2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1 says...
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, which read,
v.14-16 - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
The context is very important here to understand what Paul is saying. The Corinthian church was in the midst of a culture that was full of false religions, false prophets, and false idols. As with today, they were trying to take Christianity and mesh it in with all those other false religions. Paul speaks directly against this type of alliance. The literal word used for "bound together" is "unequally yoked" and the same as that passage about the union of marriage. In the union of marriage, a Christian should not seek out or engage themselves to someone who is not of the faith. This is not a reason for divorce if this is not followed or if one becomes a Christian after the fact but a command leading into this formal covenant of marriage. In the spiritual realm, we are not to seek out or engage ourselves with others of false religions for some type of alliance that would cause others to think they are equal.
Simply put, they are not. One is righteousness and one is lawlessness. One is light and the other is darkness. One's leader is Christ and the other is Belial, i.e. Satan. One consists of people who are the temple of God and the other consists of people who are bowing to idols. Paul is emphasizing that the Christian is not to engage or make an alliance with those of false faiths.
v.17, 18 - "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me." Says the Lord Almighty.
Paul pulls from Isaiah 52:11. When it comes to involvement with others over religion or spiritual matters, the Christian is to not participate in false religions. They were to make a clean break from living for the world to living for God. Only then will we and they experience the richness of being in the family of God. He is our only Father who provides and protects His sons and daughters.
Paul is not saying that we don't interact with other people. Paul is saying that we are not to engage in activities that put us in a formal alliance with organizations that promote another god. You will be divided in your allegiance and Satan will use that crack in the door to get a foothold in your life or the life of the church to ask us to go ahead and eat of the fruit. Did God really say that or did He really mean that? A reminder of Jesus' words that you can't have two masters.
7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Having the promises of God and the message of the gospel of the new covenant through the cross of Christ and the resurrection from the tomb, let us cleanse ourselves from that which rejects this grace of God and worships another.
The way of false religions leads to defilement. The way of Christianity leads to holiness. The way of false religions pollutes the temple that God has given us. The way of Christianity cleanses the temple that God has given us. The way of false religions focuses on the flesh. The way of Christianity focuses on a reverence of God. They are not the same in any way. This is why Paul gives such a strict order to the Christians in the Corinthian church not to align themselves in formal relationships with false religions. It is an avenue for Satan, who is behind false religions, to appear to the church as a serpent offering something seemingly better that what God has provided and God has commanded.
Any formal alliances in your life that go against this command?
"Lord, I fear we too often dance too close to the line that You have set up to protect us and also allow us to know of the full extent of Your love. We have sinned in thinking that what You offer and what the world offers is somewhat equal. May we realize that being a son or daughter of You can not be anything by comparison to what is offered by any other false religion of this world fueled by Satan. May we cherish what we have by obeying our protective Father who knows best. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.14-16 - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
The context is very important here to understand what Paul is saying. The Corinthian church was in the midst of a culture that was full of false religions, false prophets, and false idols. As with today, they were trying to take Christianity and mesh it in with all those other false religions. Paul speaks directly against this type of alliance. The literal word used for "bound together" is "unequally yoked" and the same as that passage about the union of marriage. In the union of marriage, a Christian should not seek out or engage themselves to someone who is not of the faith. This is not a reason for divorce if this is not followed or if one becomes a Christian after the fact but a command leading into this formal covenant of marriage. In the spiritual realm, we are not to seek out or engage ourselves with others of false religions for some type of alliance that would cause others to think they are equal.
Simply put, they are not. One is righteousness and one is lawlessness. One is light and the other is darkness. One's leader is Christ and the other is Belial, i.e. Satan. One consists of people who are the temple of God and the other consists of people who are bowing to idols. Paul is emphasizing that the Christian is not to engage or make an alliance with those of false faiths.
v.17, 18 - "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me." Says the Lord Almighty.
Paul pulls from Isaiah 52:11. When it comes to involvement with others over religion or spiritual matters, the Christian is to not participate in false religions. They were to make a clean break from living for the world to living for God. Only then will we and they experience the richness of being in the family of God. He is our only Father who provides and protects His sons and daughters.
Paul is not saying that we don't interact with other people. Paul is saying that we are not to engage in activities that put us in a formal alliance with organizations that promote another god. You will be divided in your allegiance and Satan will use that crack in the door to get a foothold in your life or the life of the church to ask us to go ahead and eat of the fruit. Did God really say that or did He really mean that? A reminder of Jesus' words that you can't have two masters.
7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Having the promises of God and the message of the gospel of the new covenant through the cross of Christ and the resurrection from the tomb, let us cleanse ourselves from that which rejects this grace of God and worships another.
The way of false religions leads to defilement. The way of Christianity leads to holiness. The way of false religions pollutes the temple that God has given us. The way of Christianity cleanses the temple that God has given us. The way of false religions focuses on the flesh. The way of Christianity focuses on a reverence of God. They are not the same in any way. This is why Paul gives such a strict order to the Christians in the Corinthian church not to align themselves in formal relationships with false religions. It is an avenue for Satan, who is behind false religions, to appear to the church as a serpent offering something seemingly better that what God has provided and God has commanded.
Any formal alliances in your life that go against this command?
"Lord, I fear we too often dance too close to the line that You have set up to protect us and also allow us to know of the full extent of Your love. We have sinned in thinking that what You offer and what the world offers is somewhat equal. May we realize that being a son or daughter of You can not be anything by comparison to what is offered by any other false religion of this world fueled by Satan. May we cherish what we have by obeying our protective Father who knows best. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Comments
Post a Comment