Forgiveness is not the end of forgiving.
Beyond forgiving is the work of reconciliation.
not to the offended one, but to God!
 
An offense is a signal. Something is wrong in
obedience and the one who cares for
God, cares for the sinner.

The sinning one's relationship with God becomes
the "true-forgiver's" sacrificial work, for the restoration of
the offender.

The Lord Jesus begins to outline the drastic steps of
intervening for the sake of the one He loves
who doesn't love Him.

Matthew 18:17 Amplified Bible
If he pays no attention to them
(refusing to listen and obey),
tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen
even to the church,
let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.
 
Old Testament separation was severe for Israel.
But New Testament separation is still
a clear command to God's people.

Because we have not obeyed the King and His
laws of the kingdom, the flock is dirty and sick.

When obedience to the pleasure of the King is the goal,
separation from the disobedient is the inevitable result.

The church is full of "good" and "nice."
But the Kingdom is full of "in" and "out."
Where the King is allowed to reign there is division.
It is real and practical in scripture and
the ground of separation is given.

When unity is the goal, compromise is the glue.

Separation from the rebellious and the spurious
makes for the purity of the real Church.

The presence of Jesus' reign in a single life
means wrenching division in
all . . . ALL . . . the heart-entangled places.
And Jesus promised separation as HIS violent action
on the bowed believer's closest relationships:

Whoever denies and disowns Me before men,
I will also deny and disown him before
My Father Who is in heaven.
Do not think I have come to bring peace upon the earth;
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to part asunder a man from his father,
and a daughter from her mother, and a newly married wife
from her mother-in-law-
And a man's foes will be they of his own household.
Matt. 10:33-36 Amplified Bible
 
The willingness to leave those Jesus strikes
with His Knowing Sword
is the great test of whether He is truly
King of your affections and
Ruler of your relationships.

And the test of your willingness to make yourself
odious to save a sinner's destiny.

There are two places the Dividing Sword falls
to sever relationships.

One is God's strike
on our sin of idolatry,
of loving someone more than Him.

The other is the sword swath against
relationships with unmovable sinners.

Sheep Follow Sheep

The rebellious ones who will not come under the King
and the false who claim His throne are
wolves among the flock and must not be pastured
with the sheep.

Sheep are entirely too weak to be in a flock with
such dangerous influence.
The innate nature of sheep is to follow sheep.
To their own detriment, sheep will wander astray
behind the fearful and the willful.
Defiance is highly contagious.

He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Prov. 13:20

The terms of separation are made plain and simple
in scripture. And the Holy Spirit alone applies them
in every instance.
He will guide and rule in issues of separation.
Neither human reason nor religious legalism
should ever decide on division.

Those in Church authority who
agree on what they have heard and been shown
by the Father, can instigate separation.

 
All About God

Division is never over human relationships.
A person is in sin because their walk with God is faulty.

Problems with relationships are
problems with God.
Nothing else.

Division is not over doctrine but always over character.
Character flaws create doctrinal errors.

To be of 'one mind' is not only a command,
it is an easy possibility for the obedient.
(Romans 12:16, 15:5; Phil. 1:27, 2:2; I Cor. 1:10)
 

Separation is Love

Rejection is unforgiveness but
separation - in God's will - is love.

The end result of forgiveness includes
the willingness to suffer for the other
person's restoration . . . to God!

Division is merely a picture the church portrays
of God's own displeasure
and His immutable law of consequence.

The Lord's goal in separation is restoration.
Fatherly discipline. Divine chastening.
To save us from our stupid folly.
And! Eternal loss!

The Holy Spirit instigates the separation and
when the Father is satisfied, the separation
can end in precious reconciliation with Him
and the sweet communion of the saints.

God has given every means of grace and
the gift of partaking in His
Divine nature.
There is no reason for sin to continue to
dominate any life.

Division is not cruel.
It is saving the spirit from the tyranny of the soul . . .
and it is God's way to use the Church as the
agent of His unbending standard.

God's goal is ever the purity of the Church and
the sanctity of each believer.
His Father-Heart will not hesitate to use painful
measures to secure the complete
salvation of a person's life.

Separation is not to be taken lightly nor instigated
without a word from the Father.
Division is excruciating to both sides and only great love
will go through it . . .
Love for God . . . above others, above yourself.
And through His great indwelling Love,
willing to suffer for the errant brother/sister
and at the hands of His fallen child,
for HIS SAKE.

The mandate to the offender is to "hear."

. . . and if he refuses to listen even to the church,
let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.
Matt. 18:17 Amplified Bible

If separation does not bring the repentance of
a changed life
then separation becomes . . . absolute.

A pagan is one who does not know God
and worships self.
A tax collector is one who does not fear God
and worships money.

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Copyright © 2001 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick