Separation is the outcome of separation! When a nation (i.e., Israel in the Old Testament) or an individual (i.e., a believer in the New Testament) is set apart by the Lord, that nation (or person) has become disassociated with the rest of the world. Moses made this point in Exodus 33:16 when he said, “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” Separation is not something accomplished through diligence but occurs naturally after a person comes to know Christ as Saviour. Christians who remain attached to the world find little satisfaction with the things of the world or less appeal for the things of God.
The words content and contentment infer that one is satisfied with life's present conditions (Genesis 37:27; Exodus 2:21). Living contently is the opposite of wanting (Philippians 4:11) and covetousness (Hebrews 13:5) and is strongly associated with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). Interestingly, contentment is a learned behaviour that believers must put into practice on a consistent basis throughout life. No one is born into the world content. Yet, once learned and practiced consistently, Christians will experience contentment in spite of any circumstance faced. Unfortunately, far too often, Christians exhibit no more contentment than non-Christians. In fact, believers seem to desire and covet the things of the world more and more with each passing year. This covetousness combined with a lack of contentment amongst Christians results in less godliness and a closer association with worldly pleasures.
