DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION - PRESERVING THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH (TITUS 1:16)

Dear Members in Christ,                                                                                                                   

Doctrine of Separation - preserving the purity of the Church

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (Titus 1:16).

In the present day, distinctive Christian denominations have blurred, become meaningless or lost their respective belief from the earlier doctrines founded by their respective Church fathers. Many new churches founded recently in the late 20^th Century do not carry traditional denomination names. Even if they carry the traditional denominational names they may not reflect nor practise the faith that was once founded by their forefathers. These churches have deviated and deceived many. Sadly today, not even all “BP Churches” have stayed true to the twin doctrines of “VPI” and VPP”. 

To know more about the beliefs and practices of these modern churches, an individual has to be a detective to seek out the Church’s respective Statement of Faith, if any. A word of caution as these churches may not be practising the faith that they declare. Many of these churches can be identified with the “last days miracles, signs and wonders churches” stated in the Bible. It is also not surprising to witness the rise of many false prophets and deceptive Churches.

The Face of Christianity: Christianity is in a state of confusion today even to God’s elect (cf. Matthew 24:24). In short, Christianity today has lost its fundamental face. It began in the mid19^th Century when human rational and philosophy crept into the Church. Then came the greatest devilish deception of evolution when Charles Darwin declared that man came about from “evolution”. The faith of the weak was shaken and unbelievers were drawn further away from the true living God. Then, in the early 20^th Century, tongue speaking came into being in the United States. They were then known as the Pentecostal. Later after the Second World War, other denominations also began to speak in tongues. These denominations not willing to call themselves Pentecostal, decided to stay within their denominations and call themselves “Charismatics”. Thus, we see the birth of the Charismatic Movement.  

The World Council of Churches was formed in 1948 to unite all churches, irrespective of their belief and doctrines, into one body known as the Ecumenical movement. The 3 goals of the Movement are to unite 1) all protestant churches 2) Protestantism with Roman Catholicism and 3) all religions of the world together. The first 2 goals have become a reality and the third goal is already in place with the founding of the inter-faith gatherings and councils recognised by governments worldwide. This is also the often known end time “One World Religion”. The Bible refers to this as the “great whore” (cf. Revelation 17: 1-18) to oppose the kingdom of God at the end time.

This Ecumenical Movement is definitely the brain child of the evil one. It is wicked and retrogressive for fundamental Christianity as it returns Protestant churches to the fold of the Catholic Church. It seeks to undo the work of the Reformers of the 16^th Century. Sadly, many churches have forgotten the history and truth of the Reformation as they followed blindly the narrative of the Ecumenical Movement.  

Pillars of divine Truth: It must be reiterated that true believers must be rooted, grounded and established in the pillars of divine Truth otherwise as the Bible says “the very elect” would be deceived by false churches, doctrines and false teachers. How do true believers be filled with the divine Truth? True believers must know and have intimate relationship with God, be nurtured and admonished in the Truth of the Bible, practising the faith, and walking closely with God, fellowship with true believers and be found in a truly fundamental reformed Church.

Jesus says in John 10: 27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” Thus, as a believer, do we hear the voice of the Lord and follow Him?

God’s light: True believers must be sensitized to false Christianity. These false churches “christianized” every human carnal desires into Christianity in order to deceive a greedy, wicked, ignorant and gullible generation. The Doctrine of Separation has been neglected, ignored and shunned on grounds of modern liberal belief of “human rights and love”. The Doctrine of Separation applies not only to the Church institution but also to individual believer’s life. God tells the believers to “… come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

It is not wrong to have friends who are unbelievers or from a Charismatic church. The point to note is that true believers are not to be emotionally involved with them with the view of marriage or to compromise or drawn into a false faith. True believers are to hold fast and to “contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). It must be the spiritual desire of all true believers to share and lead them away from the false and misleading doctrines taught in false and deceptive churches.

No Compromise: Teachings and preaching from God-fearing Pastors and Preachers in the past, and even unto this day, on the Doctrine of Separation have not ceased. The warning to separate from false doctrines and false teachers is from God, not from man.

Truly born-again believers must be sober and vigilant against false doctrines as these doctrines are of another gospel like the “health and wealth gospel, feel good and experiential gospel, present day miracle healing and tongue speaking” which, we firmly believe is not of the Bible.

A truly born again Christian, knowing the Word of God, having intimate relationship with God, walking closely with God and practising the faith would definitely be able to spiritually discern the Truth from the false (cf. 1 Cor 2: 10-12). He knows the God of the Bible.

Those who are truly saved in a false and deceptive church, once they realised the wrong and deceptive teachings, should leave the church immediately, and therefore, be separated from these false gospels. Martin Luther, the man who led the great Reformation in the year 1517, left the Roman Catholic Church once he found the Truth of “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

Baptism: CJBPF does not accept baptism conducted by ordained women pastors, false and deceptive churches and those that teach baptismal regeneration.

Transfer/Joining of CJBPF membership: Charismatics who had received the true Gospel and had left the Charismatic church and wish to be members are to be evaluated like everyone else. They are asked to write their testimonies of salvation. Then they must be interviewed like all other candidates and approved for membership by the Board of Elders.  

May the Lord bless each one of us with His wisdom.

In Christ,
Eld. Choe Tong Seng