CURRENT RADIO SERIES Smart Homes, Wise Families   CURRENT TV SERIES All in: The Family

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you… --2 Corinthians 6:17 If a stranger looked at your life objectively, would they come to the conclusion that you are a follower of Christ? Take into consideration what your tastes in entertainment say about you. What about your language, ethics, and relationships? Now, what I’m about to say is essential if you and I intend to serve Christ: We are called to separate ourselves from the world. You see, it’s impossible to make a difference in the world if we’re not different! I’ll even go a step further. The churches and Christians who are most like the world are the ones that do the least amount of good for Christ Jesus! Do you know why? It’s because these people love themselves more than they care about a lost and dying world. It’s tragic and it’s true. There are people who call themselves Christians who’d rather have their own way and secret vices than to align themselves completely with Christ and to stand for him. What about you? Are you willing to lay down your own rights and wishes in order to be a light to your friends and family? Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Come out from among the world and become a messenger of Christ’s transforming power!   IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD IF WE’RE NOT DIFFERENT!

Avoiding the Stain of the World

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1

I came across a story from the late 1800s of a group of society young people who decided to tour a nearby coal mine. On the appointed day they showed up and met their guide. While most of them had dressed appropriately for the occasion, one of the young ladies had worn a lovely white tea dress. Her friends questioned her choice of apparel, but she appealed to their tour guide. “Can’t I wear a white dress into the coal mine?” After a moment he replied, “There’s nothing to keep you from wearing a white frock into the mine, but there’s a considerable amount there that will keep you from wearing a white frock out.”
The notion that we can walk deeply into the things of the world without it having an impact on us is folly. While we are not meant to withdraw from the world and become hermits, we also must not yield to the temptation to get as close to sinful things as we can. Those who think that they have reached a point in their sanctification and growth that they can allow themselves some “small” sins without damage are falling right into Satan’s trap. He loves the self-confident Christian, because the devil knows that it will not be long until sin gains control. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we want a close relationship with God, we must cleanse our hearts of the things of the world.