Daily Devotional, Year 3 – February 3 (Come Out From Among Them, Part 2: “Making Friends With Unbelievers”)

By admin On February 10th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – February 3

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Come Out From Among Them,

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Part 2:

**“Making Friends With Unbelievers“**

To read part 1, go here…February 11th (Come Out From Among Them!)

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“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ”

2nd Corinthians 5:20

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There are many Christians who are confused about whether or not to have secular friendships.

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After all, so many other fellow church-members have no problem maintaining secular friendships.

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And even the pastor encourages the parishioners to strike up “relationships” with unbelievers, with the hope of one day converting them to Christianity.

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Barbeque – Dutch family – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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But what does the Bible say?

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Does the Lord encourage us to go out and make friends with unbelievers?

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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM”

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**Well, in Part 1, this question was focused on. And various Bible verses were offered in support of avoiding secular friendships.**

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No, the Bible has some pretty strong warnings against making friends with unbelievers…

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**And the Reader is encouraged to read Part 1 (click here), to maybe get a better understanding of what the Bible has to say about having unbelieving friendships.**

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Handshake – Workshop Cologne – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST”

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But today’s devotional is about a very important aspect of the Christian’s heart, which will have a profound impact on the Christian’s social life.

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This aspect is found in the following verse…“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ” 2nd Corinthians 5:20

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Yes, God has chosen us to be goodwill ambassadors for Christ, sent out into all the world!

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And as this painting shows, the disciples were sent out, two-by-two, to spread afar, the Good News of the Gospel!

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Brooklyn Museum – Jesus sends disciples out two by two – by James Tissot – US Public Domain

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A BRAND-NEW HEART!

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And so, just why does a Christian begin to have this fiery new desire for evangelism?

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You see, when God puts His Holy Spirit within the heart of a true Believer, that person becomes a, “new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17

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Now, that new Christian no longer thinks like the world.

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In other words, God has now “given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” Verse 18.

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This simply means that our great desire has now become, to call all others to also begin to follow Jesus up that narrow pathway that leads Heavenward!

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Bible Study Group – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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SHARING HEAVENLY MANNA?

OR JUST SHARING WORLDLY FARE?

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And while unbelievers are not to be considered as “unclean” when it comes to evangelizing them into Christianity; they are definitely considered “unclean” when it comes to Believers sharing in their worldly and ungodly ways.

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The Bible clearly commands to avoid such relationships with unbelievers…

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“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

Wherefore come out from among them,

and be ye separate, saith the Lord,

and touch not the unclean [thing]”

2nd Corinthians 6:17

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Does the distinction become clear between evangelizing and fellowship? When evangelizing, we are trying to get them to eat of the Bread of Heaven. But when fellowshiping with unbelievers, we are partaking of their worldly fare: hence we are as though eating the unclean meat of sin!

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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama

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“EVIL COMMUNICATIONS CORRUPTS”

1st Corinthians 15:33

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Now, as already mentioned, there were many churches, and even some highly-revered old-time radio preachers that encouraged their followers to make personal friendships out in the world, so as to hopefully convert these unbelievers to become new church-members.

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Well, that’s a nice-sounding idea!

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But listen to God’s warning to Old Testament Israel…

“But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you;

then it shall come to pass,

that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks (slivers) in your eyes,

and thorns in your sides,

and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”

Numbers 33:55

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Yes, as this Old Testament verse warns, there is a price to pay for not maintaining a distance between a Believer and an unbeliever. And because Israel refused to obey this command, their nation was eventually destroyed.

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And likewise today, those Christians who think they can convert their unbelieving “buddies”, will most likely find that they themselves are the ones who become converted: converted back into the world!

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Hands Toasting Drinks – Cheers! cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

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NO SECULAR FRIENDSHIPS

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Here is something to consider. Do we ever read anything about secular relationships with our three greatest Christian role-models, Jesus, Paul & John?

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No we don’t!

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And yet they evangelized more successfully than any other persons on this planet!

