Father's be ye Separate

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Text: 2 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1

Intro: We are going to talk about something today that isn’t talked about in the 21st century. What Paul is talking about is separation and what he means by separation is that we are to be separated from the world. We are living in a time right now where the life that truly lives the biblically separated life is just about lost… Now I want to be very clear, because I know a lot of us come out of a background where separation was a giant list of do’s and don’ts. Now, don’t worry because I am not talking about that… That being said, there is something Biblically that God intends for us know, and He calls it separation.

You may be wondering why would pastor preach this on Father’s Day? I will share with you why… Because the fathers that are here this morning have to be the leaders in breaking the strongholds of what we have been, and allowing God through His word and through His Spirit to make us into what He wants us to be...

I want to begin with a question… What comes to your mind right now when you think of separation. Take 10 seconds and build a quick definition in your mind.

The reason for that exercise this morning is because your flesh doesn’t want you to see that maybe the separation that you live today is different from the separation that the Bible teaches. By defining it before hand my prayer is that the Lord will use it to show us the error in our thinking and help us break it down and learn something new from the Lord this morning.

Now, let’s look at the text again… Vs. 14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

What God is saying here is that believers are not to allow themselves to be connected with someone who doesn’t know Christ, whether that is marriage, or a relationship that could potentially lead to you being yoked together with them, whether it be a business partnership, or any other way that you could find yourself connected to or yoked together with an unbeliever and here is the reason why...

Vs. 14-16 “…for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (Vs. 15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial (Satan)? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (Vs. 16) And what agreement hath the temple (Who is this?) of God with idols? ( I hope we understand that , that is more than carved images and things made out of stone or wood.) 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.”

Notice: The five words that God uses with what:

What fellowship
What communion
What Concord (or alliance)
What Part (or partnership)
What agreement

Notice: The contrast with each of these 5 words:

Righteousness with unrighteousness.
Light with darkness
Christ with Belial
Believer with an infidel.
Temple of God with idols.

Here is the point that is being made… How in the world could there possibly anyway where those things have fellowship with each other, or how could those things be in agreement with each other, or how could those things strike up an alliance with one another, or a partnership.

And the obvious answer to that questions is there cannot be, there never could be, there never can be. And do you know what that is the case? (Vs. 16) ...”for ye are the temple of the living God...”

I know we all know that passage, but do you here me this morning… “…for ye are the temple of the living God...” Then what God says; what He does is He brings us back to a Bible principle that is literally as old as dirt. “…I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Watch this now, not just with them… And wouldn’t that have been awesome if God had promised that He would walk with us? How much more, that He will dwell in them, and walk in them...

Do you know what God is saying here? That they will be the place that I call home… They will be my dwelling place, and I will dwell in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

People that used to be Satan’s, people that used to have all kinds of fellowship with all kinds of unrighteousness, people that used to commune with darkness, people living in agreement with idols and idolatry and that used to sell themselves to those things that had nothing to do with God or His will, or His word and had everything to do with Satan and his kingdom.

Listen: Is is to those people, that the Holy God of the Bible said; “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Vs. 17 “Wherefore” Because that is what God said, and because that is what God did…

Who is them? All of those still connected with Satan, unrighteousness, idolatry, darkness… Separate yourselves.

Certainly this is not talking about people… It is talking about the things that people do...

What does this mean? It means that the God that lives in us, still expects us to separate ourselves.

Do you know what those unclean things are?

“And I will receive you.”

Separate yourselves and I will receive you.

Here is what that verse is actually saying. Now that you have recieved Christ, and the Spirit of God has taken up residence in you and me. That Jesus’ willingness to connect Himself with me, is dependent on my willingness to disconnect myself from unrighteousness, darkness, Satan, infidel, and idols.

