For forty years the nation of Israel wandered in the desert. All but a few who had crossed the Red Sea had died. There were only a few alive who had eaten the first Passover meal.

Moses himself was about to die. Joshua, one of the spies who gave a true report forty years before, would lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. The Israelites that would soon enter Canaan were a whole new generation.

In the book of Deuteronomy (called the Second Law), Moses purposed to inform this new generation about the mighty deeds that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egypt, and sustaining them in the desert experience. His second purpose was to remind them of their obligations to follow the laws that God had given them on Mt. Sinai. Remember, of all the Israelites that were about to enter the Promised Land, only Moses, Joshua and Caleb were adults when God gave His laws at Mt. Sinai.

Like Moses, I feel compelled to remind the current generation of Christians about some of the same fundamental principles (laws) that Moses told his followers about. For this new breed of believers seems to have forgotten, or have never learned, some key elements of Christian living.

In Deuteronomy 22, there is a brief section of the law that Moses recounted that had to do with segregation. Please remember that segregation has not always had the negative connotation that it has had in the years of the Civil Rights struggles. Let's read:

"Thou shalt not sow thy vineyards with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy: seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together" (Deuteronomy 22: 9-11).

In these simple laws, God has not only given His people practical help and advice about ordinary activities, but also gave symbolically some key principles that Christians today need to understand and follow.

In verse 9, the Israelites are told not to sow their vineyards with different seeds. I'm not much of a gardener. In fact, I've been accused of having a "black thumb" when it comes to living plants --- even the leaves on a plastic plant in my office started to fall off. At any rate, an acquaintance told me about a guy who planted a row of cucumbers next to a row of cantaloupes. You gardeners know that's a no-no. What the man ended up with was two rows of "cukeloupes." The fruit was not a cantaloupe nor a cucumber. It was good for nothing.

We have a lot of "cukeloupe" Christians today. You can't tell exactly what they are or what they believe. They are a useless combination of worldly philosophies and Christian terminology. They've tried to sanctify worldly practices in the church by merely putting the word "Christian" in front of the ungodly concept.

A pastor friend once said that if you have to tell a lie to preach the gospel you make the gospel a lie. By the same token when you try to minister the gospel by blending it with unchristian philosophies or self-improvement programs you make the Word of no effect because it has been diluted. Above my desk is a little cross-stitch that shows a Bible with this inscription: "If you dilute it, you pollute it."

Despite widespread popularity, worldly techniques of self-improvement, marketing and the like cannot be joined with Christianity to spread the gospel. Ungodly psychological teachings, for example, can only dilute the power of God's Word. Raucous, sensual rock music cannot be sanctified with "Christian" lyrics. Worldly fashions will negate our godly passions. The holy and profane cannot be mixed, even with the best of intentions, and accomplish any positive, eternal results. Only bad fruit can grow from such an abominable mixture. Outwardly, I will admit, the fruit may be pleasing to the eye but when opened and examined it will be wormy and putrefying. The seed of the gospel cannot be mixed with other seeds, lest the fruit be defiled.

"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness"' (11 Corinthians 6: 14b).

This unholy integration of the gospel with the wisdom of man and fleshly appetites is the source of great confusion in the church today. Immature believers are as confused as termites in a yo-yo because of the inclusion in modern preaching of the same worldly wisdom they fled. Pure seed must be planted. No hybrids will do.

Verse 10 of the text says that the Israelites should not plow their fields with an ox and an ass together. Let's look at the practical aspects of this admonition before we search the spiritual significance.

The ox is a slow but steady performer. His strength is increased by his resoluteness and his steady pace. Once its tremendous bulk is in motion, there is a smooth, steady flow of energy. Its obedient response to the plowman's command is one of its most admirable qualities. The ass, on the other hand, is moody. It may run for awhile; then sit down for awhile. It is self-willed, stubborn and cantankerous. Its behavior is erratic and unstable. The difference in their physical size would also create some yoking difficulties. It would be difficult for those two opposites to work well together. There would be other considerations of spiritual significance to the Israelites. The ox is a clean animal, according to the dietary laws of the Jews. The ass is not. The ox is an acceptable sacrifice; the ass is not. Drawing from the principle of this specific law, Paul writes,

"Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers" (11 Corinthians 6:14a).

I believe this law speaks to us today about forming unhealthy and unholy alliances with not only unbelievers but with "Christians" whose lifestyles or teachings are contrary to the Lord's Word. We should avoid at all costs supporting or aligning ourselves with those whose ministry is untested or whose "revelations" are unproven.

Through the Old and New Testaments, God's people are warned about separating themselves from false prophets and teachers. Earlier in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses warned:

"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 13: 1-5).

Paul warns:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strife of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men and corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyselr' (I Timothy 6: 1-5).

Elsewhere, the apostle says:

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1: 6-9).

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul lists the unchristlike characteristics that result from "self-love." Then he says that such church-goers have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. "From such turn away," he advises in strong language.

We have already quoted his admonitions in II Corinthians 6 about being unequally yoked and the error of trying to join light and darkness, truth and error, the holy and the profane. This should provide sufficient scriptural evidence that joining with false teachers --- whether they propagate error through ignorance or willful deceit --- is a tragic mistake for believers that could have eternal ramifications.