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**These three role-models for the Church were so busy with their spiritual life (and daily duties), they had no time for secular entertainment, even had they wanted to!**

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And their only secular associations were with those who were seriously wanting to follow Jesus!

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St Paul Preaching in Athens (Raphael, 1515) – Wikipedia – US public domain

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“FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST”

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Listen to Paul… “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.

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Does this type of total devotion to Christ by Paul sound like something that would attract worldly friendships?

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No, Paul’s only desire in life was to transform his own self into the exact image of Christ, so that his evangelism could be more perfect! And for an abject unbeliever to hang out with Paul would become far too distasteful for that earthly-minded, world-loving soul!

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Listen to Paul…“To the one (an unbeliever) we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other (a true worshiper), the savour of life unto life.” 2nd Corinthians 2:16

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Paul the Apostle – Artist – Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier – circa 1500s – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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JESUS ON THE TIP OF OUR TONGUE

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And so, no longer do we have any desire to carry on worldly fellowship.

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But now, because of the Spirit which indwells our heart, the glorious Gospel of Christ is always on the tip of our tongue. And we must oft-times restrain ourselves from speaking about Him when with unbelievers and even with worldly-minded churchgoers!

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Yes, there must be a wise balance to maintain in our dealings with unbelievers, because, as the Wise Man counsels us, there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” Ecclesiastes 3:7

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And just like Paul, we now have become “Ambassadors for Christ” to a world-in-rebellion against Heaven. (2nd Corinthians 5:20)

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But all those in the Church who do not have this burning flame for evangelism must ask themselves the painful question, “Have I truly become a new creation in Christ? Or am I still just a person of the world? Am I really just kidding myself about my Salvation?”

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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GOOD NEWS! TIME FOR CHANGE!

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Well, the very Good News is, that there is still time to turn to God, and ask Him for this wonderful Spirit of evangelism. There is still time to plead for a fiery new heart which burns with the desire to be an ambassador for Heaven!

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And those who truly desire to become an evangelist, like Paul, should not cease crying out for such a wonderful gift until they actually do receive it!

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And then, once that wonderful day arrives when we receive that same fervent Spirit that Paul had, all our questions will then be answered concerning whether or not we should maintain secular friendships.

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And anyway, if God does actually bestow upon us the same fervent Holy Spirit that Paul had, the odds that any unbeliever would ever want to, “hang out” with us will be, at best, slim-to-none!

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Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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“I SAT ALONE”

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“I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand: for Thou hast filled me with indignation.” Jeremiah 15:17

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As this above verse exhorts, the Christian too, will often experience loneliness or sadness, even as Jeremiah did, as he (or she) also refuses to join in with the mockery and folly of today’s world.

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But as a “stranger & pilgrim” sojourning through this hopelessly dying world, the Christian must fix his eyes upon the heavenly Prize, knowing that one day soon, he or she will cross over that Black River, and into that Promised Land which rings with the sounds of singing, and with innocent laughter, and with everlasting joy…and everlasting friendships!

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Study for The Cross and the World…… Brooklyn Museum Thomas Cole – US public domain

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TO READ PART 3, GO HERE…

February 5 (Come Out From Among Them, Part 3: “Making Friends With Unbelievers, CONTINUED”)

Lunch Break – Wikimedia Commons – Share-alike License

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to study out this topic in the Bible. Let me not be immersed in the corrupting influences of today’s society…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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WIDE & NARROW GATES IN THE HEAVENS

As the opening verse says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

So what are these two gates all about? And how can I choose the right door? Well, just read this article and these questions and more will be answered.

This sketch, while not 100% accurate, gives a fair portrayal of how this constellation group appears at winter’s end and even into June, when above the western horizon.

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TOMORROW:

February 4 (He That Hath An Ear To Hear, Part 2: “World Without Ears!”)

Van Gogh with ear bandage – 1889 – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO THIS 90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM, A QUESTION/ANSWER CALL-IN, TALK SHOW.

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The Open Forum Harold Camping August 22, 2002 (youtube.com)

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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