Look we all are very interested in receiving Christ, but are we nearly as concerned with Jesus Christ receiving us?
Don’t you hear the Holy Spirit of God that lives inside of you crying out for you to get beyond just receiving Christ! If your here this morning and you have recieved Christ, I want you to know that I am thrilled about that… But isn’t it time in our Christian life, that we separate ourselves from all of the uncleaness of our former life, so that we can start living out verse 18.
2 Corinthians 6:18 KJV 1900
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
God, desires not to be just your God, but to be your Father… Actual sons, and actual daughters.
When we recieved Christ, God became our God, and we became His people but there is more for us in this relationship!
We are talking about a relationship with God, to where God is our Father, and we are His sons!
Where are the people today, that are free from the bonds of legalism, and yet willingly and joyfully, separate themselves from everything that dark in their life because of Christ! Again, not because they’re on a legalistic trip and that is what I fear, that so many of us where in a system that was all outward and legalistic and I fear that now that we are free that we may miss that we are still to be separated from the world!
Not because we are in bondage, but because we have been given the privilege to have a relationship with God to where God is our Father, and we are His sons and daughters.
Check out the next verse in this passage and if you don’t see the next verse that is because it is in the next chapter.
2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV 1900
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.

What promise? The promise that the God of the Bible will dwell in you, and walk in you, and be your God, and you His people and look I thrilled if that was as good as it got. Because, that is far greater than I ever deserved! But God continues and says there is more! That if we would live separate from the things of the world, those things that you used to define who we were when we were the enemy of God, God says I will be your Father, and we will be His sons and daughters!

That’s what He is talking about when He says...

2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV 1900
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.
Here is what we do… Whenever we are convicted of sin, whenever the Holy Spirit of God touches and speaks to my heart about sin, we make a B-line for 1 John 1:9.
1 John 1:9 KJV 1900
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I praise the Lord for 1 John 1:9, but here is where the problem is. That believers rush to 1 John 1:9 and seek forgiveness for sins that we have no intention of actually forsaking...
Would we do ourselves this favor?
Would we stop turning to 1 John 1:9 as a crutch and start turning to 2 Corinthians 7:1...
Which states… Cleanse yourselves, and not from some of it, but all filthiness...
Which results in the last part of that verse...
Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Now, we would think that the older we grow, that Christians would grow closer and closer with God, and more and more holy. But in my life, this is what I have seen… That in a 21st century Christianity rather than being more and more holy, we see more and more fellowship with unrighteousness, more darkness, more Satan, more infidels, and more idolatry...
Is it just me, or is it getting harder and harder for us today, to tell the difference between those that are saved and those that lost.
We do the same things that lost people do, we listen to the same thing that lost people listen to, we talk the same way that lost people do, we watch the same things that lost people watch only now we call it Liberty.
Through the centuries our brother’s and sisters used to have another word for this. They called it iniquity...
1 Peter 2:16 KJV 1900
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Free in Christ, and then we muck it up with all that we used to do...
Paul-
Galatians 5:13 KJV 1900
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
I don’t know how to be truer to the passage that we are in this morning...
All I know is that in receiving Christ, there is a call, a cry from the Spirit that dwells in us, for us to be cleansed… Those things that we were, when we were against God, cleanse ourselves from everyone of them...
Lut us cleans ourselves from all filthiness, of the flesh and the spirit...
This perfecting is foreign today…
Do you know why I believe that is?
There is a lack of reverent fear for the Lord God almighty… For His holiness, for His glory, for His Righteousness, and for His awesomeness.
We won’t turn there this morning but in the book of Isaiah God speaks to a people that erred in spirit. What resulted was that God closed their eyes, and sealed His book. That is a great definition of the Laodicea.
Notice this morning, that I didn't’ mention one thing in the way of specific sins. That is because you don’t need me or want me to do that. Here is what happens…
What has the Holy Spirit of God this morning, spoken to your heart about? The Spirit that resides within you, that is urging you, crying out to your spirit that you need to forsake and cleanse yourself from? Listen to Him, seek Him, and in the end you sill satisfy Him...
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