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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – January 5

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Come Out From Among Them,

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Part 3:

“Making Friends With Unbelievers”,

CONTINUED

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

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“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

see 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 (click here to read full passage)

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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 many pastors often encourage the parishioners to strike up friendships 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 strike up personal on-going relationships with unbelievers?

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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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2nd CORINTHIANS 6:14-18

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As a matter of fact, God has much to say on this subject.

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And one of the primary New Testament passages by Paul, really spells out in detail, just why we must come out from among unbelievers.

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And so, let’s spend a few moments analyzing our signature passage for the day, 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18.

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

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So, let’s take it line by line…

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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

2nd Corinthians 6:14 
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Now some people imagine this verse to be merely speaking of some contractual relationship, such as marriage or a business partnership.

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But notice it says, “What fellowship…and what communion…?”

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Yes, God is asking us the question which so many of us tend to ignore: “What kind of fellowship, and what kind of communion does righteousness and light have with those who are still in their sins, and still in spiritual darkness?”

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And so, beside contractual relationships, this is also speaking of everyday friendships with unbelievers.

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

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6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial?  or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

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Now this verse from 2nd Corinthians 6:15 refers to unbelievers as followers of Baal, and as infidels (rebels against Heaven).

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And God asks us about what harmony and what connection can a believing Christian have with Babylonian rebels?
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Lunch Break – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-alike License

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6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

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Now here again, God refers to us as His spiritual Temple. And He refers to friendship with the world, as bringing idols into the temple of God! 
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6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
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Now here is an even more startling revelation! Yes, God says here that He will receive us if we obey this command!

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But will He receive us if we disobey this command?

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Not according to 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

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Now here again, God is promising to become our Father if we do separate ourselves from unbelievers. And He will consider us as His sons and daughters if we break off the yoke of fellowship with unbelievers.

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Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“KEEP THYSELF PURE!”

1st Timothy 5:22

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And so, God is asking us these questions to stir up our thinking regarding our relationship to the world.

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And the bottom line to this passage from 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 is that there is a vast difference between the people of this world, and the children of Heaven!

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We are living in two completely different universes, spiritually speaking. 

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Family Prayer Before Meal – Wikimedia – US-Govt. – Public-Domain

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IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD!

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Oh yes, we are to spread the Good News of Salvation. And yes, we are to shine as lights in this dark world. And there are many situations in which we are to help others. And there will be various work situations and family functions which require us to maintain relationships with unbelievers.

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But Christ is to be our divine and loving role-model in all situations. And Paul was also given as a human role-model.

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Family – Children’s Playground, – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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BEING CHRISTLIKE, A HEART CHANGE

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But the Bible doesn’t require us to remain worldly.

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Now this doesn’t mean that we are to go around speaking in “Thee’s” and “Thou’s”, or wearing a white robe and sandals.

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No, but rather, we are to imitate Christ in the heavenly virtues of charity, patience, kindness, purity, holiness, faith, temperance, gentleness, goodness, etc…

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A GODLY CONVERSATION

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Listen to Peter…“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;”

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As this above verse reveals, God is wanting us to be fit representatives of Heaven to a “world in rebellion against the government of Heaven”.

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And while the worldly church-community encourages us to compromise our godly conversation, so as to become more like the world, this policy will never secure God’s blessings on our evangelistic efforts.

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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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REMOVE ALL IMPURITY

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One last passage is found in Jeremiah 15:19…“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”

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As this above verse reveals, God will bless our efforts if we will only purge ourselves from the corruptions found among the professed people of God. And if we will indeed purge ourselves from all worldliness, then God will make us to be as His mouth.

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And then we can go forth and proclaim the wonderful Good News of Salvation to a dying world, lost in the darkness of sin and selfishness!

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What a promise!

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Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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TO READ PART 4, GO HERE… 

September 11 (Come Out From Among Them, Part 4: “The Powerful Influence of Daily Associations”)

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…

Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Revelation 12 Woman & The Narrow Gate Stars (Orion’s Gate to Heaven)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

The info and pics of the constellations on this site are all taken from Wikipedia and from The Internation Astronomical Union (click here to view their site)

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WIDE & NARROW GATES IN THE HEAVENS

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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

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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.

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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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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Revelation 12 Woman & The Narrow Gate Stars (Orion’s Gate to Heaven)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW:

February 6 (It’s A Rosie-The-Riveter World, Part 2: “Without Me, Ye Can Do Nothing!”)

We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter – Wikipedia – 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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Harold Camping November 16, 2010 (youtube.com)

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

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