2 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
The easiest way to apply this passage is to claim an unbeliever is a pagan, a heathen, an atheist, an agnostic. The context suggests something quite different. In First Corinthians, the Apostle had written to correct several serious problems in the church. He had not held back much of anything, and while he did express both confidence in and love for them, he had also been quite frank with them. They were behaving like babies!
The good news was that so many of them had received his rebuke in the positive manner he had prayed they would. They had repented. They had dealt with the issues of sin. They were on the right path.
But they were not out of the woods. Within the church was a group of Judaizers. This bunch was running off at the mouth, attempting to discredit Paul as a man of God. They insisted that no one was saved unless they practiced Jewish traditions along with their faith in Christ—the very thing the Christians had assembled in Jerusalem in Acts 15 to address. The very thing that they had determined was NOT the mind of the Lord.
- These Judaizers,
- These contentious people in the church,
- These who rejected the ministry of the Apostle.
These were the unbelievers the Apostle was speaking of. To be unequally yoked with an unbeliever is to fellowship with those who, however sincere they are in their faith, oppose the faith you profess. I’m not saying we need to be mean to them or fight with them. We don’t even have to be obnoxious against their faith. But we do need to separate from them. We need to acknowledge and admit we are not the same. We do not believe the same. It is not spiritually healthy for either of us to act like we are the same.
The passage uses some pretty harsh terms:
- Unrighteousness,
- Darkness,
- Belial,
- Infidel.
I want to say this as clearly and compassionately as I am able, and I will probably fail. There is right and wrong. If my position is right, that means the other is wrong. If my position is righteous, that means the other is unrighteous. If my position is light, then the other is darkness. If my position is of God, then the other is of the devil.
But what’s more devilish, dark, and unrighteous is to keep up the contention. It’s far better to separate, to recognize our differences, and find unity with people instead with whom we agree.
#BibleTruth #SeparateAndStand #UnequallyYoked #FaithAndUnity #StandForRighteousness
Guarding Our Faith: Spiritual Separation
Call to Action
In what ways have you found it challenging to maintain spiritual separation while still showing love and compassion?
How do you balance loving others with standing firm in your beliefs?
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