Exhortation to perfect holiness
Key Verses: 1, 8, 10,
Paul continues his thoughts about believers being separate from unbelievers in this chapter. I am glad he does. He gives us several indicators of when a relationship is not spiritually healthy, when an unequal yoke is present. He says some things contaminate the body and spirit, and that we need to purify ourselves from them. It is that contamination that is the problem. Jesus hung around with the worst of sinners, but was never contaminated. We can hang around with them, if we don’t get contaminated in the process.
I work in the military, and part of the military culture is alcohol at social settings. And since the war and its aftermath are not adequately addressed, alcohol becomes the self-medication of choice among so many service members. I can go to functions and not get contaminated by the alcohol, or I could go and get drunk with the rest. It is my choice. But my witness is at stake, so I choose to do something different, even though I am free in Christ to drink alcohol, but not to excess. I choose to stay separate. There is pressure to drink, but I resist. I don’t want to contaminate my witness.
Sometimes telling someone the truth can hurt them temporarily. Temporary pain and discomfort can be good if it leads us to repentance. I think pain can be a good thing! It can teach us lessons that comfort can’t. Godly sorrow, as Paul calls it, is a good thing. Our culture runs from sorrow of any kind. It runs from discomfort and takes a jet away from pain. God wants to use even the pains and sorrows of life to transform us into His image and likeness. Pain and sorrow can work out of us so many ungodly traits like selfishness and superficiality. We tend to focus on what is really important when great pains and sorrows camp in our lives. Cancer survivors often have a new perspective on life. Some things just aren’t as important to them as they used to be. They have gained a great perspective.
Christ desires to bring a greater perspective, an eternal perspective, to each of us. He wants to open our eyes to what is really important, and help us to make choices that honor those eternal values. Sometimes he uses pain, sorrow and struggles to accomplish that end. Are you willing to consider the pain, sorrow and struggles in your life as instruments of God’s purposes?
The Arnold Journey 