not only does our money belong to God when it is pledged,
but have you, dear reader, ever promised God soul-winning time?
Perhaps you have promised God a certain time of the week. It
is His. When you made that promise, that time became sanctified!
It is dangerous to touch that or use that which is set apart
to God.
There are others who have promised God a life in full-time
service. Romans 12:1, 2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." When they surrendered
their life to full-time service, their life became sanctified
or set apart, just as the life of the high priest in the Old
Testament. A person who has given his life to full-time service
has set it apart as holy and sanctified to the Lord. Not to keep
that promise is to take that which is God's. It is the same sin
which Adam and Eve committed in the Garden of Eden, which Cain
committed, which Achan committed and which Uzza committed-the
sin of taking that which has been set aside as sacred to God
and using it for one's self.
Many years ago God spoke to me and told me that He wanted
my life full time in His service. Just a bit before midnight
at a watch night service at the Hillcrest Baptist Church of Dallas,
Texas, I gave Him my life. At that moment it became sanctified.
Then I preached my first sermon. I was so disappointed. I spoke
for only three minutes, sat down in embarrassment and failure.
That night I said that I would not be a preacher, but God said,
"Your life is not yours. You gave it to Me." I had
no choice. I had to let God keep that which was set aside and
sanctified to Himself or commit the awful sin of being sacrilegious
by profaning that which was holy unto God.
Have you promised God a time when you would pray? It is His.
Have you promised God a certain time for Bible study? It is His.
Have you promised God that you would be faithful to certain services
of the church? Then those times are holy. I believe that Sunday
is God's day and that God's people should go to church on Sunday.
It is a holy day, a sanctified day and should be treated as such.
However, for me Wednesday night has equal sanctity with Sunday
because years ago I set aside Wednesday night and gave it to
God. God said He wanted Sunday. I said I would add Wednesday
night. When I did, Wednesday night became as holy as Sunday.
It is His. This is the reason I would never think of missing
church on Sunday morning or Sunday night or Wednesday night,
regardless of the circumstances. Many Christians have some catching
up to do. They are holding in their hands sanctified time and
sanctified money. Some of these sanctified things are things
sanctified by God Himself, and others have been sanctified by
a believer's vow.
Chapter 8Separation from
Weights
Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us."
God has for each of us a unique race to run. In order to run
that race effectively, there are two things that we must lay
aside: We must lay aside our sin, and we must lay aside our weights!
Much is said about the laying aside of sin, but not much is preached
about the laying aside of weights.
A weight is something which is not in itself sin but hinders
the individual Christian from running the race that God has set
before him.
Suppose two men decided to run a race. They enter the 100-yard
dash with some other men. The first of the two goes out the night
before the race and gets drunk. He takes narcotics, lives in
immorality, smokes cigarettes, goes to a disco and listens to
rock and roll music. All night he is awake. The next morning
he lines up for the beginning of the race. Will he win? Of course
not! Why will he not win? Because of his sin! His sin will prevent
him from winning the race.
The second of these two goes home the night before the race
and gets a good night's rest. He does nothing that will hinder
his effectiveness in running the race the next day. He gets up
after a good night's sleep and cares for himself. Now it is time
for the race. He lines up at the starting blocks, buttons his
overcoat and laces his combat boots. Will he win the race? Of
course not! His problem, however, is not sin. He did not drink
nor live an immoral life nor take narcotics nor go to the disco.
His was a clean life, but his overcoat and boots will prevent
him from winning the race. As far as the race is concerned, his
weights are as detrimental as the sins of the other runner.
Now let us suppose that the runner who engaged in sin lays
those sins aside. He goes to the altar and confesses them. The
night before the next race he gets to bed early; he does not
go out into sin. He rises the next morning with his sins laid
aside. He approaches the starter's block for the 100-yard dash.
He then buttons HIS overcoat and laces HIS boots. Will he win
the race? No, he will not. Why? He has forsaken his sin; he has
laid aside the sin that did so easily beset him, but he has not
laid aside his weights. He will fail in the race just as much
because of his weights as he did because of his sins, and as
far as the purpose of God in his life, he will be just as unable
to accomplish it and perform it as he was the day after his escapade
into sin. The great problem with sin is what it keeps us from
doing. The great tragedy, for example, about being where you
should not be is that if you are where you should not be, you
cannot be where you should be. There is a race to run. Just to
lay aside the sin and keep the weights will do little to help
us win the race. The weights must also be laid aside. Hence,
the church altar should be a place not only where God's people
lay aside their sin but also a place where they forsake their
weights. The preacher should cry aloud against sin, but he also
should cry aloud against weights. The Christian should confess
his sin, but he also should confess his weights.
