| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Carl" |
| Date: |
26 Jan 2008 12:53:56 AM |
| Object: |
Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
The following sermon is an interesting one in my opinion and Warner Pidgeon
makes several thought-provoking points to ponder.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
----
Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers
by Warner Pidgeon
Paul has been telling the church that he and his fellow worker Timothy fix
their "eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor 4: 18)
Paul longs for his heavenly dwelling (5:2) but in the meantime makes it his
goal to please the Lord (5:9).
God has called Paul to be a minister of reconciliation (5:18). He and
Timothy are "Christ's ambassadors" (5:20). They are called to appeal to men
and women to be reconciled to God. Brothers and sisters in Christ so are we!
We too are called to appeal to men and women to be reconciled to God.
Paul was no great preacher! (See 2 Cor 10:10). We are not all preachers, but
we are all ambassadors!
As ambassadors for Christ Paul and Timothy have endured massive trouble,
hardship and distress (6:4) including beatings, imprisonments and hunger
(6:5).
Belonging to Jesus Christ brings us every blessing in the spiritual realm
(Ephesians 1:3). However, as the suffering Church throughout the world
display, being an ambassador for Christ comes with a physical health
warning. Earthly lives have been lost this week.
Paul loves the Corinthian church dearly. He has opened wide his heart to
them, and he has opened wide his affection towards them (6:11-12). In his
speech he is open, holding nothing back. He has no secret agendas, and no
hidden motives; but sadly the church in Corinth was not responding to his
Christ-like love. Paul's love for the Church was unconditional. However, the
members of the Church are withholding their love towards him.
Friends, are you withholding your love towards anyone? The New Testament
Church in Corinth was experiencing various difficulties and challenges. One
such problem was that Christ-like love was going from person A to person B;
but it was not being returned! When that happens, the Church is not joining
in with the love of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit where the
three exist in a relationship of love. Each loves the other without
reservation.
When Christ-like love is not returned there is a mismatch. Confusion,
resentment and relationship breakdown can often occur.
..and so we come to 2 Corinthians 6:14.
We are going to hear a piece of scripture (6:17) which has sadly been
misused to sometimes insist upon, or try to create a kind of evangelical
monastic existence full of 'Thou shall not' commandments.
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer
have in common with an unbeliever?
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." This verse can be wrongly used
to squash or bring an end to friendships where one person is a Christian and
the other is not. When linked with verse 17, "come out from them and be
separate", it has been used by some Christian communities and Churches to
retreat into a 'ghetto' where no one has friends outside of the Church; no
one reads anything which has not been written by the Church; no one does
anything, says anything, goes anywhere without the agreement of the church;
& just in case other churches have people who are not real Christians, we
won't associate with other churches, unless our church says it's OK! It is
for this reason that some churches have failed to grow and have in fact
begun to shrivel.
..and yet we must be faithful to God's word. As part of the Church of Jesus
Christ we must handle the word of God carefully!
So just what is Paul saying here? What was he thinking, and how does it
apply to us today?
Almost certainly Paul has in mind Deuteronomy 22: 9-11, "Do not plant two
kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but
also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. Do not plough with an ox and
a donkey yoked together. Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven
together."
These rules were given to the people of God as reminders! The reminder is
more important than the rule because they all served to remind God's people
not to mix their worship. They were to worship God alone, and not to mix
their worship with any other foreign god with a small 'g'.
On a practical level it was not good to place a yoke on an ox and a donkey
and try to plough a field like that. The yoke meant that the two animals
were bound to one another; they were forced to travel in the same direction,
but they were not suited as ploughing partners! An ox and a donkey would go
at different speeds; they were built differently; and also the ox was
considered clean whilst the donkey was considered unclean.
Paul has his heart wide open to the Corinthians, but their hearts have not
been open towards him, and he says 'do not be yoked together with
unbelievers.'
The 'yoke' denotes a shared task where there is a relationship or a task
which is almost unbreakable. A 'yoke' is not easily broken. It is
restraining. Yoked animals have no choice but to work together. They have no
independence. Whether they like it or not they have to do what the other one
is doing.
Now when we read in our NIV Bibles 'do not be yoked' what Paul meant was
"stop being yoked together with unbelievers." In other words they had
already become yoked and restrained by unhelpful and damaging relationships
with unbelievers.
What Paul does NOT say is end all relationships with unbelievers. He does
NOT say stop all relationships with unbelievers! To do that would mean that
we would have to withdraw into the ghetto; whereas Paul has previously said
to the church in 1 Cor 5: 9 to 10 that we must not end associations with the
people of the world. (NB) God's mission is to the world!!!
