Transcript

Relationships With Unbelievers

2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Pastor Randy Smith

A key verse that we studied from chapter 5 made a profound declaration for any believer. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." If you are a Christian, you need to know from the start and you need to remind yourself daily that you are an entirely new creature or as I believe it is better translated, an entirely new creation - complete transformation - born again, new heart, new desires, new perspectives on everything.

Many of these changes will come naturally as you are guided by the Holy Spirit. For example, the jokes you once found funny are now offensive. The old movies no longer entertain. Money is earned and spent with a different interest. Goals for children are completely overhauled. Also as you read the Bible, the lifelong process is understanding God's awesome character and benevolent expectations and forever making decisions that realign your life with the desire to do His will. This morning topic is one of those areas that all Christians must consider in this regard.

Here it is: now that I am a believer, how do I relate to unbelievers?

Should I pull away from them completely - join a monastery, move to a compound high in the mountains, maybe just surround myself only with Christians - Christian co-workers, Christian friends, Christian neighbors, Christian pets…? This position argues we have very little in common any longer. Unbelievers will only, to some degree, pull me away from Christ and since this world is not my home I'd much rather just start spending the time with the people I'll be spending time with throughout eternity.

On the other hand, some professing believers do just the opposite. Their relationships with unbelievers don't change. They are hitting the night clubs, they maintain their popularity at work, they enjoy the same company and attitudes that once drove them in the past. This position argues I love these people and wish to be around them. They are not affecting me spiritually. I am able to keep them in my life for Christ. And to be honest with you I find more pleasure in being with them than I do being with Christians. As Billy Joel sang, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than die with the saints, the sinners are much more fun."

In my humble opinion, as I process biblical revelation, I have to conclude that both of these positions are wrong. Both of them are easy cop-outs that cause us to violate clear commands and permit us to process life without the continual dependence on and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Though it's become a cliché, it says it well, "We are to be in the world but not of it." Therefore our relation to unbelievers has become a situation that is not always easy to process. I think the people that do this right are the ones who constantly feel the tension and are found seeking the Lord's will in this area though prayer, wise counsel and disciplined thought.

I can't make all the decisions for you. The Lord wants you to think for yourself, but this morning I can provide some guidelines from Scripture that will help you in this oftentimes complex and sometimes painful situation that is unavoidable for all Christians who still live in this world still populated with unbelievers that are often much unlike us believers, but are individuals that must always be loved and respected and reached with the Gospel.

So that's where we will be going with this morning's passage. There will be two parts, very simple, first we will walk through and take a look at the passage and then second we will draw some relevant applications from the text - the two points, the passage and the precepts.

1. THE PASSAGE

So let's first begin with a look at the passage. The passage itself is organized in a clear way. Paul begins with a command in 6:14 and then ends with another command in 7:1. The two parallel commands bookend His comments in the middle that support the commands.

So in 6:14 we read the first command, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers." "Bound together" is commonly translated "yoked together" (NIV). This is the proof text people use when they say Christians should not be "unequally yoked" (KJV). Specifically to whom? As the verse teaches, believers are commanded to not be unequally yoked to "unbelievers."

This illustration that was well known in antiquity may be a little more foreign to our understanding today. A yoke was wooden device that was put around the neck of two animals that would lock then together for service, such as pulling a wagon or plowing a field. The concept comes from Deuteronomy 22:10. "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together." For example, it goes without saying that if you unequally yoke two animals; say a mule with lamb, they are not going to work together very effectively. The stronger will pull more his way and you will find your cart going around in circles. It's no different if you've ever canoed with someone much different in strength. Apart from changing sides frequently with your paddles, it's impossible to keep a straight line!

The point in this command is that Christians are to be "bound together," "yoked together" not with unbelievers, but only with other believers. So now we have to ask, specifically in what situations?

Almost every time I have heard this verse quoted, people will say it applies to a marriage relationship or sometimes a business partnership. We'll come back to that thought, but I think I can say for certain that based upon the context neither of those were directly in Paul's mind when he composed these words.

What has Paul been arguing? What was on his mind when he penned these words? We've learned that there was a strong contingency of false teachers in the church of Corinth that were seeking to draw the believers to follow them. The very church that Paul founded and suffered so much for (remember that is the immediate context from the earlier verses in chapter 6 that we just covered last week, verses 4-10) were turning their back on Paul and running after the false teachers that were proclaiming a different Gospel and a different Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4).

