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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



Continuing our discussion from part two, as I noted earlier, being sent into the world after a person has been saved and sanctified does not mean to return to our former way of life. It does not mean going back to our old job, our old habits, our old friends, and whatever else we did in our former way of life. We are supposed to preach to the world, and to be witnesses to the world; but as occurred with the Apostles, we are likewise to remain unyoked from the godless world and its evil ways. Thus it is that the Apostle Paul also wrote the following in his second Epistle to the brethren at Corinth:

"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."


To even consider that following sanctification, being sent into the world -- as Jesus did with the Apostles -- means to go back to that old sinful way of life, selfishly earning a living for oneself, is in total contradiction to verses such as the following. These verses demonstrate that once they forsook their former lives and jobs, the Apostles did not return to them at some later point in time. They remained dropped out of the world, and they in fact remained wholly dedicated to preaching the Gospel of Salvation. They were the Church in the wilderness of the world, just as we are the Church in the wilderness of the world today. We remain outside of the world, and outside of organized religion:

"And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."


"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."


"And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him."


"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him."


"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."


"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."


"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."


To reiterate, as the original Greek words clearly point out, part of the sanctification process involves being separated from the world, so that one can be wholly consecrated to the Lord's service. If we are not separated from the world, then neither are we truly sanctified in the fullest sense of the word. Another Greek word which points to the same definition is "ekklesia". In the New Testament, this word is translated as "church". Contrary to the erroneous meaning which crafty religionists have applied to it, this word does not mean an assembly of people who have been called out of their homes in order to participate in a service at a physical church building.

Some of you -- perhaps many of you -- will be surprised, and may possibly take offense at my statement and outright reject it. However, before you do so, please consider the following. The Greek word "ekklesia" is a compound of two Greek words. These two words are "ek" and "kaleo". The latter word means to call or to bid. But the question is this: Does the word actually mean to call or to bid to something, such as to a physical church building? We find the answer in the first word, "ek". This word means out of, from or away from. Now, due to your indoctrination by organized religion, some of you will no doubt be thinking to yourselves, "Well, see; there it is! This demonstrates that people are being called, or bidden, out of their homes, in order to participate in the mass at a church building.

I am sorry to disappoint you, but that is not what is being stated at all. You need to remember that the New Testament was written during the First Century. This was a time of great persecution for the Church. At that time, there were no physical church buildings. This point alone proves that the word "ekklesia" does not refer to an assembly of people who are called out from their homes in order to attend a service in a church building. In fact, even assembling in a large group anywhere during that time would have no doubt called attention to themselves, and would have potentially resulted in persecution.

Furthermore, even if there had been no persecution during the First Century when the New Testament was written, and when the word "ekklesia" found its way into it, I am quite certain that the Apostles and Disciples would still not have engaged in building churches. The reason why I am convinced of this fact, is because that is not what Jesus instructed them to do. Not only did He instruct them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature -- and not sit on church pews -- but He also clearly taught them that the real Church is spiritual in nature, and is comprised of you and me, and all of the rest of the Saints, past and present. This truth is so clearly revealed in verses such as the following:

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."


"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."


"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."


"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ . . . Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."


"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."


"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."


"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"


"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."


"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."


"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."


"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."


"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."


In stark contrast to the previous verses which describe the true Temple and Church of God, consider the following verses which reveal God's displeasure with -- and lack of desire for -- physical temples and church buildings:

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"


"The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?"


"Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these."


"For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof."


"Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?"


"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"


"And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?"


"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"


Let me also point out that in their old age, at least some of the Apostles had witnessed the destruction of Judaism's most holy site -- that is, King Herod's Temple -- which was situated on the summit of Mount Moriah. That being the case, I seriously doubt that they were very eager to build church buildings which might become the objects of wrath of the Romans.

The simple truth of the matter is that according to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, there is absolutely nothing in the meanings of the Greek words "ek" and "kaleo" to indicate an assembly of people in a physical church building. It is only when these two words are joined together to form the word "ekklesia", that they are "magically" transformed by certain religionists to mean an assembly of Christians who are called out from their homes in order to attend a mass in some church. To reiterate, the Greek words "ek" and "kaleo" simply mean to be called out of, or to be called away from. What we need to determine is what they are being called out of and away from. If it is not their homes as the religionists suppose, then what is it?

If you have been paying close attention to everything I have been saying, particularly to the verses which I have shared, then the answer should already be clear to you. If you have not yet grasped the answer, all you have to do is re-examine exactly what happened in the Scriptures which I have already shared with you in order to find it. It is really as plain as day.

What did Jesus pray and do after He had initiated His public Ministry? He began recruiting, or calling the Apostles and Disciples out of and away from the world. He called them out of and away from their former lives and jobs in the world. He likewise prayed that they would be sanctified -- or cleansed, purified, separated and set aside from the world -- in order to be used for God's glory. That is precisely what both "ek kaleo" and "ekklesia" mean. They represent the assembly of the called out ones. They are not called out of their homes in order to attend mass in a church building. Rather, they are called out of, and away from, the world itself.

