Living In a Fallen World -- 2

Strategy #1: Living in the midst of a fallen world, Christians are to remain separate from the world by living a pure life. Paul writes to the Corinthians:

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

17 Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

18 and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty." (2 Co 6:14-18)

Jesus tells his disciples that while they are to be in the world, they are not to be of the world (John 17). That is, they are to avoid those things that corrupt the world and make it impure. What are these things? To begin with, consider the list Paul offers to the Galatians. It includes sexual immorality, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, drunkenness and more. In the context of the 21^st century we would include pornography, any form of entertainment designed to stimulate sensual desire, homosexuality, illegal drug use or anything used to alter one's state of consciousness, and making anything so important in your life that it drives and dominates your behavior – including your job, money, sex, possessions, etc.

"Wait a minute!" Someone is sure to object. "This sounds like the Law to me. We aren't under the Law any longer." Yes, we are no longer bound to the Law but the Law continues to remind us of those things that displease God, of the nature of sin, the impure. Paul agrees that we are not under the Law, but he also cautions that not all things are good for us. "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up" (1 Co 10:23).

Certainly, we cannot avoid interaction with people caught up in an ungodly lifestyle. In fact, interacting with non-believers is part of our mission to share the gospel. But, we are to remain distinct from our unbelieving friends and co-workers by shunning those behaviors that compromise our purity in Christ.