Someone says, "Okay, I'm convinced. Show me my weights
and I will lay them aside." Now this is the great danger
about weights. They are not the same for all of us. Sin is the
same for every Christian. It is wrong for anybody to drink strong
drink. It is a sin for anybody to steal. It is a sin for anybody
to murder, but our weights are not the same. My weights are not
yours, and your weights are not mine, for my race is not yours
and your race is not mine. Since each of us has his own individual
race to run, each of us has his own particular and unique weights
to lay aside. There are some things in my life that are not sinful,
but my race forbids me from doing them. You, perhaps, can do
them. On the other hand, there are some things that I can do
which you cannot do because your race is different from mine
and these particular things may hinder your race whereas they
would not hinder mine.
Suppose, for example, that you came to hear me preach somewhere
and you waited outside the front door to watch me arrive because
you wanted to shake my hand. You are shocked as you see me drive
up on a motorcycle. I have on a helmet, goggles, leather jacket,
turtleneck sweater, blue jeans and boots. You are amazed; you
cannot believe that Dr. Jack Hyles would come to a preaching
engagement dressed like that riding on a motorcycle! Is a motorcycle
sinful? Of course not. Is it a sin to wear a helmet? Of course
not. Is it a sin to wear a leather jacket, a turtleneck sweater
and blue jeans? Of course not. Is it a sin to wear boots? Of
course not, but for my race these would be weights. It would
hinder me from accomplishing the purpose of my life in the service
where I was to preach. Now if one of the teenagers of the church
rode up dressed in the same attire riding on the same type vehicle,
it would not be a weight to him. No one would be surprised. It
would be a weight to me because it would hinder my race.
When I was a young man I was a semiprofessional softball pitcher.
When I was in the army I was an all-star softball pitcher. When
I got out of the army, I went to a Christian college. A local
softball team was playing a championship series. They felt their
pitching was not strong enough to carry them to victory. They
were allowed to draft one player who did not play with them through
the year. They asked me if I would pitch for them. I agreed to
do so. There were two games left, and if they won both games,
they would be champions, but these games were against the best
team in the league, which was favored to win the championship.
The first game I pitched was a one-hit shutout. We won 5-0. The
second game was for the championship. If we won the game, we
won the city championship. If we lost the game, we came in second
place. Along about the fourth inning the score was tied 0-0.
One of our players hit a ball down the first base line. Their
first baseman fielded the ball and dropped it. He crossed first
base without the ball in his hand. The umpire, however, was behind
the first baseman and called our batter out. I could not believe
it! The ball was on the ground and most of the people saw it.
I rushed to the umpire, told him that the first baseman had dropped
the ball. The umpire said, "I did not see it."
I said, "Ask the first baseman." The umpire asked
him. He refused to admit he dropped the ball. I was infuriated.
Everybody there except the umpire knew that the first baseman
did not have the ball in his hand or in his glove when he crossed
the base. The first baseman said some things to me that were
less than complimentary, whereupon I replied, "You wait
until you get up next time. You had better be sure and say your
prayers."
As fate would have it, the first batter up in the next inning
was the first baseman. Now I did not aim at his head; I aimed
at a target, and just before I pitched the ball, the target moved
in front of his head. I threw the ball at the target, and it
went straight toward its suggested destination. The batter threw
the bat in front of his head and the ball dribbled down the first
base line, halfway between home plate and first base. This meant
that I had to field the ball on the first base line, and the
batter who was the first baseman who had cheated, had to run
right past where I was fielding the ball. He and I collided and
a fight followed. After we had fought a few minutes, suddenly
I realized what a poor testimony I was! At that very time I was
pastoring a little church outside town in the country, and my
members had gotten together and come to the game that night to
watch their pastor pitch. Now there he is on the first base line
fighting with the first baseman. I screamed, "Hold it! Hold
it! Hold it!" I got up, took the ball, put it in my glove,
took the glove and the ball and placed them on the pitcher's
mound, walked to my car and drove off in the middle of the game,
and I have not pitched a softball game from that day until this.
Now there is nothing wrong with pitching softball, but for me
it became a weight. No doubt there are many readers who pitch
softball, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was
not a sin for me to pitch softball; it was a weight.
