Separation and/or Exclusion - God´s way of dealing with unrighteousness

[Raptor]

Throughout the entire Bible, we can see that God deals with unrighteousness among His creatures, whether angelic or human, believers or unbelievers by warning, rebuking, disciplining, and/or punishing. And there is one common element throughout all the different ways that God applies His judgements. This common element is the principal of separation and/or exclusion. God´s judgements are applied in different ways, to different degrees and durations, but the principal of separation and exclusion remains throughout. The following examples clearly show God´s judgements by separation and exclusion:

• When Satan originally rebelled, he was cast out of the third heaven. In the future he will be cast out of the second heaven down to the earth, and then excluded from the earth down into the Abyss, and finally cast into the lake of fire for eternal separation and exclusion.
• The evil spirits mentioned by Peter are separated out and kept in some kind of pits of darkness, awaiting the final judgement.
• When Adam and Eve fell, they were cast out of Paradise and excluded from partaking of the tree of life.
• When Cain sinned, he was driven out and separated from the presence of the Lord.
• God used the flood to cut off all life, all flesh from the earth except Noah and his family.
• Esau gave up his birthright and so was excluded from the double portion of the family inheritance.
• Breaking the law and other conditions according to the statues and ordinances in the Old Testament resulted in different degrees of separation and/or exclusion, from isolation to the cutting off from God´s people and even death:
  • Miriam was stricken with leprosy and separated from the camp for 7 days
  • Countless children of Israel were excluded from the Good Land, including Moses and many were punished with death
  • God´s glory departed from Israel when the ark was captured, separating them from the presence of the Lord
  • David lost the joy of salvation and prayed to get it back and pleaded not to be separated from the presence of the Lord
  • Israel was separated from the land when they were captured and taken to Babylon
• The result of not believing in the Son of God is to perish, which is the ultimate separation from God and exclusion from life
• The rich man that died and went to Hades is separated from Paradise in a place of torment and excluded from any peace, joy, comfort and hope
• Unrighteous Christian workers will be separated from the Lord and excluded from entering the Kingdom of the Heavens
• The evil believer who does not regard the Lord´s coming, abuses other believers and lives immorally will be cut in pieces and grouped with hypocrites, thus being separated and excluded from the Lord and His faithful servants during the Kingdom age
• The five foolish virgins are separated from the wise, they have to leave and buy oil, they are excluded from the wedding feast, the door is shut and the Lord will not open the door. (Matt. 25)
• The lazy and worthless servant who buried his talent is separated from the joy of the Lord and thrown into outer darkness (Matt. 25)
• Certain situations of unrepentant sin or division in the church call for separation and exclusion of a believer from the congregation, i.e. “excommunication”
• Some believers that partook of the Lord´s table inappropriately got sick, (as discipline, separated from health) and some even died (as punishment, excluded from life)
• Believers Ananias and Sapphira were punished with death for their sin, which is the ultimate separation from God´s people and exclusion from life, (yet they are saved eternally). Believers can commit sin unto death, as mentioned in the epistles of John.
• The Judgement Seat of Christ will separate good and faithful believers from evil and unfaithful believers; fire will separate good works from bad works
• Believers that do not meet the requirements to serve and function as an elder or deacon are excluded from that function, especially immoral believers
• Unrighteous believers, who do not repent of sexual sin, idolatry, etc. will lose their inheritance in the kingdom age, being excluded from participating in the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom and ruling and reigning with Christ
• Believers who do not run the race and endure to the end, will be excluded from receiving the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus mentioned in Philippians 3
• The goats in Matthew 25 go away into eternal punishment, which is total separation and exclusion from God and eternal life
• Believers who do not repent, those who do not hear the Spirit and do the required works in Revelation 2 and 3 will be excluded during the Millennial Kingdom from each one of the blessings and prizes mentioned: eating of the tree of life and hidden manna, receiving the white stone, not harmed by second death, clothed in white, walking with the Lord, authority and ruling over the nations, receiving the morning star and crown, made a pillar, sitting together with Christ on His throne
• Some believers who do not prepare themselves will be separated from the Bride. The Bride makes herself ready with the righteous acts of the saints. Those believers who are not ready will not be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, they are excluded.
• When the Lord wages war against the beast and the ten kings, He will be accompanied by the called, chosen and faithful believers. Those believers who are not faithful will be excluded.
• Satan, death, those who take the mark of the beast, the Antichrist, false prophet, all unbelievers, all not in the Book of Life are separated and excluded from the holy city and cast into the lake of fire