The Corinthian congregation was binding themselves to these imposters. In Paul's mind, if the church rejects him they are rejecting the true message that he brought. And if they reject the true message that he brought they are trusting in a false Gospel and can no longer consider themselves to be Christians. Paul is warning the young church here not to be bound with these false teachers. Interestingly, he doesn't even call them false teachers or errant Christians, but "unbelievers." Paul's point, there is a lot at stake in supporting his opponents and if the church supports them (is yoked to their teaching) they had better, 13:5, "Test [them]selves to see if [they] are in the faith" themselves!

Now if you read 1 Corinthians you might see some wider application to Paul's command to avoid being unequally yoked with unbelievers.There Paul goes to great lengths to remind the church, due to the common pagan temple worship, to separate themselves from the practices commonly accepted in the culture by outsiders. Yet we do not see any of that here.

Here in 2 Corinthians we see the call for the church separate themselves from unbelievers within the church, specifically unbelievers that were teaching a false Gospel and pulling people away from the true Gospel that Paul proclaimed. Could Paul have been more affectionate for this cause in the immediate context? Beginning in verse 11, "Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. Now in a like exchange - I speak as to children - open wide to us also" (2 Cor. 6:11-13).

Let's move on and briefly take a look at how Paul supported his command to avoid being unequally yoked. The first line of support are five rhetorical questions contrasting the believer and the unbeliever found in verses 14-16 to clearly show the necessity of separating.

Number one, "For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness?" Unbelievers are in rebellion to God. They have no desire to submit to His ways - total unrighteousness. On the contrary, believers have been declared righteous (2 Cor. 5:21) and have the passion to live for and live like the Righteous One (2 Cor. 7:1). How can we form a strong relationship, a "partnership" as Paul says when our desires are completely opposite?

Number two, "What fellowship has light with darkness?" Jesus is "the Light< of the world" (Jn.8:12). "In Him there is no darkness at all" (1 Jn. 1:5). Those apart from God are in the "domain of darkness" (Col. 1:13) following the "forces of…darkness" (Eph. 6:12). Acts 26:18, "[Our] eyes [have been opened] so that [we] may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God." We know even physically speaking, light and darkness cannot coexist together.

Number three, "What harmony has Christ with Belial?" Harmony ("sumphonesis") from where we get our English word "symphony." Belial, a word meaning "useless" was an ancient name for Satan. These ultimate leaders of the two world kingdoms never formed any allegiance did they? Could we ever imagine Christ and Satan in symphony, yoked together to accomplish any spiritual effort?

Number four sums up the first three points, "What has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" As I was preparing this sermon I was made aware of a situation where a student in his creative writing class gave a speech on a homosexual relationship. When the mother expressed her concerns to the teacher, the reply was, "It was cute and romantic, pg-13 in nature." The Christian parent and the teacher were on opposite pages.

Number five, "What agreement has the temple of God with idols?" The Corinthians knew all about temples in their pagan land, but Paul explained to this church the temple in which the true God dwells in his prior letter to them. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 - the temple where God dwells is His church corporately and specifically, 1 Corinthians 6:9, the temple where God dwells is in each individual believer. As he says here in verse 16, "For we are the temple of the living God." If Christ is the only true God, then it stands to reason that all those without Christ are worshippers, but they are idol worshippers. Therefore as Paul says, "What agreement has the temple of God with idols?"

Paul then goes to his second line of reasoning in verses 16-18.

"'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."

Using a string of Old Testament quotations, Paul reminds his readers the very point that he has been arguing throughout the letter. The great promises from the Old Covenant have been fulfilled in the New Covenant of which the Corinthians were supposedly a part of. The church has been called out of darkness and out of the bondage of the devil to be treasures of God's own possession that He would not only use for His glory, but adopt us in an intimate relationship whereby He will promise to be our heavenly Father throughout all of eternity.

And if this is the case, how can any believer join forces with the very forces that have sided with enemy? How can one be yoked with God while at the same time be yoked with those who oppose this union?

Using Paul's thought we could say some spiritually dangerous relationships with others might need to be ended to not only find, but also enhance one's relationship with God.

