Any definition of separation that does not seek as its first motive and final goal the exalting of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His beauty and glory is not worthy to be called biblical separation.

Every garden that God plants has a tree of forbidden fruit. Every tabernacle that God erects has a pattern. Every promised land has a boundary. Every wall God puts up has a plumb line. Every kingdom God ordains has a rule of life and a Ruler. Every Christian called by God has a plot of spiritual ground in which he must reside—separated, holy ground! It is only as we live within this boundary, planting and building according to the pattern, laying forth godly character with the plumb line, obeying the rule and the Ruler of the Kingdom of God, can we ever hope to please God.

Even in the creation of the world separation was present. There were many divisions named, and each one was marked with a holy separation that was placed there evidently to exalt the Creator of life (Genesis 1 and 2). There was a separation between heaven and earth (1:1), light and darkness (1:4), day and night (1:5), evening and morning (1:5), waters under the firmament and waters above the firmament (1:6-7), waters under the heaven and the dry land (1:9), earth and seas (1:10), food that man may freely eat and one he may not eat (2:16-17), and man to leave parents but cleave to his wife (2:24).

God achieved all of these dichotomies through the method of divine separations—the dogmatic divisions and the delightful gatherings of God. Biblical separation involves both directions: God separates from and God separates unto. Scriptural separation never consists of either/or in this matter; it is always both/and. If this divine paradox lays hold upon man, there can be a consistent effectiveness of this great truth in all of our lives as we stand stedfastly against the Lord's enemies.

Unfortunately many so-called Fundamentalists have made the presupposition of their motive for separation or against separation to be something less than the exaltation of Christ. We read of "The Mastery Test" which is spoken of as a motive for separation.

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (I Corinthians 6:12).

There is also "The Temple Test."

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (I Corinthians 6:19-20).

Then there is "The Stumbling Block Test."

Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend (I Corinthians 8:13).

Finally, there is the "Soulwinning Test."

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more (I Corinthians 9:19).

In all of these "tests" there is a danger of only interpreting them in the light of the horizontal affairs of the generation in which we live. No one of these tests should be taken away from the supreme vertical "test" which governs all other motives or reasons for separation in the Christian life. The Vertical Test is not just one of several tests which the Bible gives in the matter of separation: it is the highest and most noble reason or motive for separation, and it governs all else.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Colossians 3:17).

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3:23).

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).

This might seem to be a distinctive without a difference; yet this principle from the Word of God could make the difference between whether we see separation as a necessity, an option, or a precious privilege. When man begins to think horizontally, even in his thoughts of God and truth, he could ultimately be dominated by the horizontal influence. Man must begin with the vertical—the objective revealed Word of God. There may be a lot of good, human reasons why we should build evangelism around the dialogue and direction of the direction of the generation in which we live; but in the final analysis, the question centers on the biblical reason why we should extend evangelism on the base of biblical separation. Methodology is linked with motive. And the presupposition by which man acts is indicative of whether the means or the will of God are more important. The means and the methods never justify the end; the end dictates the means. It is not as simple as saying that the "Hyper-Fundamentalist Complex" is a result of "negative-separatism" as demonstrated in the "loneliness" ("Only a few of us are serving God."), which leads to "self-pity" ("I alone am really pure in my motives."), which leads to the "martyr complex" ("I'm alone, therefore I'm right."), which finally leads to "negative-separatism."

Neither is it as narrow as a contest between "worldly evangelicals" and "hyper-fundamentalists"—a word-battle between tolerance and intolerance, relativism and absolutism, compromise and militancy, flexibility and inflexibility, conformity and separatism, strong social emphasis and weak social emphasis, infiltration and confrontation, dialogue and proclamation, political liberalism and political conservatism, leadership by pastors, being pro para-church and being pro local church, or having a tendency to split left and a tendency to split right. All of these signify only the partisan, personal, and selfish aspects of argumentation in these matters.

Anyone who speaks of biblical separation with such a low view does not understand the heart of a godly man pleading with God against apostasy. Calling a biblical Fundamentalist a man with a "hyper-fundamentalist complex" does not make him a "hyper-fundamentalist" with a "complex." Tagging "worldly" or "hyper" does not explain the war. There are people who desire to be called Fundamentalists who do not follow historic Fundamentalism. They cry against the biblical Fundamentalist as being among the "lunatic fringe," suffering from a "separation-isolation cycle," or "extreme." It is not a "hyper-fundamentalist complex" that we are suffering from; we are suffering because so-called Fundamentalists have reproached the Lord Jesus with a claim of separation that does not exalt Him. If a different "Fundamentalist" is going to call names of other "Fundamentalists" as being self-styled dictators who act without love, what about their own self-styled dictatorship which does not glorify and exalt the Lord Jesus in truth and love? If we should not speak against what some might believe as "God's anointed," should we not shut our mouths entirely on the subject for fear of being inconsistent with our premise? Is it sane to call another a dictator if we are dictatorial in the matter ourselves? To be consistent, as well as pure and honorable, one must live with his own criticism. However, if one because of his love for God and the Bible believes that apostates must be identified personally, and crusades, movements, and organizations must be restrained, then the Fundamentalist is truly living consistently. To dialogue means to follow the people; to relate or conform to an age is to follow error. It is because of God and His Son that we do battle.