What Paul says is this: Stop and avoid relationships with unbelievers that
are too close. Relationships which are restraining and difficult (if not
impossible) to break should be avoided. Just as light and dark are
opposites, and just as water and oil do not mix, there is a serious clash of
purpose and loyalty at stake.
Marriage is the most obvious relationship which this speaks to and Paul has
dealt with that one very clearly and in detail in 1 Cor 7.
Two years before I met my wife, my eventual best man Kevin set me up on a
blind date. His girlfriend had a friend who was unattached and we all went
off to the cinema together. I have to confess that I cannot remember the
girl's name but I can remember that when I got home that evening I was
troubled in my heart. I felt uncomfortable and I felt as if I had been
driving in my car the wrong way down a one way street. The next morning was
Sunday and I explained the situation to a friend who prayed with me. God was
clear in his direction: I must not give any wrong impression about being
available to someone who did not share my faith in Jesus Christ. She had
told me that she was not religious, and didn't see it as a problem that I
was a Christian, but I knew that if we continued, my spiritual car was
heading for a crash!
Brothers and sisters if you are in the early stages of such a relationship;
God says "stop". It is very rare for a Christian to bring their unbelieving
boyfriend or girlfriend or fiancée to faith in Jesus. It can happen, and it
has happened, but it is very rare. Far more common is that the Christian's
faith ebbs away, and I know too many people who have left behind their faith
in Jesus for an unbelieving partner.
Let's stop for a moment: If you are already married and your partner is not
a Christian the above does not apply to you. Paul is clear in 1 Cor 7 that
you must remain in the relationship you are in as you may yet save your
husband or your wife (1 Cor 7: 16).
What other situations are covered by Paul's direction?
It also covers the close brotherly / sisterly same sex relationships which
the Bible recommends. The best example being Jesus and John; the one he
loved.
Jesus and John had a similar relationship to that between David and Jonathan
(see 1 Samuel 18).
I believe that it is both biblical and helpful to be in such a relationship.
For me it's with my brother in Christ Gavin. We pray together, we confess
our sins to one another, and we share our struggles and our joys together.
We are truly brothers in Christ and there are things that I share with Gavin
that I would not discuss with anyone else. Now, if Gavin were not a
Christian and I was telling him about a secret sin, and my deepest thoughts,
there would be a danger of us being 'unequally yoked'. If Christ is not at
the centre of such a tight relationship then there is the real danger being
'unequally yoked'.
Have you noticed this section of scripture is bracketed by Paul reminding
the Corinthians of his love? 6:11, we have 'opened wide our hearts to you.'
7:3, "we would live or die with you."
..and it is out of love for the Corinthians that Paul rebukes them; In
Proverbs 27: 5-6 we read this: "Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."
Are you in a relationship with an unbeliever which has you bound,
restricted, unequally yoked? True love does not say to you, "hey guys that's
OK. God loves you anyway!" No; true Christ-like love says God loves you and
wants the best for you. Stop being "yoked together with unbelievers" for
your own good!
Some of you will be thinking, "I don't know if this relationship is a yoke."
Well, Paul has used words which God wants you to hear. In verses 15 and 16
we have heard these phrases: "In common .fellowship .harmony."
..and he now uses the word "agreement":
16 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."
Paul is now using his knowledge of the Bible to speak God's word to the
Corinthian situation. He knows his Old Testament; and we know that ".the
word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden
from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of
him to whom we must give an account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
Paul wants the Church to be jolted into realising its error. The Temple of
God and the temple of idols cannot be mixed. We are the temple of the Holy
Spirit!
He is using scripture references from Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 32:38 and
Ezekiel 37:27.
Brothers and sisters we believe and trust in the Lord Almighty who lives in
us and walks amongst us! We are His people!
..therefore; and we come to the sometimes misused verse 17:
17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no
unclean thing, and I will receive you."
I know people, some of them friends who have used this to instruct
themselves, their friends and their churches to have nothing whatsoever to
do with first of all non-Christian people, and secondly (fair enough!) with
anything which is deemed to be unchristian.
Paul is referring to Isaiah 52:11 and the particular context of that
scripture was worship. Israel was to cut all ties with the idolatry, habits
and customs of their former Babylonian captors;
When God demands 'separation' he demands holy living. He says, (1 Peter
1:15-16) "Be holy as I the Lord you God am holy." To be 'holy' is to be set
apart for God.
