"To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." Acts 3:26.
God created the heavens and earth in six days, through a process of separation and filling. We see this when we compare the first three days with the last three. On the first day God “separated” the light from the darkness, forming the day and night. Then on the fourth day He “filled” the day and night with the sun and moon respectively. On the second day God “separated” the waters from the waters, forming the sky and its atmosphere. Then on the fifth day he “filled” the sky with birds and the waters below with fish. On the third day God “separated” dry land from the waters and also created the vegetation. Then on the sixth day He “filled” the land with animals and mankind, who were sustained by the vegetation. Thus, a separating and a filling occurred.
The same with the seventh day, in which God rested from His work. He sanctified it for a sacred and intimate purpose, therefore “separating” it from the other six days. What did He “fill” it with? His divine presence. This to facilitate the relation of humans with himself.
And through God’s creative act, the man and woman became intimately entwined as one flesh in marriage. Note that man is to be “separated” from his parents and be joined to his wife. The two are designed to go forth as one and “fill” the earth with their offspring (Genesis 1:28; 2:24). Thus, a separating and a filling.
Likewise, the gospel is the recreative work of God. A person, once dead in sin, becomes spiritually alive and new in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6). Is there a process of separation and filling in this? Absolutely! It is the way of God. We are to be “filled” with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). And Jesus will bless us by turning us away, “separating” us, from our iniquities (Acts 3:26).
It is incredible to be separated from that which is awful, but in itself this is incomplete. We are to be filled with something marvellous. God wants to “separate” us from our selfishness and “fill” us with His selfless love, to such an extent that it overflows liberally to others. The Spirit will do this in our lives. But we must be willing to be transformed. This takes a submissive heart on our part.
And there will come a time when God will fully recreate this sin marred earth. He will “separate” all tears, all sorrow, all pain, all sin and all death from it and from us (Revelation 21:1-4). These things will be no more, never to be found again. Instead, this world will be “filled” with an everlasting love and total purity. It will be filled with God’s glorious presence.
What thing needs to be separated from your life? Pray that it will be gone through the power of God. Pray that you are filled with the Spirit.
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