The Separator

The Separator

 There are numerous names for the Lord throughout Scripture, and they are important to note because what His name is . . . is what He does. I have begun a list in my journal of the names used in both the Old and the New Testaments. When I ran across “Separator” as a name for the Lord in John 9:39 (Amplified Bible), I was struck by it because I had never heard it used in reference to Him before: Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.

 Mankind is divided but not according to man’s ideas of division. We tend to divide people groups by race, nationality, religion, language, education, and/or socio-economic status. But God sees only two kinds of people: All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them [the people] from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left (Matthew 25:32-33).

 What is the deciding factor, we might ask, to be placed on one side or the other? The line that must be crossed, the door that must be walked through, is stated plainly:  . . . If you believe with all your heart [if you have^]a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then]. . . (Acts 8:37).

 It is “then” that you either take a step into a relationship with Jesus Christ . . . or you don’t. And that step determines your future, both in this life you are living now and for eternity. One question your step determines is where you will spend eternity—for we are all eternal beings.

 Another question your step addresses is the quality of life you will have. If you cross the line of faith, then you are called “blessed” (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable according to Psalm 1:1 AMP); if you do not cross the line of faith, then you are considered “wicked”  (disobedient, living without God, and like chaff, which is worthless, dead, without substance, and driven away by the wind according to Psalm 1:4). Those who decide to live their own life, remain independent from God, and hold on to their self-sufficiency, are said to end in ruin and come to nought (Psalm 1:6).

  Every person has that choice to make:  do I believe or do I not believe. For those who say “yes” to Him, He responds quickly: The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name (John 1:12 AMP).

 It is truly a wonderful thing to have crossed the line of faith and to have become a member of God’s forever family.