Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
¹⁸ and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. ESVUK

There was a time, not too many years ago, when it was not uncommon for preachers to spell out in detail, for their congregations, what it would mean to ”be separate”. By and large the message was negative: ‘You are not permitted to do this, that or the other.’ However sincere the intentions may have been, it resulted in legalism: adding man-made rules to the law of God – a kind of modern day Pharisaism maybe.

To be clear, there are injunctions and prohibitions in the New Testament (as well as the old). Christians are definitely exhorted to do certain things and not to do others. So, in order to bring ”holiness to completion in the fear of God” we do need to be immersed in the Scriptures. But it seems to me that, for those who are soaked in the Word of God, there will be an on-going task of Spirit-filled discernment to try to understand what will defile ”body and spirit”. What are the ”unclean” things we are not to ”touch”? From what do we need to ”be separate”?

I believe need to understand that because there are ‘secondary’ and ‘tertiary’ matters, as well as those of primary importance, different Christians may hold differing opinions on certain subjects. In ‘disputable matters’ we must charitably allow fellow-believers to hold viewpoints other than our own. “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity,” is an aphorism variously attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430), John Wesley (1703 – 1791), and to a number of theologians in between them. It remains an important principle for us to observe.

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
¹⁸ and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.” ESVUK

In a previous note we have considered Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 5:13-17, and we have seen that we have to balance what Paul says here in 2 Corinthians 6 with what we read there. However, in the church we do seem to find it difficult to maintain a balance, and there is a suggestion that some of the Corinthians, reading 5:13-17 in letter number 1, may have overreacted and moved too far in the opposite direction. I repeat that the constant challenge we face is to be in the world, but not of it.

Paul’s exhortation has at its heart an understanding of the church’s identity. We are ”the temple of the living God”. So we must ”separate” ourselves from those things that are incompatible with our true identity. (See how Paul describes the local church as God’s temple in 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, and he uses the same image regarding the individual Christian’s body in 1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

In John Stott’s magnificent commentary on Paul’s epistle to the Romans, at the end of a chapter dealing with 5:1-6:23, he says: ‘So, in practice, we should be constantly reminding ourselves who we are…On 28 May 1972 the Duke of Windsor, the uncrowned King Edward VIII, died in Paris. The same evening a television programme rehearsed the main events of his life. Extracts from earlier films were shown, in which he answered questions about his upbringing, brief reign and abdication. Recalling his boyhood as Prince of Wales, he said: ‘My father (King George V) was a strict disciplinarian. Sometimes when I had done something wrong, he would admonish me saying, ”My dear boy, you must always remember who you are.” ‘ It is my conviction that our heavenly Father says the same to us every day: ‘My dear child, you must always remember who you are.’

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? ESVUK

The truth is that Christians and non-Christians belong to different worlds, cultures, kingdoms. They are citizens of differing countries and speak ‘foreign’ languages. This is the principle established in these verses, and it is the reason given for why believers should ”not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (Notice the ”For” which follows on from the opening sentence). Christians should not enter into permanent relationships with those who do not share their faith. Two examples often cited relate to marriage and business partnerships. Many a believer has, often against the advice of spiritual leaders, family and friends, married an unbeliever, telling themselves, (more frequently deluding themselves), that they will ‘win them over.’ In the grace of God this may well happen – occasionally. But in my experience it’s rare. It’s usually the Christian who ends up having to compromise in order to keep partnership going. Once the initial attraction fades, and the romance loses its lustre, the cracks begin to show, the fissures open up, and you see evidence of deep fault lines. The ‘continental plates’ diverge and a valley-like rift appears.

‘The basic command, in 6.14, could refer to any sort of partnership, such as in business. But its most obvious reference is to marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 Paul addresses the question of people who become Christians when their spouse does not, and tells them not to separate unless the unbelieving spouse wants to. But in verse 39 of that same chapter he makes it clear that when contracting a fresh marriage it is important that this be only ‘in the Lord’, in other words, to a fellow-Christian. That is the thrust of this passage as well.

Paul had no doubt witnessed the tensions and problems that arose when one partner came to belong to the Lord, with all that that meant, and the other one remained unbelieving. Anyone who thinks this doesn’t matter very much, Paul would say, has simply not realised how serious belonging to the Messiah really is. If you have received privileges such as the ones he lists here, you mustn’t trample on them as though they were worthless. That would be like the Prodigal Son spurning his father’s welcome and going back to feed the pigs.’ Tom Wright

 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
¹⁸ and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. ESVUK

We will spend a few days on this important passage dealing with the pursuit of holiness. But first of all, today, let’s clear the decks. Some of us may have been raised in churches where ‘separation’ was taught, explicitly or implicitly, as a call to have no contact with unbelievers whatsoever (or, at least, as little as possible). Such teaching, if fully observed, is likely to lead to churches that are like monastic communities on the edge of society. ‘Christian ghettos’ is how somebody described them. It also tends to produce, even if unwittingly, professing believers who are cold, harsh, judgmental, quite miserable even, and unattractive.

But Paul could not have had this in mind. Not unless he intended to contradict himself. Here is the reason why I say this. Look at his words in 1 Corinthians 5: 9-13:

” I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? ¹³ God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” ESVUK.

Paul did not intend withdrawal from the world.

Here is a balancing act for every congregation to face, and I don’t deny it is a challenge. It’s a tightrope walk. How do we live out our calling in the world as those who are not of the world?

In a sermon I heard many years ago, the great preacher, David Pawson, put it like this: the lifeboat is meant to go into the sea; but if the sea gets into the lifeboat we are in trouble.

