{"id":1977,"date":"2022-08-21T13:29:19","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T18:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2022-08-21T13:29:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-21T18:29:19","slug":"no-common-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/21\/no-common-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"No Common Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
\u201c17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing<\/em>; and I will receive you, 18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.<\/strong>\u201d
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Paul loved the church at Corinth\nand poured his heart and life into them as he taught them how to live\nfaithfully, pleasing Christ. We found that Paul taught each Christian to be an\nambassador for Christ, representing Him to the world (see 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Paul continued teaching the\nCorinthians by reminding them that it is an individual choice as to how to\nlive. He challenged the Corinthian Christians by bringing further instruction\non how to live a Christ-like life.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christians must separate from things contrary\nto God. \u201c14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what\nfellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath\nlight with darkness? 15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part\nhath he that believeth with an infidel?<\/strong>\u201d (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Righteousness<\/strong> means \u201cthe\nstate commanded by God and standing the test of His judgment; God\u2019s uprightness\nor standard to which man is expected to conform<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
  • Unrighteousness<\/strong> means \u201clawlessness;\nthe violation of God\u2019s divinely instituted Law; sin; iniquity; although there\nmay not be a specific law against depraved or lustful desires, they are still\nsin<\/em>.\u201d <\/li>
  • Communion<\/strong> means \u201cfellowship\nwith; participation<\/em>.\u201d <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Paul began by encouraging each Believer to understand that they were to\nnot fellowship with, or even participate with, those who live contrary to God\u2019s\nWord (this includes friendships with, business partnerships with, or even\nmarriage to, unsaved people). Christians must recognize that there is no common\nground between them and the lost. Instead, see what Paul wrote they were to do.\n\u201c17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,\nand touch not the unclean thing<\/em>; and I will receive you, 18. And will be\na Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord\nAlmighty<\/strong>\u201d (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).\nCome out<\/strong> means \u201cto depart from someone\u2019s presence, the intimacy<\/em>.\u201d Touch not the unclean thing<\/strong> means \u201cto have no dealings with the heathens\n(non-believers)<\/em>.\u201d The message had not changed \u2013 for just as in the Old\nTestament God called for His people to separate from the nations around, God\ncalls for Christians to separate from the lost world around. Did you notice the\npromises God gave?  \u201c\u2026 and I will\nreceive you, 18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and\ndaughters\u2026<\/strong>\u201d (2 Corinthians 6:17b-18). Father<\/strong>\nmeans \u201cGod as the creator, preserver,\ngovernor of all men and things, watching over them with paternal love and care<\/em>.\u201d\nUnderstand that Christians are the children of God. He is able to be a loving\nFather to us when we live right, but He must be a disciplining Father when we\nchoose to live contrary to His Word (see Hebrews 12:5-8).   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is a Christian who lives here in this world to do? Cleanse and\neliminate. \u201cHaving therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse\nourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in\nthe fear of God<\/strong>\u201d (2 Corinthians 7:1). First, understand the promise God\ngave: He will be a Father, the one who protects and watches over Believers with\nlove and care. That should give any Christian the courage to choose to do what\nis right: \u201ccleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.<\/strong>\u201d\nCleanse<\/strong> means \u201cto purify from the pollution and guilt of sin \u2013 in a spiritual sense<\/em>.\u201d\nChristians are to remember that once Jesus has entered into the heart, \u201cfilthiness\nof the flesh and spirit<\/strong>\u201d must be eliminated. Filthiness<\/strong> means \u201canything\nthat defiles (to make unclean or impure)<\/em>.\u201d Any sin is unacceptable.       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Christians must correct their lives. Paul\nunderstood this would be difficult (see 2 Corinthians 7:4). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is correction necessary?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Does correction often go unheeded?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Does anyone really like to be told they are\ndoing something wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paul had a difficult decision \u2013 allow sin to\ncontinue, or confront the problem and encourage the people to eliminate the sin\nthat separates from a right Christian life. Paul had great confidence that the\nchurch at Corinth would receive\nthis instruction, living a better life before God \u2013 as ambassadors representing\nChrist. He also understood their initial reaction would probably be anger, but\nonce they understood and repented, they would be better Christians. \u201cFor\nbehold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what\ncarefulness it wrought in you, yea, what<\/em> clearing of yourselves, yea, what<\/em>\nindignation, yea, what<\/em> fear, yea, what<\/em> vehement desire, yea, what<\/em>\nzeal, yea, what<\/em> revenge! In all things<\/em> ye have approved\nyourselves to be clear in this matter<\/strong>\u201d (2 Corinthians 7:11). Use the following definitions to help you\nunderstand this verse:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Carefulness<\/strong> means \u201cearnest\neffort; diligence<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Clearing of yourselves<\/strong> means \u201cto\ngive an answer or speech in defense of oneself<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Indignation<\/strong> means \u201cto be\nunder a great burden which results in indignation (holy displeasure in oneself\nfor sin)<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Fear<\/strong> means \u201creverence;\nrespect; honor<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Vehement<\/strong> desire<\/strong> means \u201cstrong affection; to desire earnestly<\/em>.\u201d <\/li>
    • Zeal<\/strong> means \u201cused in a good\nsense means to be hot or fervent<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Revenge<\/strong> means \u201cpenal\nretribution or vengeance to the evildoer<\/em>.\u201d \n<\/li>
    • Approved<\/strong> means \u201cto make\nknown; declare; to show<\/em>.\u201d  <\/li>
    • Clear<\/strong> means \u201cinnocent;\nblameless; pure<\/em>.\u201d <\/li>
    • Matter<\/strong> means \u201cthe thing being\ndone or to be done; matter; business<\/em>.\u201d  \n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      These things are what the Corinthian Christians achieved because they received and obeyed Paul\u2019s instruction of how to live a Christ-like life.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Are you willing to obey God\u2019s Word, putting away sin and the unclean thing, choosing instead to become Christ\u2019s Ambassador?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Paul loved the church at Corinth and poured his heart and life into them as he taught them how to live faithfully, pleasing Christ. We found that Paul taught each Christian to be an ambassador for Christ, representing Him to the world (see 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Paul continued teaching the Corinthians by reminding them that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[318],"tags":[512,461,385,974,982,249,238,983,277,401,978,981,979],"class_list":["post-1977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-picture-with-verse-and-blog","tag-choice","tag-christ","tag-christian","tag-corinth","tag-daughters","tag-father","tag-instruction","tag-obeyed","tag-paul","tag-promises","tag-separate","tag-sons","tag-unbelievers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1977"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1979,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions\/1979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}