Scripture:
II Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV
[14] Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? [15] And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? [16] And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” [17] Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” [18] “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
Observation:
The Corinthian church had a lot of issues. In fact, the two letters that were written by Paul are believed to be not the only letters written by him. Most scholars believe that two other letters were not found, and the smaller one that we read as the first Corinthians was the third letter written by Paul. So, by the time he got to this letter, Paul had been able to identify and correct a lot of the problems the church was having, which included a wide variety of issues from one end of the spectrum to the other. Sexual immorality, lawsuits between believers, and so on. You could imagine his expression when he finally came to this point in his attempts to bring them to some sort of walk that looked different than the world. I could see him holding his head, shaking it back and forth, and saying… you said they are doing what??? You have got to be kidding me. So, the correction continues as Paul sees deeper into the problems that the church had. They were tying themselves to people who didn’t believe in joining in together, fellowshiping with those who would influence them in the wrong direction. Taking advice from those who were deeply tied into a whole different lifestyle. Worshipping a different GOD. The problem was in the fact that the Corinthians were allowing the Pagans ways of Worshippe to influence what they did in the church. Paul’s questions were very appropriate. What fellowship does christ have with Belial and righteousness with lawlessness? What fellowship does GOD have with idols. They had let the world influence the church. Light and darkness can not coexist in the very same place. Paul was drawing a clear line for them, saying you can not be unevenly yoked. It’s one or the other. One foot in the world and one foot in the church is not going to work. In verse 16, Paul explains to the Corinthians what they have been called to be… the very temple of GOD. He then referred to the Old Testament, repeating what was said back then. I will dwell in them. He is saying we are the very timple of GOD. We house the Holy one of Isreal. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes us HIS timple. Diving into verse 17, Paul is calling us out, calling the church of Corinth out. “Therefore, come out from among them.”…” Be separate.” he was telling them they were not the same, and others should be able to see that clearly. Verse 18 raps it up by explaining that they share sons and daughters of the Holy GOD of Israel.
Application:
As I look at the church as a whole, I see that the problems they had in the days of the Corinthian church have not changed. It’s getting harder and harder to tell the church apart from the world. We are to be different, not the same. What is it that draws people in? They don’t want what they had they are looking for something different, that’s why I landed in a church. My life was broken, and I didn’t want it. My question is this. Do you act like the world… do you have one foot in the world and one foot in the church. The Bible says you can’t serve 2 masters and to be a friend of the world is to be in enmity of GOD. I know those are heavy words, but they are not mine. It’s in the book whether or not you believe it is your choice. But it’s not me saying it, so if you don’t believe it, you are saying that GOD is wrong, not me. James chapter 4 verse 4. The word enmity means to be hostile towards or hate altogether. GOD has drawn a clear line whether or not we accept it is our choice. But if we bear the name of Christ, we should not bear it in vain. We have been justified by HIS blood, and now it’s time to be sanctified by HIS Holy Spirit. We are built to be thermostats, not thermometers. We are to set the temperature, not simply read it. The church should, by all rights, be influencing the world to live differently, not the other way around. GOD’S grace if Immeasurable and his mercy never ends. But we have been called to reflect the character of Jesus christ. HE was different HE was not influenced by the world. HE changed it. I don’t want to be a church changer. I want my life to have an impact. It has been given to Christ. It is no longer I who live but christ lives in me. When others look at me, I want them to see HIS reflection… not the reflection of the world. Less of me and more of HIM.
Prayer:
Father, you are so incredibly amazing. You have given us in instruction book to life. There is no need for confusion anymore. You have spelled it out clearly. Come out from among them be different. Don’t tie yourself to the world. Instead, influence the world to tie be set apart. Father, we ask you this morning to set us apart. Sanctify us. We want to reflect the character of your son. You are the master craftsman. You have molded us and shaped us this far, and we know you will not start something that you won’t finish. You have placed a light inside of us. Let that light shine so that others may see and give you glory. Our lives are not our own. You paid a price for them that we could never repay. So you own them, we are your bondservant. A willing vessel. Use us in the way that only you can. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus. I pray, amen.