Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of 2 corinthians.
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.
When you are yoked with others, it is to be joined with them in a regular and ongoing close relationship. For example, a man might go into the world and get a job at a manufacturing plant. Each day he shows up for work and spends eight hours on the plant floor working side by side with others to produce some type of product together. You have to understand that when you spend a normal work week with others, there are going to be very close relationships that develop because of it. Many people have told me that some of the closest relationships that they have ever known, have been with people that they have worked with each week of their life. But in our study passage, scripture forbids us from joining up in this type of close work atmosphere with others who are not in agreement with the teachings of our faith. This is exactly one of the reasons why I had to leave many high-paying jobs in the past. But you know what? You are better off taking a substantial cut in income, and know that you are walking in the will of God, rather than having everything you want and sacrifice obedience to the teachings of Scripture.
We are living in a day and age when people will spend a few hours a week with others who are walking in the faith, but then spend forty hours a week alongside people who are unbelievers, heretics and infidels. For those of you who fear God, be forewarned about developing close relationships with others who have no desire to submit to the will of Christ. Doing so can greatly influence and even corrupt your relationship with the Lord Jesus. Consider all of the people who came out to be separate, including Moses, Noah, and Lot. These men are examples of the way that we are supposed to live our lives, and keep isolated from the world and it’s influences.
Many people who claim Christianity as their faith will completely overlook our passage of scripture today, simply because they would rather have the money, rather than being faithful to the Lord Jesus. Although it’s not here yet, it’s the same issue that people will have to deal with during the tribulation. This is one of the many reasons why the love of money is the root of all evil, because the heart becomes more focused on what they must do to obtain it, rather than securing favor with our precious Lord Jesus. You must remember that God is only a Father to those who have made the decision to come out and be separate, and to be His friend requires our loving obedience to His will.
John 15:14 (KJB) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
So who is in your close circle of companions? Are they people who fear God and desire to obey scripture? For just a moment, I want you to do something for me. Take out a piece of paper and a pen, and write down the ten closest relationships that you have, whether they are from work, or at home. When that is done, right down the approximate number of hours per week that you spend time with them, whether it’s working out in the garden, fishing, going to rummage sales, or visiting with each other on a production line at work. Do this real quick and come back to this study when you’re done……..
Did you finish your list? First of all, did you write down Jesus somewhere on your list? If He isn’t, then you just found your greatest problem of all. The first commandment teaches us that Jesus must be our greatest love of all, above and beyond any other relationship in this world. If your heart and your loyalties are not directed towards obedience to Him, then the Christian Life is doomed to fail. Genuine faith in Christ will compel us to put Him far above any other relationship that you might share with others in this world. When you add up the bulk of your time, and find that much of it is devoted to relationships with people who have not sincerely committed themselves to the will of God, then you are fellowshipping with people who, if God took them today, will end up in the lake of fire.
I’ve met many people in my life who simply cannot survive life without interaction of some kind with others, and because of this, they will end up hanging out with people who are not true believers in their heart. When they do this, they surround themselves with liars, seducers, betrayers, covetous wolves, fornicators, thieves, adulterers, deceivers, and the rest of the children of the devil who are ready to rip your kind and meek heart to shreds. But those are the consequences for those who reject our study passage today.
Those who claim to be believers in Christ are not supposed to be fellowshipping regularly with people who are in rebellion against God, because to join up with them in a close atmosphere is to put your soul in jeopardy. The Apostle Paul was a minister of Christ, but he was also a tentmaker by trade, and we might do business with others in this world, but to work together side by side with them each day, is a whole different situation. Many people will claim that they are a Christian business, but how naive can people be? Anybody can make that statement and be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Their statements alone have no bearing and if they actually possess a sincere heart to seek God and submit to His will. Because of all of the false Christianity in the world today, many people work alongside people who are nothing more than heretics and infidels to the teachings of Christ. Oh they will certainly profess that they are Christian, but they are led by false prophets and women Bible teachers, and completely deny the teachings of the one true faith. Take it from somebody who knows because I have met many of them in the last 25 years, and when you take them to Scripture, the only thing that you hear is their unending dribble as they try to justify their own rebellion and disobedience to Scriptural Truth. If they have no desire to serve Christ Jesus from the heart, then the next step that you must make, is to keep apart from them. Those who cannot do that will certainly not inherit eternal life, because they have become the companions of those that hate God.
Proverbs 13:20 (KJB) He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
So when you go to bed tonight, take your list and set it next to your bed, and think closely about the things that I’ve told you. Who are your closest relationships with in this world? Are they with people who fear God? Are they with people whose loyalties are to Christ Jesus and His teachings, above and beyond anyone else? Are you hanging out with others who are concerned and watch out for your own soul? If these are not the people on your list, then you have got the wrong companions, and you had better jump ship before it’s too late. Never forget that it is far better to be the poorest man on this Earth, and have God-fearing companions, than obtaining all the riches of this world and becoming,…..
…….The Companion of Fools
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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