Before we follow a preacher or endorse a ministry, we must check the Word to see if the things being ministered are, in fact, true. We are charged to test the message against the Word; to hold to that which is good and not accept that which is bad or harmful. We must not form alliances with those whose ministry advocates anything other than the doctrines of Jesus and the apostles --- that faith once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Before we align ourselves with humanitarian or political causes, we must know the underlying worldview and the true and complete agenda that the organization supports. For example, one major U.S. charity that battles birth defects outwardly appears to be worthwhile and deserving of support. But that same "children's" charity funds abortion research. Animal rights groups, like Save the Whales, may seem like environmentally and politically correct causes, but most of their underlying worldview is New Age and anti-biblical. Their concern for the whale, or whatever animal, is part of the evolutionary misconception that humans and animals are family members on Darwin's tree of life.

We cannot be, and must not be, yoked with unbelievers --- through marriage, business relationships, social causes or the like. Yet, unity at any price is the word for today. Because of shared interests in political and social causes, Catholics and evangelicals have signed a document that, in essence, makes the Reformation of no effect or consequence. This is a prime example of being unequally and unbiblically yoked.

An acquaintance of ours may not have used this particular scripture as the basis for a recent business decision, but he understood the importance of not being unequally yoked. A deal that was coming together had the potential of making his company more than $50 million in the next few years. However, when he found out that a third party that had been brought into the deal was a publishing concern that was involved in some pornographic' activity (through an indirect subsidiary) he broke off the negotiations. I'm sure time will demonstrate that his stand for godly principles will pay great dividends, both spiritual and financial. Some have said, "Look how much he could have done for the kingdom of God with the profits from this undertaking." To that attitude I say that situational ethics are wrong under any circumstances. We desperately need more men and women of God today who will stand firm for biblical principles no matter what the personal cost or sacrifice. There is a price we all must pay for our walk with God.

In verse 11, Moses reminds the children of Israel of another of God's laws:

"Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen" (Deuteronomy 22:11).

Some of you are scratching your head, wondering why God would care what fabrics we chose to wear. It was not that God has -something against wool (so don't trash all your good sweaters). The importance here is that common things (the woolen garment) and the separated, holy things (the linen) should not be mixed.

In Ezekiel 44:17, it is written, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court."

The linen garments of God's priests were important. They were significant and symbolic. Linen garments demonstrated that the priests had performed the ritualistic cleansing that the Levitical law required. The commonness of wool (symbolic of worldliness) was not to be found in the inner court of the Temple. It was a holy place, set apart from the ordinary and mundane.

The importance and significance of linen is demonstrated again in the New Testament. Speaking of the bride of Christ, the Apostle John wrote:

"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints" (Rev. 19:8).

To be clothed in the righteousness of Christ was to be separated unto God for service. Mixed clothing indicated a disrespect for holy things. It also indicates an integrating of holy and profane things. This attitude is apparent today by those who preach one thing and live another. They are clothed in the fig leaves of self-righteousness, but their fabric is cheap, synthetic polyester. Such man-made coverings cannot hide sin from a heart-searching God. In fact, it rarely conceals sin even from true believers.

To those clothed in garments of their own making. God says:

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you" (II Corinthians 6:17).

In an earlier chapter of Deuteronomy, we get an understanding of the necessity for segregation:

"For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For thou are a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 7: 4-6).

First, unless we separate ourselves from unbelievers and make-believers, false teachers will turn our children away from the one true God. Secondly, continued fellowship with such will cause our children to worship the heroes and the idols of these deceivers. The third reason for segregation is that we are a holy people --- called out of darkness *into His marvelous light. And finally, we are a chosen people above all others. Although this was written specifically to the Jewish people, there most certainly is an application to the church today. The apostle Peter says,

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9).

At the close of this brief section in Deuteronomy, Jehovah tells His chosen people, through His spokesman Moses, there is one other thing that they must do. This too is a law of segregation:

"Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself" (Deuteronomy 22:12).

These fringes of blue thread were attached to the four corners of the outer garment the Jews wore. These fringes had several purposes. The first we find in Numbers:

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God" (Numbers 15: 38-40).

These fringes were also designed to distinguish the Jews from other people. They were outward signs of their special relationship with God. These fringes were to be worn unashamedly, but not haughtily. These colorful designations were to teach them not to be ashamed of their heritage, their religion or their God.

Today we may wear a cross pendant around our neck or a fish pin in our lapel. But there must be more than these outward, visible signs. These tokens and symbols sometimes become a millstone. I've seen many a "Christian" bumper sticker on the car of someone who is in a rage over traffic conditions, or was puffing on a cigarette, or even guzzling beer as they traveled down the road. The true sign of a believer is the fruit of the Spirit in a person's life. A bold witness, a liberty to talk of the things of God in a secular setting, an integrity in business, a commitment to a job well done are the "fringes" of a modem Christian.

If we profess to be Christians, we must not look and act like the worldly system from which we have been separated. To attempt to look and act like the world is to rip the fringes from our garments, to be afraid of embarrassment, to be ashamed of the gospel.

Just as the Jews put on these fringes on the four corners of their outer garment, modern believers can, spiritually speaking, put on their fringes as well.

• First, as we are urged in Galatians 3:27, we can "put on Christ." Put on His character, His compassion and His concern.

• On the second corner of our vesture, we can "put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). When we are saved, we become new creatures in Christ, reborn and recreated. "Old things" [sins, habits, attitudes] "are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).

• On the third corner, we can "put on the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11). Only a fool would go into battle and leave his weapons at home on the shelf or in the closet. We must, for our own protection, put on the armor. And for the sake of the gospel and the kingdom, we must also take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

• Finally, we must "put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another ... And above all these things put on charity... " (Colossians 3: 12-14).

We must not use worldly methods to preach the gospel. We must not be unequally yoked with unbelievers or deceivers. We must not mix the holy things of God with the ordinary, profane things of this life. After we have done that we must put on our fringes so that the world will know us. And the Word says it will know that we are His disciples, most of all, by our love.