The Paradox of Holy Isolation within Christian Community

Discipleship is a journey of being singled out by the Lord. There will always be this reality known as holy isolation - being set apart for the Lord's pleasure and use. Jesus Himself took part in community, yet was isolated by the Spirit of God for the Father's use.

John 16:32
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
And we follow in Jesus' footsteps.

2 Timothy 2:19-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Note that seal is that the "Lord knows those who are His." This automatically means that God also knows who AREN"T His, at least, not yet. But for those who ARE HIS, they get that seal. That will lead simultaneously to holy community as well as holy isolation. However, in my years I have discovered that holy isolation is a much longer, more nuanced process that we don't recognize right away. As young Christians, we often get involved in holy community right away, one of the Lord's local churches. This is a good thing! Then, within that context, as with what happened to me, the Lord slowly sets you apart for His pleasure. You are not absent from the community. But mysteriously, you begin to sense you are not with anyone other than the Lord. Yet you ARE INDEED with other believers faithfully and consistently. THAT is how I have experienced holy isolation.

This isolation is not a physical or literal isolation, but it is spiritual in nature. You are saved by Grace through Faith in Christ. (Eph 2:8) And He connects you to the Body by joining you in with one of the body parts, (one of the local churches.) (1 Cor.12)
I am well connected in the community as a pastor and a manager (bivocational ministry). I am a son and a friend. Yet there is this sense -this spiritual reality- of holy isolation I have become very well acquainted with. I am with others, in my proper God-given roles. I love them, bless them, work with them in church, work with them in the marketplace. I love my natural family and spend time with them as often as possible.
 Yet I am somehow set apart. And I feel it. This is a good thing.

There was the time I came out of my hermit shell, and finally started attending a church again - Church On The GO. That was almost 19 years ago... I did it alone, when my family had (at the time) fallen into a Christian hermit mindset. By the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, I was the first in my family to emerge from my shell.

There was the time my CLOSE family (we love each other dearly to this day) finally chose to attend a church again (Praise God), yet ultimately chose a different church than the one I was attending... despite the fact that I was already well established in this one. I am at peace with this as I now see multiple reasons why the Lord allowed my natural family to go to a different church. (One of the main reasons is that God is sanctifying me, setting me apart for HIMSELF.)

There was the time I was abandoned by my non-believing ex-wife. Abandonment led to divorce. God worked all things for good and used it as part of my sanctification process.

There were times when I would lose contact with friends who moved away or had removed themselves from the community. Again, the Lord is setting me apart.

There was the time my dad went home to glory last year and left the rest of us behind (He knew Jesus and is now rejoicing with God in heaven!). I am still here, because God set me apart for God's pleasure and work.

There are those who used to talk to me all the time, and now they tend to minimize their interactions with me in person. Again, no one is to blame here, since no one has wronged anyone else. Certainly, if I had done something wrong, no one has brought it to my attention, or else I would have apologized immediately. So what gives? Why not reply to me?
Well, it's just the Lord working holy isolation and discipleship in my life. God is teaching me not to take these avoidances personally. Instead, God is teaching me by His Spirit to see it as SANCTIFICATION. I am at the local church for God's delight and God's will, not for popularity.

There were times in more recent years when some of my friends and colleagues (Christian and non-Christian) in various marketplace spheres have suddenly blocked me on social media after years of pleasant online interactions. I know these dear people and love them in Jesus. But my human mind could not understand such a bizarre twist of events.

I did not discover the blocks until later, but when I did, it hurt my feelings. I didn't understand why I was "blocked" by them on the social media website.... because I had done nothing to deserve it (and those individuals had NEVER told me otherwise). And I didn't want to confront anyone because I prefer to avoid conflict when it is not needed - plus I did not want to make the other persons feel awkward. After all, it is just a silly social media site. Nothing major.

So there is no one to blame. But my mind still needed answers.

In all these cases, I was initially attempting to make sense of these seemingly senseless situations. I was puzzled. I want to find reasons with my human mind. I kept approaching things from the lower view, the human perspective. THEN..... the Lord called me to HIS perspective, a HIGHER VIEW.

And from this elevated perspective the Lord reminded me of this passage from 2 Timothy... the Lord knows those who are His. He "sanctifies" them (sets them apart). PRAISE GOD that God took these negative or bizzare events and used them to work SANCTIFICATION and DISCIPLESHIP in me!.... It means that I AM HIS! This truly warms my heart and delights my spirit in ways I cannot fully express in words.

