"Come Out of Their Midst and Be Separate"

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (rf. II Corinthians 6:14-18 MEV)

 

 

            The Apostle Paul here is teaching a principle echoing the words of Jesus in John 15:19 which says, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, the world therefore hates you.” For both Jesus and Paul the concept of Jesus’ followers being distinctly different is a very important one. In many respects, Jesus’ expectation of us as His people is a radical departure from the present perception among Western Christians, in particular, that we should be as “relevant” and connecting to society and culture as possible, that our commonalities should far outshine and outpace our differences. 

            Paul lived in a time when his surrounding culture was profoundly pagan and wicked by Scriptural standards. The church at Corinth to whom the text above was written was enveloped and oppressed by spiritual darkness. Temples to various Greek and Roman gods dotted the landscape along with the drunken and sexual orgies that accompanied their worship. Cults and other religious sects thrived as did the veneration of the Emperor and the Empire. It was, indeed, a dark backdrop to the work of Christ in that cosmopolitan city.

            Notice that Paul did not encourage making the Gospel “relevant” or to disclose faith in Christ as just another color in the religious “rainbow” of the Gentiles. Rather, Paul is clear that followers of Christ should be distinct from the world around them. As he puts it, “what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (the Devil), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” Instead of playing along with the culture, Paul’s encouragement to his fellow Christians is to “come out from their midst and be separate”. Why the need for distinction? Only as light is separated from darkness is the difference between the two clearly seen. Those who are spiritually alive must not be acting like corpses; otherwise, how will the spiritually dead know that they are dead if not by the comparison with those who are truly alive in Christ.

            Even today, Western culture is quickly returning to the paganism of old; gods in the past have been exchanged for a plethora of gods in the present. Around us, especially during this time of year, we see clear expressions of spiritual darkness. Evil acts and representations abound with the air of fun and the promise of excitement. It is as if someone truly opened Pandora’s Box and all manner of wickedness now flourishes and is socially acceptable.

            Since the present is becoming more reflective of Paul’s context, it is incumbent upon us as believers in Christ to follow closely Paul’s admonition above. Only when we shine the light of Christ in our lives by being separate, different and distinct from the world around will those trapped in its evil grip know and see that there is a better way of living. We must renew the call to “come out…and be separate”, shining our light brightly for all to see while being committed to not being a part with or supportive of the world around us that relishes in darkness. Only when we do so are we truly fulfilling His call to be His disciples and reflective of His reality in us.

 

The Church's Role in the Future of the Nation

“For I will send pestilence to her and blood to her streets, and the wounded will fall in her midst by the sword upon her on every side; then they will know that I am the Lord. And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord God.” (rf. Ezek. 28:23-24 NASB)

 

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (II Chron. 7:13-16 NASB)

 

            One of the concepts with which followers of Christ have difficulty is the truth that God allows and even uses suffering, hard circumstances, sickness and death to accomplish His righteous purposes. Admittedly, it is never fun when this allowance by God becomes a reality in our own lives; indeed, when we hurt or are in pain, it’s hard for us to conceive that God in His infinite wisdom is working out something better and more extensive for us and those around us than we could ever imagine. On an individual level, this is the reason it is good for us to remember the promises in Rom. 8:28-39.

            If this truth is hard for us to swallow as children of God, how much more so when these truths are applied to one’s nation. In each of the passages above, God is specifically addressing His people as a whole in reference to their own country. When God’s people strayed away from the Lord and His Word to them (as did the Israelites of the Old Testament), to get their attention, God would bring calamity into the life of the nation. These negative experiences would include war, crime, violence, disease and pestilence, famine, weather disasters, etc. in order to help them recognize their own sinful condition, the need to repent and repudiate those sins, and to drive them back into His waiting arms of love and acceptance. 

            We tend to view our sin as unfortunate mistakes or simply “being human”, imperfect in our going and doings. God views our sin as an affront and offense to His holy character and nature, provoking a dangerous and wrathful response. When His people continue in their sin without suitable repentance, it can be guaranteed that their nation will undoubtedly have a very negative experience as a result. 

            Our problem today is that we are blaming everything around us for the issues that presently face our nation. We hold politicians of the opposing side especially accountable for the violence and wars our country faces abroad while crime runs rampant on our city streets. We charge “man-made climate change” for the acceleration in number and intensity of weather disasters while conveniently forgetting or choosing not to remember who exactly controls the forces of nature (i.e. the Lord—see Matt. 8:27). We deplore the ongoing degradation of social norms and morals while allowing sexual and relational sins of all sorts within the Church. We are simply sinning ourselves into oblivion as His people, specifically, knowing full well what will be the ramifications of such for our country.

            In the above texts, God has given His people sufficient warning of what is coming when we sin without repentance and cleansing. He has also provided the remedy for these things. We must first recognize that our sin is repugnant to Him, turning away from that sin completely. We must then ask His forgiveness for ourselves and for our nation in a most sincere fashion. There is also clear indication above that the Lord desires such prayers to flow from “His house”, His place of worship. He, therefore, expects His people to be in attendance to offer these prayers for forgiveness personally. Finally, we must commit ourselves not to get on this path of sin again; instead, we will submit ourselves totally to Him and to the fulfillment of His Word so that the Church can be restored to power in His Spirit and our nation to the peace with God that He desires. 

            The question is: are we willing to face the reality of our own sin and repent of it? Are we willing to seek Him for this forgiveness and watch as He brings healing “to our land”? It all begins with us as His people. We must take the first step if there is to be widespread positive change that pleases and glorifies Him.