Living in the Pigpen and Staying Clean
Living in the Pig Pen and Staying Clean
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Introduction:
Have you every gotten yourself dressed up and found it hard to stay that way?
ð Spaghetti down the front of your shirt
ð Grass stains on the knees
ð Toothpaste down the front of your tie/shirt
ð Walk through a mud puddle on way in to Church
Anyone who has raised kids knows how hard it can be
I think that you will agree that the same thing is true in the spiritual sense as well
ð We live in a world that is decidedly non-Christian
ð We see and feel the influence no matter what we do or where we go
ð Cannot watch TV without being influenced by a non-Christian viewpoint
ð Cannot go to work without the influence of non-believers
ð What we might call spiritual “mud” is everywhere
The majority of people we go to school with, the teachers we listen to, the people we work with, the shows we watch -- most of the people we encounter, do not look at the world from a Christian point of view.
At times it seems very hard to act like, talk like, and live like a child of God
Not a new problem: The Christians in Corinth struggled with the same thing
They lived in a city that was saturated with sin and immorality
Some of that began to creep into the Church
Paul gave them three principles for staying clean:
1. Avoid close contact with non-believers
2. Remind ourselves of the consequences
3. Take positive steps to keep ourselves pure
I. Avoid Close Contact with Non-Believers v. 14
1. Some things are not meant to be put together
Deut. 22:10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
Why? Natures are very different
OX – Hard working and cooperative
Donkey – Stubborn and feisty
Oil and water do not go together well
Light and darkness
Christ and the Devil
Right and wrong
None of these things goes well together
2. The same is true of a believer and non-believer
2 Cor. 5:17 A believer had been made a new creature
He has a different nature: attitude, ethic, way of thinking, etc.
6:16 “You are the temple of the Living God.”
3. The idea of separation goes clear back to God’s people in the OT
Lev. 20:26 God told His people that he separated them to be His
Deut. 7:2-3 “You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.”
When the Jews went into the new land they were to be set apart from all other nations, people’s and gods. They were to represent God to them, not be like them.
4. In the New Testament:
We are told to be salt and light in the world
We are told to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God
Believers are called “Saints” which means “set apart ones.”
5. What does this mean?
Negative: It does not mean that we should not associate with non-Christians.
ð Jesus associated with non-Christians. He was often criticized for spending time with “sinners” and outcasts whom the religious leaders felt should not be associated with. Jesus even went to their homes for meals.
ð We are called to be salt and light. In order for salt to have any value it must be poured out of the container and onto what it needs to influence.
ð If we are ever going to share our faith and see people come to Christ we must associate with those who do not know Him.
Positive: It does men that our closest relationships and friendships must be with those who know Christ as we do.
“Be not unequally yoked together” Yoked has the idea of being tied together, having an intimate type relationship.
1) A believer should not marry an unbeliever.
Young people need to know that this leads to all kinds of problems
*Often the unbeliever sees the Church as getting in the way of their relationship
*There are differences in the way that money is spent, kids are raised, activities to be involved in, etc.
2) A believer should not join with a non-believer in a business partnership
Does not mean that we can not work for or with a non-believer, but we cannot be business partners with them.
Problems will arise as:
Decide how money will be spent
Decide how business will be carried out
Decide how customers will be dealt with
3) A believer’s friendships will also be affected.
Does not mean that you and I cannot have friends who are non-believers, but our closest friends needs to be those who know Christ as we do.
A good, true friend is someone who will encourage us to do what is right, and hold us to the standards God sets forth in His Word. A non-believer will never do that!!
The wrong kind of friendships and relationships can pressure us into things that we should have no part of.
II. Remind ourselves of the consequences vv. 14-15
1. The consequences are simple: One corrupts the other
If you bring darkness into light, it will make it dark
It has to, they cannot be together in the same place without one affecting the other.
2. To a believer being closely associated with an unbeliever will have a effect
1 Cor. 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
Don’t be deceived into thinking that it won’t happen to you!!
Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, notice what he had to say:
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
Proverbs 4:14-15 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
Too bad Solomon did not listen: Read 1 Kings 11:1-11
3. Note what God promises for obedience vv. 16-17
ð I will receive you
ð I will be a Father to you
ð You will be my sons and daughters
III. Take positive steps to keep yourself pure v. 7:1
1. We need to clean ourselves up
1 John 1:9 search our lives and confess our sins
2. Spend time with other Christians
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
In Acts we see them doing this daily, today it seems a struggle for once a week.
3. We need to put on the full armor of God Ephesians 6
