Is it right for Christians to isolate from the world? What a far reaching and complicated question. The heart of an evangelist and frankly, my heart, says, "Never!" But is that personal motivation of the heart always the correct answer? Once again, is it ever right for Christians to isolate from the world? The easy answer is that it is right if God says to do it. Would God ever say to do it? Certainly, He has in the past and may in the future. When the Lord was ready to bring judgment upon the earth in Noah's day He instructed Noah to build an Ark. Then the day came when the Lord said to Noah, go into the ark with your family and the door was shut. Actually, Genesis 7:16 tells us that "the Lord closed the door behind them." What followed was the judgment of God, the cleansing of the wickedness of mankind from the earth and the protection of the people of God. That seems to be a biblical pattern. Another prophetic and even Messianic directive of the Lord came to Isreal as they lived in the bondage of the Egyptians. When God's day of judgment for Egypt and deliverance for Israel came, there were specific instructions. Each family was to take an unblemished lamb(paschal lamb), slaughter it and put the blood of that lamb over their doorpost of their house with hyssop. When the death angel passed over, the first born child of every family would die except for the houses with the blood over the doorpost. The blood over the doorpost determined judgment or deliverance and safety for those living under the blood! Later as Israel is released from the bondage of the world, the Egyptians took chase to put them into bondage again. This time the Red Sea opened, Israel walked through on dry ground and the Egyptian army was destroyed by water. Again, cleansing came upon wickedness and the people of God were protected by God. This process relied upon the timing of God and man's obedience to God's voice when that time came. Some would argue but judgment still comes even in our modern era. Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." Ephesians 5:5 "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
Since the Bible tells us in these verses and others that there is coming an end to this age, this life as we know it, what then should be our preparation for a day such as this? It is important to know that we can't prepare when the crisis is upon us. Israel, as with Noah, had to make preparation out of obedience prior to the judgment. We must live prepared ahead of time. Of course when Jesus returns, the door of salvation will be closed and opportunities for avoiding eternal judgment will be over. Yet there will be other times before the coming of the Lord that will bring judgment. These will be times of God's love in dealing with the rebellous and giving opportunity to turn away from their sin and rebellion against God in order to be saved. Then, just as in Noah's day, God will separate his people, those who have prepared themselves with the Blood of Jesus and obedience to God's Word, and they will be saved from disaster of the judgment of God. Ephesians 5:6 makes it clear that "the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." God is loving, merciful and long suffering but there will be a day of reckoning. There will be a day when mockers and the rebellious will be caught off guard as surely as in Noah's day. Then, the Lord Himself will shut the door.
May God give us anointing, wisdom and boldness to convince as many as possible before the hour of grace ends.
