Good morning and welcome to everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Did you ever ride to school on the school bus? Many times the older students like to ride in the very back seats, but are involved doing things that they shouldn’t be doing. Maybe your parents told you as a child to keep towards the front of the bus, and to keep separate from those in the back. This is because they didn’t want you getting into trouble with them.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like kids on a school bus, Christians are called to practice disassociation and separation from the world. Although people such as these are becoming very few in number, there are some very Conservative Christian bodies that still teach and abide by these biblical principles. One must always remember that darkness and light do not mix. Just like oil and water separates, we must keep our distance from those who are still living according to the ways of this world. We must keep our distance from those who reject the truth of scripture. This is to keep ourselves pure from sin, and that our faith is not tainted by the world.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18. ¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
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.
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, ¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
We are not supposed to join up with others who do not share our pure faith in Christ. We need to keep our distance, but when we do, it doesn’t mean that you cannot evangelize to your neighbors. If you go into the world, you have to first determine the reasons why you are doing it. Are you really out there for the purpose of spreading the gospel? Are you really out there to tell them about Christ Jesus? Some people will attend a county fair, or walk around the city, but it’s only for the purpose of hanging out with others in their community. Sharing close relationships with others who are unbelievers is extremely dangerous to your soul. Occasionally we might have to go to the local grocery store or gas station to buy certain items, but these are casual relationships. Your conversations are normally brief because you really don’t share a friendship with them. You are merely acquaintances which is defined as a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.
People have misused the word friend for many years. They might claim that a very important actor or musician is a friend of theirs, but the truth is that they don’t even know them. Sometimes families can claim to be really close with each other, but they only spend a couple weeks together during the holidays each year. These aren’t true friendships, because they are not close or intimate. The disciples were with Jesus Christ practically every single day, giving up their own occupations to be near him. You can tell people who are close friends in this world, because they are nearly inseparable and always together, and true friendship with God is determined by your submission to His purpose
John 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
The disciples of Christ were not befriending the world. They were calling people out of the world from which each of us has come. There were many times when the Apostle Paul would speak to a group about Christ, but if they didn’t receive what he said, he would move on to the next door, or the next town. The point being, is that he didn’t hang out with them. If they reject the truth, then you must shake off the dust and move on. As a Christian we must join together in close relationships with people who share our beliefs. This is for the purpose of remaining strong in our faith and purifying our hearts. Separation is simply a desire to keep yourself pure from the sin of this world. We must purify ourselves, even as he is pure, maintaining true friendship with Him through obedience to scriptural teachings.
When people don’t really believe in scriptural truth, what would you be doing hanging around with them? After all, Jesus is the truth. We are not to share certain activities with them, even at a job site. This is to maintain our faith, friendship and loyalty towards God. Befriending them, only makes yourself into God’s enemy.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
When we think about the lives of Noah, Abraham or Moses, they all made the choice to come out and be separate from the world. This is to keep yourself pure from the evils and temptations that go on each day out in society. We want to fill our daily thoughts with good things, and surround ourselves with others who call upon the name of the Lord out of a pure heart. This is what the Apostle Peter did, choosing to keep away from those who were living in sin.
1 Peter 4:3-5. ³ For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: ⁴ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: ⁵ Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
We are commanded to come out from the world and be separate. This is because we don’t want our minds to be influenced or corrupted by the things that they do, or the ways that they live their life. For example, there are many terrible magazines that you will find walking through a laundromat, ones that are only meant to be taken and destroyed. Even walking down a large city street can affect one’s mind, simply because of your close proximity to all their advertisements and merchandise. Lot was constantly vexed when he was in Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their wicked conversations and behaviors. When we are capable of separating ourselves, God blesses us. It is proof that we love Him, rather than the world. It also prevents us from receiving the plagues that God will send.
Revelation 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
So in order to become the true sons and daughters of God, we must come out and be separate from the world, which will require remaining in your seat at…..
….. The Front of the Bus.
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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