Endless Possibilities – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

¹⁴ Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be My people.
¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.
¹⁸ I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to Me,
says the Lord Almighty.

The command seems clear in verse 14, “do not be mismatched with unbelievers.”  Many apply this to marriage, that a Christian should not marry a non-Christian, but it also goes well beyond the marriage issue.

The challenge of obedience for us is that we live in this world but we are not to be “of this world.”  There must be a distinction between us and the world in the way we live, how we talk, our worldview and our values.  As Malachi says here:

Malachi 3:18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

¹⁸ So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Can others see the difference in your life?  Is there a distinction in how you live and how the rest of the world lives?  In how you talk?  In your texting?  In your jokes?  In your actions?