In our last post we began with the call to come out from among of 2Corinthinas 6:14-7:1 and it is this that I will be looking at but where to start and how is what I have been asking the LORD. Maybe I should also ask why as I am not all that sure that people will reason that out for themselves or see that the answer for this is before their very eyes in the text itself. Now what I am about to do may go against the grain for some but that is okay for it is the LORD Who leads me. I want to look at verse 17 for a short time where we find this stated;
"'Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the LORD, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.'"
If you have a good study Bible there should be in the column where cross references are listed a reference to Revelation 18:4 where we have this statement:
Revelation 18:4 of 4-8 "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and GOD has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.' For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the LORD God Who has judged her."
And again if you have a reference to other passages there should be a reverse reference to our subject passage here, tying these two together. And the subject within chapters 17 and 18 address mystery Babylon the harlot of religion, governments and mans system of finance as many hidden snakes, heads or kings and nations over which her lawlessness and delusion's influence spread. To this passage my Bible has the following references Isaiah 52:11; Jeremiah 50:8, 51:6, 9 and one of my Bibles also references John 6:37 here as well. So what is separation's meaning and purpose here?
Separation, Separation from Evil our duty,
A select reading could be, Numbers 33:51-56 where the LORD is speaking to Moses and states this;
"'Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places (of religious idolatress worship). And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them."
Isaiah 52:11 of 6, 11-12 (the LORD God is speaking) "'Therefore My people shall know My name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I Who speak; here I am."
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.'"
John 15:19 of 18-25 and 17:16 of 6-19 (Jesus is speaking) "'If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him Who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. For the word that is written in their Law (Psalm 35:16 and 69:4) must be fulfilled: 'They hated Me without a cause.'"
John 17:16 of 6-19 Jesus is speaking) "'I have manifested (magnifies) Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, for You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You. For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from (Deuteronomy 18:18-19 of 15-22)You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified (magnified, amplified) in them. For I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in Your (hidden) name, which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are One. While I was with them, I kept them in Your (unknown) name, which You have given Me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. For now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is Truth. As You sent Me into the world, so I have send them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in Truth.'"
Acts 2:40 of 37-42 with 2Corinthians 6:17 of 14-7:1 (Peter is speaking to the Jews) "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" To this Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the LORD our God calls to Himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
2Corinthians 6:17 of 14-7:1 "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 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.(Isaiah 52:11) Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.'" Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of GOD."
Ephesians 5:11 of 6-14 "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of GOD comes upon the sons of disobedience (2Thessalonians 2:1-12). Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the LORD. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern (Matthew 11:29) what is pleasing to the LORD. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (2Timothy 4:1-5) For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. For when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says (by Isaiah in 26:19, 51:17, 52:1, 60:1) "'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"
2Thessalonians 3:6 of 6-13 "Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good."
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