Good morning and welcome in 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.
When I was a young student, I can remember being sent off to camp for a week where I would enjoy scenic surroundings, eating hot dogs over a campfire, and coming up with ingenious ways to kill lots of hungry mosquitoes! Many times I would go down to the beach to go swimming, but before you got into the lake, you had to put your tag onto a board so the lifeguard knew that you were in the water. You also needed to have a swimming buddy, who usually was somebody that you knew fairly well. While you were having fun together in the lake, you would keep a close eye on each other to make sure that the two of you were safe. Occasionally, the lifeguard would blow on his whistle, and at that moment you needed to find your buddy, grab each other by the hand, and raise them up high into the air!
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
A buddy is a really close friend, someone whom you might call a chum, a pal, or a sidekick who regularly accompanies you in many of the activities that you participate in. Buddies grow very close and know each other very well, and spend so much time together that they can become practically inseparable. But when you become a Christian, many of these close relationships that you had as an unbeliever will have to end in order to be replaced by new ones. Rather than maintaining close associations with people who are continuing to live in their sins, you must join up with others who are seeking and serving the Lord Jesus out of a pure and sincere heart.
2 Timothy 2:22 (KJB) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
When we were unbelievers, we developed many close relationships with others who were unbelievers, and a lot of the time, they were caught up doing all kinds of wicked and terrible things. Some of them might have asked you to come help them steal things from your neighbor, or tried to convince you to sell illegal drugs. But when you become a Christian, one of the very first things you must do is step away from others who are still involved with the works of darkness. This is to protect yourself from corrupt influences in your life.
Proverbs 13:20 (KJB) He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
When I first became a believer, I had to turn away from old friends, past work relationships, in-laws and other family members who were living their lives outside of the teachings of the Christian faith. Some of them even claimed to be believers, but the truth is that they were complete reprobates according to the doctrines of our faith. Obviously when you make the decision to step back from these relationships, don’t expect any support from them, because many of them are going to hate you with a burning passion. Keeping separate from them is going to bring forth intense persecution, which is something that I have had to deal with for the past 25 years.
I’ve had my own relatives try to prevent us from preaching the gospel, calling my faith in the King James Bible a cult. I’ve been called a child of the devil numerous times by my own mother, who chose to love and adore false prophets and heretics instead. Go figure. I delivered my own children from the womb, tied off their umbilical cords, raised them in the faith, baptized them, and even gave them Holy Communion, and I’ve had in-laws wickedly attempt to lead my own children away from the faith that I established in them. People who do these things to children are not fit to live, and as Jesus taught, they might as well go jump in a lake. But it is for this very reason that I chose not to have anything to do with them in the past, and their wicked works are manifested even now. They are active workers of iniquity, destroyers of children’s lives, and proud and immoral hypocrites who are filled with the leaven of sin.
Others that I knew became busy bodies in my household, usurping my authority and direction in my home. They have falsely accused me to the authorities, and spread malicious gossip to whomever would listen. Please remember that these were people that I spent a lot of time with, went fishing with and basically hung around with until I finally believed the truth of the Christian Life. When I began to become obedient to the will of God, I was reproached and persecuted mercilessly. But when you believe the Truth of Scripture, the bright light of God’s Holy Word will help you see the works of darkness that surround you. At that point you must walk in the light and step away from others who are living in darkness. Granted, you will be despised when you do this, but remember that those who are born of the Spirit are going to be hated by those who are born after the flesh.
Galatians 4:29 (KJB) But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
The Apostle Peter came out from past relationships, and was hated for doing so.
1 Peter 4:3-5 (KJB) 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: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
In order to actually claim God as your Father, you must be capable of separating yourself from those who are involved with the wicked works of darkness.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJB) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 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. 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.
So when you begin the Christian Life you will have to decide what side of the fence you are going to walk on. You might have had close friends that you have known for over 50 years, but to be faithful unto Christ, we must separate ourselves from others who are abiding in the works of unbelief and darkness. You will have to pick out some new friends, ones who are seeking and serving Christ with a pure heart. These are people who are a good influence in your life and watch out for your soul, like a swimmer who has signed up as your partner, in…
…….The Buddy System
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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
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