PLUS the Holy Spirit has encouraged me to adopt the thinking of Jesus and make it my own statement IN CHRIST:

"Christian friends, colleagues, students, family and spouse may leave me alone, but I am NOT ALONE, for the Heavenly Father is WITH ME through the SPIRIT Christ Jesus!"

And also keep in mind that I do NOT feel lonely because of these things... as I am well connected to the FATHER GOD. And He continues to faithfully connect me to the community both in church and in the marketplace and in my own personal family. This is not a pity party, but a CELEBRATION of sanctification! This sanctification is a life long process and I have only come part way on that journey. The path continues and I know the Lord will continue to lovingly guide me and walk with me and talk with me and sanctify me even more. I look forward to it.

SO.... be encouraged. Ask the Lord to take you to HIS HIGHER perspective. (Read Isa. 55:10-11)

Holy Spirit led Isolation and Holy Spirit-led Community complete each other. It is the seal of Christian discipleship.

It's like the pillars of a building. They are all in one room, yet standing apart from each other.

Rev. 3:12 says:
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

We disciples of Christ on earth are currently in PILLAR TRAINING. We are being taught by the Holy Spirit how to be a reliable, faithful part of God's holy temple, the people of God. We are PILLARS IN TRAINING.

Pillars, by nature, are stable, faithful, and strong, as the Lord has made us to be. But like those pillars, there is still this feeling of isolation that simply comes with the territory of holiness and discipleship. The pillars are needed. But they cannot all be standing in one spot, or else the whole roof falls in. Thus, the pillars are united in purpose, united within community, and yet still isolated individually and set apart for God's purposes. Each pillar must hold up a different part of the same roof.

You cannot stand on your own. One pillar cannot bear the whole load. All the pillars are needed. And you need the power of the Holy Spirit and the direction of the Word of God.

So you cannot stand alone.... But you also cannot do what others are specifically and geographically called to do. Jesus has a special mission for you, a local calling and a ministry hand-picked by the Holy Spirit, for each individual believer. And you carry out this ministry in RELATIONSHIP to Christ. Me, I am a bivocational minister. I am called to Newmarket, ON. with a special anointing to teach the Word of God and to work in local retail as a manager. My passion for the retail workplace is just as strong as my passion to work in the church. They are two equal parts to one holy calling from the Lord. But that's my individual calling. What is yours? How has God called you individually, within the context of holy community?

1 Cor 7:17 says:
"But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches."

When one follows Christ as a disciple, it is an individual journey. Yet you will meet up with others on their journey as well and such meetings will usually happen on a regular basis. There will be congregating, worshiping, prayers together, joint Bible studies, sermons, fellowship, rejoicing, and ministering to others in the Body. There will be friendships and acquaintances. There is love and relationship in the Body.

Yet the isolation remains. And it is a genuine seal or token that you are the Lord's.
Holy isolation within community cannot be faked or forged. It is the Lord alone that causes such a process to develop. Holy isolation does not arise from following rules. It arises from following the Lord by relationship and obedience.

You are one of His chosen vessels. And if any would repent of sin and call on the Name of Jesus, they too can be saved. They can become a vessel of honour. They can experience both Christian community and holy isolation simultaneously. This is my walk with the Lord thus far. And it is beautiful. Every time someone distances themselves from me in person or on facebook, it does hurt a little. BUT then I remind myself that this is what discipleship is like... God forms you into His beautiful and holy image through a LIVING relationship to CHRIST.... in spiritual isolation WITHIN the context of spiritual community in the local churches. Isolation and community are two sides to the same coin. They are the two sides of the scales and balance each other out. They are both holy and both good. Holy isolation is always the product of Christ setting you apart from the world, and even from other family and friends. But it is NOT to be confused with being a hermit who deliberately avoids attending church and never interacts with the world. Holy isolation is not a human endeavour. It's the Lord's hand in your life.

 Holy isolation happens when you re operating within your communities with other people as the Lord has placed you. You are faithfully operating in church and you are faithfully doing His calling in the marketplace. You aren't trying to hide. But God hides you nevertheless. He hides you in plain sight. This sense of holy isolation is PROOF that God loves you and is ALREADY preparing you and using you for a special purpose.

Holy isolation balances Christian community. The scales are balanced in Christ.

And singleness makes this process even more noticeable. Singleness, when focused on the things of the Lord (1 Cor. 7:32) lends itself beautifully to discipleship. No matter what your marital status is though, you all can be a disciple through FAITH in Christ, and OBEDIENCE to the Word of God and to the SPIRIT of God.
God bless!

Pastor Curtis
May 19 2019 Sunday 3:31PM EST