SEPARATION from False Churches
Shaun Willcock
“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” (2 Cor.
6:14-18)
False churches abound in our day as never before, although they have been around since the first
century AD. In our English Bible the word “church” is used where the Greek word has the meaning of
“assembly” or “congregation”. Thus there are false assemblies, false
church) of Satan. Satan had his churches then, and he has them still. The devil has always had his counterfeits.
ECUMENICAL “CHURCHES”
We must also remain completely separate from all ecumenical institutions, i.e. all those “churches” –
it does not matter to which denomination they belong – which are in fellowship with the Roman
Catholic system; or with the World Council of Churches, or any of its local branches; or which have
joined other ecumenical organisations; or any which teach and proclaim that it is God’s will for all so-
called “churches” to unite. As we have seen, this is never God’s will. True Christians are never to
fellowship with a mixed multitude of Christ-denying, Bible-denying men and women.
The Ecumenical Movement is an abomination before God. It must be shunned for the evil that it is.
Today, liberal “churches” include the vast majority of the so-called “mainline” denominations –
Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, Methodist, even certain Baptist denominations –
and a great many others as well.
Today, liberal “churches” include the vast majority of the so-called “mainline” denominations –
Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, Methodist, even certain Baptist denominations –
and a great many others as well.
ARMINIAN “CHURCHES”
The true Christian must also remain separate from Arminian “churches”. Arminians deny the
doctrines of sovereign grace: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible
grace, and perseverance of the saints. Arminianism is the belief that God did not elect some people to
salvation in Christ, but rather that man has a free will and is able to either choose to accept or reject
Christ whenever he likes. Arminians do not believe the scriptural truth that Christ died only for the
elect – they believe He died for all men. They do not believe that once a man is in Christ, he is in Him
forever – they teach that a man is able to lose his salvation by his own free will. In summary (although
they would deny it), they do not believe in a God who is all-powerful; instead they believe in all-
powerful man. This is a false gospel, and believers are not to fellowship with churches which deny
such fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. We are not to join with churches which say that Christ died
for all men, and that all men may be saved if they only exercise their free will and choose Christ, when
the Scriptures categorically deny such things.
Many today are horrified when we say this. They think we should readily fellowship with Arminian
churches. But Arminianism is another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4) – a false gospel.
Which churches are Arminian today? Answer: almost every single one! At one time Arminianism
was confined largely to Wesleyan Methodism and one or two other denominations, but today it is rife
throughout the vast majority of denominations – even those which might still say the opposite on
paper, in their confessions of faith.
However, it is important to remember that one is not saved by holding to a correct understanding of
election or predestination. One is saved by faith in Christ! And no one, at the time of his conversion,
has a perfect understanding of Christ, or His Gospel of grace. Thus there have been Arminians who are genuine Christians, out of ignorance of the doctrines of grace. But recognising that there are some
Arminians who are converted does not justify lowering the biblical standard of separation and
attending Arminian churches! It is one thing to attend a local church consisting of people who really
appear to be sincere, faithful believers, but who are simply untaught, or taught incorrectly, regarding
the doctrines of grace, the difference between biblical truth and Arminianism, etc., and are therefore Arminian out of sheer ignorance of sound teaching. They need proper teaching, not rejection. It is quite another matter when a church knows the difference, but deliberately rejects and even opposes the truth and maintains the Arminian error. No fellowship should be had with such a church.
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are genuine Christians, out of ignorance of the doctrines of grace. But recognising that there are some
Arminians who are converted does not justify lowering the biblical standard of separation and
attending Arminian churches! It is one thing to attend a local church consisting of people who really
appear to be sincere, faithful believers, but who are simply untaught, or taught incorrectly, regarding
the doctrines of grace, the difference between biblical truth and Arminianism, etc., and are therefore
Arminian out of sheer ignorance of sound teaching. They need proper teaching, not rejection. It is
quite another matter when a church knows the difference, but deliberately rejects and even opposes the
truth and maintains the Arminian error. No fellowship should be had with such a church.
PENTECOSTAL AND CHARISMATIC “CHURCHES”
We must also not join in fellowship with Pentecostal or Charismatic “churches”, but remain completely separate from them. They deny the doctrine of the finality and all-sufficiency of the Word of God; they permit all sorts of doctrines and practices which are completely unscriptural, because for them the Word of God is not final – they emphasise experiences and “new revelations”, even if these contradict God’s Holy Word, because they claim the gift of prophecy is still given today; they are emotion-driven, experience-oriented “churches”; etc.
For the child of God to fellowship with such churches is sinful. They are not true Christian churches.
They are filled with heresy and unbiblical behaviour. We must remain separate from them all.
Again, however, as with certain Arminians, some genuine Christians, being “babes” in Christ, may through ignorance attend such “churches” for a time. But they must be properly taught, and shown that they are to forsake such false assemblies completely. There is no excuse to remain.
For the child of God to fellowship with such churches is sinful. They are not true Christian churches. FULL ARTICLE HERE:
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