We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence. ⁸ We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! NLT

Christian leaders should aspire to blamelessness (3). We surely don’t want to do anything to cause anyone to ”stumble”. This, of course, does not equate with perfection. ‘The best of men are men at best.’ The finest leaders have flaws and faults and these will show through. Nevertheless, verse three represents a noble and proper aspiration.

The subsequent verses in this passage show that what commends a person’s ministry to others is their character: who they are, especially in the face of adversity. We may not have to face anything like the amount and intensity of suffering that Paul did. But if we remain faithful to the Lord, and to our calling, in the culture, and in the circumstances in which God places us, this will speak volumes, and it is likely to gain us a hearing.

Regarding Paul’s list in today’s passage, Tom Wright comments: ‘And off he goes on the splendid catalogue of what he’s had to do and face over his years of relentless travel and proclamation. He wants them to do the same: to open their hearts to him in affection, to tell him what is really happening, not to put up smoke-screens, and to welcome him with equal vulnerability to that which he is showing in this passage.’

Wright goes on to say, ‘The list is full of paradox, putting together things that clash like two musical notes crying out for resolution. These are the points at which the new creation of the gospel grinds against the old world like upper and lower millstones, with the apostle caught in the middle and feeling as if he’s being crushed to powder.’

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

“In a favourable time I listened to you,
    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ESVUK

‘The new world has a new king, and the king has ambassadors. Paul is not offering a new philosophy, though his message makes robust philosophical sense in its own way. He is not inviting people to try out a new religious experience, though anyone who believes his gospel will have experiences they never imagined. He is going into all the world with a message from its newly enthroned sovereign, a message inviting anyone and everyone to be reconciled to the God who made them, loves them, and has provided the means of reconciliation for them to come back to know and love him in return.’ Tom Wright.

In the light of these great new creation realities, Paul now urges them to make the most of this era of grace. God is saying ‘Yes!’ to all His prophecies and promises (1:20). The day of salvation is here. So, make the most of it. There is a challenge here for all Christians. As we ‘work together with God’ what might not be possible as we draw upon the infinite reservoir of grace in Christ? But above all, we can see it is vital to preach the gospel to the church. In any local congregation there may well be those who have not personally accepted Christ for themselves. They hear the good news over and over without becoming true believers. As Tasker points out, to harbour any belief that we can save ourselves is to receive the grace of God in vain.

”So, as we work together with God, we appeal to you in particular; when you accept God’s grace, don’t let it go to waste.” Tom Wright translation.

”As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
    On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. NLT.

Those who know they ought to be ‘saved’,but keep postponing the decision to some vague and indefinite later, need to face the challenge, ‘If not now, when? As the song says, ‘For all we know, tomorrow May never come. ‘’Now’’ is all we can be sure of.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ESVUK

Our sin lies at the heart of our alienation from God.

”…but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” ESV

Sin separates. Essentially it separates us from God (but also from one another).

Sin separates, but Jesus saves. This verse expresses the heart of what God did in Jesus upon the cross, in just a few words. It’s been described as ‘the great exchange.’ Jesus got our sin, and we receive His righteousness when we trust in Him. God now sees us as being as righteous as His own perfect Son. He no longer sees us in our sin; He sees us in His Son.

Martin Luther expressed the wonder of this in somewhat stark and graphic terms: ‘Therefore, He is both the greatest and only sinner on earth, for He bears the sins of the whole world, and also the only righteous and holy One, since no one is made righteous and holy before God except through Him.’

In saying that at the cross Jesus became ‘the greatest and only sinner on earth’ Luther was perhaps using exaggerated language to bring out the enormity of what Christ did. Certainly, He was treated as if He were the world’s greatest sinner. All of our sins were piled on Him, and He bore the just penalty for them. so that we would not have to, if only we will turn to Him and trust in Him.

In saying that God ”made him to be sin” Paul does not mean that Jesus was unwillingly forced into something He did not want to do. The Father and the Son are perfectly at one in the work of salvation. If God the Father willed the death of His Son, the Son was also totally willing to die in our place. The comprehensive Biblical picture brings this out.

Let’s not hurry away from this verse, but stay awhile and remove our shoes. We are standing on holy ground.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ESVUK

Here is the essence of the message to be delivered by the ambassador for Christ: the ”appeal” made by God ”through” this person. It is urgent.

”We implore you…” This matters. It is serious business. Listen to this…please!

Unless you become reconciled to God through faith in Christ, you will remain estranged from God. To be without God forever is the essence of hell. When you consider the price God has paid to bring you back (which we will next time) it is no light matter to reject His offer.

I fear that in the church today we are losing a sense of urgency about evangelism. Could this be that because we are becoming shaky in our beliefs about what the Bible has to say about the state of lost people?

“It is clear you don’t like my way of doing evangelism. You raise some good points. Frankly, I sometimes do not like my way of doing evangelism. But I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.” Dwight L. Moody

 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ESVUK

The very idea of being an ”ambassador” contains the double senses of humility and dignity.

The humility is found in that of service to another. The ambassador does not write his/her own script, as it were. Ambassadors do the bidding of their King, or Queen/government. They deliver messages on their behalf. They represent them. ‘Ambassador’ is such an important role and ambassadors need to be good at what they do. But it is never about them; always about another. They serve.

Yet there is no doubting the dignity involved in being the highest representative of one country in the heart of another. What a privilege. Christians are ‘citizens of heaven’ (Phil3:20) and yet we represent our King and His government here on the earth.

But was there ever ambassadorship like this? We don’t just speak for our King. He speaks through us

PRAYER: Lord, this text reinforces upon my mind the truth that preachers need to deliver your words and not their own. Keep all who preach faithful to their God-given script. May they not write their own lines. Grant that the message of heaven may be heard here on earth.