And then the final command and conclusion in 7:1 based on all that was just argued. "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Let me put that in my own words: "'Therefore' based on all that was just argued and the great 'promises' of God that are fulfilled and enjoyed by all believers in the New Covenant, let us be separated from anything that will cause us to move in the wrong spiritual direction. That could be things of the 'flesh' (outward things) or things of the 'spirit' (inward things). As God is holy, our goal is to enjoy, pursue and be conformed to 'holiness' as well. Our motivation is the 'fear of God.' We know God will always be our God, but let's not forget that He is God and one day will call even believers to account (2 Cor. 5:10). And our motivation is love. We don't pursue holiness to earn His love since we are already 'beloved' and therefore we are constrained by the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14) to live a life pleasing in His sight. So how can we not separate from that which is displeasing to the One we enjoy in an intimate spiritual marriage?"

So in conclusion, the believers are called to keep their heart open to Paul who preaches the true Gospel and separate themselves from those who are leading them astray with a false Gospel and causing them to forfeit any hope of salvation.

2. THE PRECEPTS

Now with the time we have remaining, point two, "The Precepts." Let's boil down this teaching with some application for us today with a little true or false as it pertains to our topic, spiritual separation. Ten questions. Ready? I'll start off with an easy one.

Number one, Christians should not follow or adhere themselves to anyone who teaches a false Gospel. True! If you get that one wrong you must have just woken up from a thirty minute nap!

Number two, Christians should separate from Nonchristians in general. False! 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world." How can we share Jesus (as we just learned last week) if we remove contact with all those who need Jesus? We must love all people and those whom we seek to reach for Christ, we must not view them as pawns and instruments for our purposes, regardless how noble our purposes may be.

Number three, building off the last question, Christians should separate themselves professing Christians that are unrepentant. True! I'll continue in 1 Corinthians 5, verses 11-12, "Actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?" If a professing believer is unrepentant, believers are to disassociate when it comes to spiritual fellowship. The aim here is to not allow the individual to presume everything is right with him and the Lord when it is not. The goal is always loving restoration.

Number four, since there is a union in marriage, Christian spouses should separate (divorce themselves) from their Nonchristian spouses. False! 1 Corinthians 7:12-13, "But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away."

Number five, Christians should separate themselves from unbelievers who enter the church. False! Paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, "But if…an unbeliever…enters, he is convicted by all…he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you." This church should be the most loving and hospitable place an unbeliever has ever entered.

Number six, Christians should separate themselves from unbelievers when both have to partner together for Gospel purposes. True! 2 Corinthians 6:14, "For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness." In these cases, it is impossible to move forward in spiritual gain, compromise to some degree is always inevitable and a false assurance is given to the unbeliever that he or she is right with God.

Number seven, Christians should separate from unbelievers in significant business partnerships. True! 2 Corinthians 6:15, "What has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" Believers should not form bonds with unbelievers when major decisions will need to be made between the two that relate to financial or philosophical matters. When your worldviews collide, rarely will the two of you be on the same page.

Number eight, Christians should separate from each other on personal convictions and preferential issues. False! Ephesians 4:2-3, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Nonessentials should not bring divisions in the church.

Number nine, believers should separate themselves from friends that are pulling them away from Christ? True! 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'"

Lastly number ten, believers should separate from unbelievers when it comes to pursuing a marriage relationship? True! 1 Corinthians 7:39, "A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." After all we just learned in these verses that contrast believer and unbeliever, why a believer would even consider marrying an unbeliever is beyond my wildest understanding. How can you ever expect to come to agreement on how you worship God and spend money and raise the children? How can you want to devote your life to someone who won't share with you the Person in Jesus Christ that means the most to you? How can you want to be "one flesh" with someone who is an enemy of your Savior? Young unmarried Christians, I could provide you heart wrenching story after story. Please save yourself the unnecessary misery and connect with someone to whom you can share all the wonderful joys of the Christian life.

So we pulled a lot out of that little command in verse 14: "Do not be bound together with unbelievers." Do you see why it's important? Do you see why God in His desire for holiness and happiness in you would deliver it to us? Do you understand how this is not an "all-or-nothing" proposition but as a new creation in Christ we must pray about, use the Scriptures and rightly process our relationships with unbelievers.