Chapter XIV

Separation of Church and State

     God chose Abraham then to be the father of all them that believed God; the father of all who will have God alone to be their God. Abraham represented the religion of God, the beginning of the Church of God.

     And God separated Abraham from the State. He said to Abraham:

     In separating Abraham from the State, from his country, God taught the people then, and through all time, the separation of Church and State.

     It must not be forgotten that in the case of Abraham, this universal example, the separation of religion and the State, was the separation of the individual believer from the State. And as Abraham was at that time the Church, and he was separated from the State, it is plainly taught that the true separation of Church and State is in the separation of the individual Church-member from the State. Besides, when the same individual is a member of both the church and the State, there is at once in him a union of church and State.

     When God said to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee."^{58 Genesis 12:1} Abraham "went out, not knowing whither he went."^{59 Hebrews 11:8}

     God had not yet shown him the land or country into which he was to go, and which was to be his. So far, the Lord had only promised to show it to him.

     There were three things, however, which Abraham must do before he could fairly expect God to show him the country which He had promised, and which was to be his. First, he was to get out of his country; secondly, from his kindred; thirdly, from his father's house.

     He left his country; but when he did so, his father and his kindred went with him to Haran, and dwelt there. There his father died; and now, separated from his father's house, he went on to the land of Canaan.

     Abraham was now separated from his country and his father's house. But there accompanied him yet one of his kindred, Lot, his brother's son. While Lot was with him, he was not yet separated from his kindred. The time could not come for God to show to him the land, nor the country which He would give him.

     But there came a day when Lot should be separated from him. Lot chose all the plain of the Jordan, and journeyed east, and "they separated thus, one from the other."^{60 Genesis 13:11}

     And it was then that God showed to Abraham the land which He had promised to show him, the country which should be his. The Lord said unto Abraham, after Lot was separated from him:

     And the promised country which the Lord then showed to Abraham, that was to be an everlasting possession - that country embraced the world.

     Therefore, when at the word of the Lord Abraham lifted up his eyes to see what the Lord would show him, he saw "the world to come," which is to be the everlasting possession of all them which be of faith. For "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."^{63 Galatians 3:29}

     And from that day forward Abraham "sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country," looking for "a better country, that is, an heavenly," and looking "for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."^{64 Hebrews 11:9,16,10} For, though God promised that He would give to Abraham that land, and to his seed after him, yet as long as he was in this world God really "gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on."^{65 Acts 7:5}

     God had called Abraham out of his original country, and thus had separated him from it. Then He gave him not even so much as to "set his foot on" in any other country in this world.

     Abraham at that time represented the religion of God. The Lord in His dealing thus with Abraham and in recording it, has shown that it is His will that there should be an absolute separation of His religion from any State. And in thus showing the complete separation of His religion from any State, He shows that this separation consists in the separation of the individual believer, from any State. Are you walking "in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham," the friend of God?^{66 Romans 4}

     Abraham, representing at that time the Church of Christ, being totally separated by the Lord from every State and country on the earth, has shown to all people, that there should be total separation of Church and State, and that the Church of Christ can never have any country in the world. And in thus showing that the Church of Christ can never have any country in this world, He shows that the individual members of the Church of Christ can never have any country in this world; for that which composes the Church of Christ is the individual membership.

     So also dwelt Isaac and Jacob, heirs with Abraham of the same promise. Accepting with Abraham separation from every earthly State and country and confessing "that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth," they were looking for the country which God had prepared for them, and the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

     They accepted this freely of their own choice, by faith in God. This is recorded in Hebrews:

     This dealing of God with Abraham, and the record of it, were for the instruction of all the people who would believe God, from that time to the world's end. For Abraham was the called, the chosen, the friend, of God, the father of all them that believe. And all "they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."^{68 Galatians 3:9} In this instruction of God's dealings with Abraham is the great lesson that the religion of God means separation of religion and the State. Are you walking in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham? Have you gotten out of your country? Or have you still a country in this world? Is there in you a union of religion and the State?

     Further:

     Therefore the promises recorded and referred to in the scripture, "To Abraham and his Seed," are always to Abraham and Christ, and to Abraham in Christ. Therefore, "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." ^{70 Galatians 3:29}

     And when Christ, that promised Seed, came into the world a man amongst men, then in Him, as formerly in Abraham, there was represented the religion of God and the Church of Christ. And as such He ever maintained the same principle of separation of religion and State which He Himself had set before the world in the life and record of Abraham.

     He refused to recognize, even by a sign, the wish of the people to make Him king.^{71 John 6:15} He refused, when requested, to act the part of a judge or a divider over men as to the rights of property.^{72 Luke 12:13-15} He refused to recognize the national lines of distinction, the wall of partition, which Israel in their exclusiveness had built up between themselves and other nations. He refused to judge, or to allow any others to judge, any one for not believing on Him.^{73 John 12:47-48} He distinctly declared that, though He is a King, His kingdom is not of this world, and that it is not in any way connected with this world.^{74 John 18:36} He distinctly declared the separation of His religion from the State. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."^{75 Mark 12:17}

     When He sent forth His disciples with His heavenly commission to preach the Gospel of His kingdom, He sent them not to one particular nation, but to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost."^{76 Matthew 28:19} He sent them to preach the Gospel; not to one particular, favored, exclusive people, but "to every creature."^{77 Mark 16:15}

     Thus it is seen again that in every phase of the fundamental principle of the religion of God and the Church of Christ, from the beginning to the end of the world, there is required the absolute separation of religion and the State - the total disconnection of His Church from every State and country in the world, and from the world itself.

     And this total disconnection of His Church from every State and country in this world, and from the world itself, can be accomplished only by the total disconnection of the individual members of His Church from every State and country in the world, and from the world itself. "Ye are not of the world; for I have chosen you out of the world." "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."^{78 John 15:19; 17:16} Are you of the world?

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