2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NIV): “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.””
James 4:4 (NIV): “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
1 John 2:15-17 (NIV): “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
Sermon:
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, we delve into a subject that lies at the heart of our Christian walk: our relationship with the world around us. The scriptures we’ve read call us to a standard that might seem radical, but let us explore this call with open hearts and minds.
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, uses strong imagery of being yoked together. A yoke is a device used to join two animals together for work. When one is a believer and the other an unbeliever, the work is uneven, the direction is often misguided, leading not to a shared path but to spiritual misalignment. Paul urges us to be separate, not in disdain or pride, but in the purity of our worship and commitment to God.
James, in his epistle, uses even stronger language, calling us adulterous if we seek friendship with the world. Here, the world represents not the creation, which God declared good, but the systems, values, and desires that stand in opposition to God’s kingdom. This friendship with the world is not mere casual acquaintance but a deep-seated affection or allegiance that competes with our love for God.
John, in his first letter, further clarifies this by listing what constitutes love for the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not merely temptations but the ethos of a world that has forgotten its Creator.
So, what does this mean for us in practical terms?
Examine Our Affections: Are our hearts more captivated by what God values, or are we chasing after fleeting pleasures and accolades of this world? Our primary love must be for God, and from that love flows our engagement with the world.
Live Distinctively: This call to separation is not about physical isolation but about living in such a way that our values, decisions, and lifestyle reflect Christ. We are to be in the world but not of it, as salt and light, preserving and illuminating.
Engage with Wisdom: Our interactions with unbelievers should not be marked by judgment but by love and truth. We are called to influence, not to be influenced. This requires wisdom, discernment, and often, courage.
Trust in God’s Promises: The scriptures remind us that God walks among us, He is our God, and we are His people. This promise should fortify us against the allure of worldly conformity. We have an identity and a destiny that the world cannot offer.
In conclusion, the call to holiness and separation is a call to true freedom. Freedom from the fleeting desires of the world, freedom to be who we are meant to be in Christ, and freedom to experience the depth of God’s love and promises. Let us, therefore, strive to walk in this light, not just for our sakes but for the glory of God and the witness of His kingdom to those around us.
May we leave here today with not just information but transformation, living out these truths in a world that desperately needs to see the difference Christ makes. Amen.
