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intrinsically belonging to the food, but rather of the acceptance of the word of God,
"making all meats clean".
The thought of separation as necessary for acceptable service, a thought which is
implied in sanctification, is clearly seen in II Tim. 2: 21:--
"If a man shall therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and meet for the master's use."
No man can become holy by purging himself, but in separating from error and those
who teach it he may become "sanctified", set apart for acceptable service.
A passage to which the mind naturally turns in this matter of the relationship between
separation and sanctification is II Cor. 6: 14 - 7: 1:--
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of
the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, and
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
A simple analysis of this passage reduces its teaching to the following outline:--
A | 6: 14-16. Sanctification viewed negatively. "Be not."
B | 6: 16. Promises. As God hath said.
C | 6: 17. Wherefore come out . . . Touch not . . . Be separate.
B | 6: 18 - 7: 1. Promises. Said the Lord Almighty.
C | 7: 1. Let us cleanse ourselves.
A | 7: 1. Sanctification viewed positively. "Perfecting."
Let us examine the terms that are used in this short passage, each one being a facet of
the many-sided doctrine of sanctification as viewed in the light of separation: "unequally
yoked; fellowship; communion; concord; part; agreement; come out; be separate;
touch not; cleanse from filthiness". Here are ten expressive terms all of which are
gathered up in the conclusion--"perfecting holiness". Their examination will repay us.
The unequal yoke.--It is natural to think of this figure as indicating service, and the
Lord's words in Matt. 11: 29, and those of Paul in Phil. 4: 3, fully justify this
application. We think also of the prohibition in Deut. 22: 10: "Thou shalt not plow
with an ox and an ass together." It is not, however, patent to the English reader as it
would be to a Jew who knew the Levitical law, and was acquainted with the LXX (as
most Jews were), that the idea of the word heterozugeo would also include that of
marriage. For the only occurrence of the word in the LXX is found in Lev. 19: 19,
where our version renders it "gender".