The thrust of the whole Bible, the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
missionary work of Paul, and the Great Commission make it absolutely clear
that we are not to cut off all associations with the world and the people
living in it. Oh what a satanic deception that is!
We are called "to be in the world not of the world. Like a ship should be in
the water, but water shouldn't be in the ship." (Guzik, David: Study Guide
to 2 Cor).
Friends I so much want to live the holy life so that my thoughts, my words,
my motives, my actions, my intentions, my reactions, my desires are separate
from the ways of the world; separate from the ways of the devil who is a
thief and a liar. It's only possible with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Filled with God's spirit we receive a Christ-like desire to be holy. This
puts us in opposition to Satan, and it puts a strain on our closest
relationships
18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says
the Lord Almighty."
..what a promise we have. "Sons and daughters" of the living God! Through our
relationship with Jesus we are adopted into God's family. We are co-heirs
with Jesus Christ!
2 Corinthians 7
1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from
everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of
reverence for God.
This is an appeal to holy living. This is not a mandate to break friendships
with people who do things that make us feel physically or spiritually sick.
This is an appeal to holy living, and that may mean occasions when we have
to say to people, "No. I won't do that. I can't do that. My love for Jesus
stops me from being involved in this."
When it comes to the 'nitty-gritty' we are going to have to make choices
about things we do and places we go, and people that we bend over backwards
for; and we are going to make those decisions "out of reverence for God."
It will mean saying no to the next drink of alcohol that would put us beyond
a reasonable level.
It will mean saying no to watching certain films and listening to some
particular songs.
It will mean not being 'yoked together with unbelievers'
..and all of this will be "out of reverence for God."
However, for most of us it will not mean completely avoiding places and
people. For most of us it will not mean throwing out our complete CD
collection or our book shelf - although for one or two of us we may need to
do such things.
In the world but not of the world .a ship should be in the water, but water
should not be in the ship.
I want to pray that you will know God's voice. I may not have been clear.
God will be clear! Amen.
.
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| User: "Carl" |
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| Title: Re: Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
28 Jan 2008 11:31:38 AM |
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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? What does a believer have
in common with an unbeliever? (2 Cor 6:14,15)
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
.
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| User: "SheBlewHimDidYouBlowHim" |
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| Title: Re: Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
28 Jan 2008 08:35:18 PM |
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"Carl" <saints@nettally.com> wrote in message
news:fnl3hq$9hd$1@news.utelfla.com...
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with
darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a
believer have in common with an unbeliever? (2 Cor 6:14,15)
carl, are you STILL posting the HORSESHIT RAMBLINGS of superstitious cave
dwellers and goat fuckers?
hasn't your ALL-POWERFUL ***** of a sky pixie said anything NEW lately?
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| User: "Carl" |
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| Title: Re: Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
28 Jan 2008 11:30:44 PM |
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First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this
'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it
has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long
ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water
and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and
destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for
fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2
Peter 3:3-7)
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
.
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| User: "SheBlewHimDidYouBlowHim" |
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| Title: Re: Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
29 Jan 2008 05:16:19 AM |
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"Carl" <saints@nettally.com> wrote in message
news:fnmdm4$dsb$1@news.utelfla.com...
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will
come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where
is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes
on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately
forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was
formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that
time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and
earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and
destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7)
carl, are you STILL posting the HORSESHIT RAMBLINGS of superstitious cave
dwellers and goat fuckers?
hasn't your ALL-POWERFUL ***** of a sky pixie said anything NEW lately?
no more cave dwellers and goat fuckers, and nothing from "god" ever since.
Hmmmm
.
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| User: "SheBlewHimDidYouBlowHim" |
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| Title: Re: Stop Being Yoked With Unbelievers |
27 Jan 2008 04:05:12 AM |
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translation: when the atheists ask for OBJECTABLE, VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE of
your COMPLETELY HORSESHIT claims, all of you christian retards gather in a
circle and chant:
there is a sky pixie, there is a sky pixie
why can't you religious retards PROVIDE OBJECTABLE, VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE of
yuor HORSESHIT claims, is it because there is no sky pixie, and you have
been living a lie for your entire life?
are you AFRAID to find out the TRUTH carl, there there is NO christian sky
pixie?
are you AFRAID to find out that you have WASTED your life worshipping a
NON-EXISTANT supreme sky pixie?
if this "god" of yours is real, then why doesn't your HORSESHIT sky pixie
provide OBJECTABLE, VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE of his existence? surely your
supposedly ALL-POWERFUL god can do that can't he?
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