Separation

2 Corinthians 6. Recall the setting of Corinth--It was a port city, filled with prostitutes and pagan temples. It was a place where one could easily become defiled. Paul dealt with this in his first letter (see 1 Cor.6, Sept.1 blog). There he reminded them that their bodies were the temples of the Holy Spirit. God does not dwell in temples made with hands, but rather in your body (Acts 17:24), therefore be holy for I Am holy, says the Lord (1 Peter 1:16; Lev.11:44). Well, Paul takes up this subject once again in his second letter. "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will dwell in them, and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people'; Therefore, 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord...'" (6:16-17),
"Be separate" implies a definite act on our part. We are to intentionally separate ourselves from a defiled world. Christians are not to be bound together with non-Christians in any spiritual enterprise or relationship that would be detrimental to our testimony within the Body of Christ. But it means so much more. Scofield list this summary in his study Bible:

1. Separation in Scripture is twofold: (a) from whatever is contrary to the mind of God; and (b) to God Himself.

2. Separation from evil implies (a) separation in desire, motive, and act, from the world, in the ethically bad sense of this present world system and (b) separation from false teachers....

3. Separation is not from contact with evil in the world or the church, but from complicity with and conformity to it (vv.14-18; compare John 17:15; Gal.6:1). [We are commanded to be separate from the world, but this does not mean we should end all associations with unbelievers; that would defy the purpose for which God saved us in the first place and left us on earth to witness to the lost (Matt.28:19-20; 1 Cor.9:19-23). Remember, Jesus was called a Friend of Sinners (Luke 7:34), and He went to places that would make the modern day, self-righteous church goer cringe. In fact it made the self righteous church goer in His day cringe--the Pharisees. They couldn't stomach Him going to places where the drunks and prostitutes hung out. What's the point? As believers we're to be INSULATED but not ISOLATED. As Scofield pointed out, 'Separation is NOT from contact with the evil world...., but from complicity with and conformity to it.' It's okay for the boat to be in the water, but it's not okay for the water to be in the boat. Our boats must come in contact with the water--that's the Great Comission. But we must never take on the water and become like the world. But we also must never dry dock the boat. That's what I'm afraid many churches have done--dry docked the boat--and have absolutely no influence over the community in which it resides. ]
Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I want You to live in my body, Your temple, because You said, "I will dwell in my people just as I dwelt in the Old Testament Temple." Lord help me to be separate in my desires, motives and actions from that of the world. Lord help me to be insulated but not isolated. Help me to be in the world but not of the world as You prayed in John 17. Help me to be pure and holy before You. Help me to be a shining light in this dark world. Help me to be a godly influence upon my friends, co-workers and family. And may they see You in me. Jesus, in Your name I pray, Amen."
Point to Ponder:
When Jesus cried out His last words on the cross, the Roman centurion said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39) When this centurion looked in and upon Jesus' life and death, He saw that He was the Son of God. Question: When people see you, do they see Jesus in you?