The ekklesia is the Church which resides in the wilderness of this world. It in fact knows no national boundaries, and its members are from every nation in the world. The ekklesia -- or called out ones -- are strangers and pilgrims on the Earth. Organized religion -- whether it is ancient Judaism and Temple worship of two thousand years ago, or misguided modern churchianity today -- is not the ekklesia, because it was, or still is, a part of the evil world. The false church in fact persecutes the true ekklesia of God, because it is jealous of her, and the fact that she is loved by the Father.

As we discovered earlier, the Apostle Paul wrote "come out from among them, and be ye separate . . . and touch not the unclean thing." As I point out in other articles, Paul's teachings merely reflected what Jesus Himself had taught. That "unclean thing" is the evil world itself. With those words, Paul was once again emphasizing the importance of sanctification. Come out, be separated, be sanctified. If you are not yet convinced that God's truly saved children and Saints are supposed to remain separated from this filthy world, in order that the Lord might find us spotless and blameless, then please carefully and prayerfully consider what is stated in the following verses. There is no denying their truth, in my view:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."


"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."


"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."


"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."


"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:"


"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."


"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."


"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."


"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."


At this point in our discussion, you may be wondering what all of this has to do with cussing. In reality, it is all very much related. Earlier, I shared the following verses with you from the second Epistle of the Apostle Peter:

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."


The previous two verses perfectly describe what I did for a number of years. I knew the Lord and I knew His Word. I had been occupied in the affairs of the Kingdom for many years. However, I cooled off and returned to the vomit and the pig slop, very much like the Prodigal Son who is mentioned in Luke chapter fifteen. I did exactly what the Apostle Peter admonishes us not to do. I was just eating husks. I became entangled in the pollutions of the world again. I in fact dirtied myself afresh. I backslid so far from the Lord, that I began to behave just like the rest of the children of the world; so much so that I acquired the bad habit of cussing occasionally. I polluted my being. I fouled my temple of the Holy Spirit. I allowed corrupt communication to proceed out of my mouth. How about you?

Please notice that in the previous verses, the Apostle Paul issues the exact same warning regarding becoming entangled again in the affairs of the world after we come to Christ. Paul writes as follows:

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."


It is evident that Peter and Paul were very much in agreement regarding the issue of avoiding worldly involvement. As you should be able to see by now, if your spiritual ears and eyes are truly open to the truth, this warning to avoid worldly, secular entanglement was a core doctrine of the First Century Church. Jesus taught that we are not of this present world. Peter taught that we shouldn't be entangled in the pollutions of this world. Paul taught that we should not be entangled in the affairs of this life. The Apostle John taught that we are not to love this world, or be ensnared by all of its carnal enticements. James taught that we are not to be friends with this world, because to do so is to commit spiritual adultery. Can the message be any plainer than that?

Despite this obvious message, I have seen so many Christians today who willingly choose to ignore it. For my part, I have actively promoted this message regarding remaining unspotted and blameless for many years now. I have consistently done it in my articles, and in more recent months, I have also very actively promoted it on my Facebook timeline as well. I have no doubt that there are some people who don't like it, who do not agree with it, and who are in fact offended by it. The reason why certain Christians take offense at verses such as these, is simply because rather than agree with their selfish, secular manner of living, these verses in fact expose it for what it is.

The awful truth is that modern Christianity -- which really equates to mechanical churchianity -- has for the most part become a farce in which many Christians deem their standing in the local community, and maintaining the status quo, more important than true godly worship and holy living. They are not really sanctified and consecrated to the Lord. They have compromised their faith, in order to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Rather than come out of the world, they in fact prefer this present world. Furthermore, many of them live just like the rest of the children of the world. I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote regarding Demas:

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."


From the few things that we learn about him in the Epistles, it appears that Demas was a First Century Christian, as well as one of the traveling companions of the Apostle Paul. Demas even seems to have accompanied Paul to Rome. Tragically, after Paul was imprisoned by Emperor Nero, Demas apparently lost his faith and decided that he really wasn't willing to die yet for Jesus Christ. Thus, he returned to Thessalonica. In contrast to Demas, consider what we read in the Book of Revelation:

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."


"They loved not their lives unto the death." What a profound statement to make. How many of us truly possess that kind of faith today? Due to our pride, we convince ourselves that we are just as dedicated as the First Century Christians. We tell ourselves -- and perhaps our friends as well -- that we would not hesitate to lay down our lives for the Lord. But is it possible that we are just deceiving ourselves?

Taking into consideration the totality of the Scriptures that I have shared with you in this series, we can extract a very clear message. This core message can easily be summarized by the following verse snippets:

"Ye are not of the world."


"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers . . . come out from among them, and be ye separate."


"Love not the world."


"Friendship of the world is enmity with God."


"Be not conformed to this world."


"Abstain from all appearance of evil."


Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."


"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth."


"Put off . . . filthy communication out of your mouth."


As I likewise explain in such articles as "Light Up and Die!: The Smoking Addiction", "Pornography: Flee Youthful Lusts!" and "Halloween and Samhain: No Room For Compromise", we cannot claim to be abstaining from all appearance of evil when we are acting and talking just like all of the rest of the children of the world. We cannot claim to be spiritual lights in the world, when we are acting and talking not that much differently from the children of disobedience and the children of darkness. To claim that we are Bible-believing Christians who are favored by God when we do these things is both a lie and a deception. It amounts to hypocrisy and self-delusion. We are pretending to be something which we are not.

Please go to part four for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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