Rabbi Paul wrote to Timothy (and to all who would choose to read after Timothy), so that he/we might know something in general advance of its occurrence, and especially now and in these times as we see things occurring on earth:
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Paul bundled various and multiple sins in that prophetic laundry list. He concludes by telling us to turn in the opposite direction (so that brethren might avoid, as Peter later wrote, being led away with the error of the wicked – 2 Peter 3:17)
In Paul’s second letter to the saints in Corinth, our Rabbi admonishes us:
2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 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.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Verse 12 above does NOT tell us to have no fellowship or friendship or relationship of any kind with unsaved folks, in fact we’re called to reach out and love the lost, befriending them, desiring to eventually see their coming around to Christ (as this world shakes more and more, on schedule).
Paul confirms this evangelistic truth in having addressed 4 specific sins in his first letter to Corinth (though it applies to sin and sinners in general), verse 10 clarifying our current bunny-trail mini-topic:
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
BACK ON MAIN-TOPIC and picking up at 2 Cor 6:16…..
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said (NOTE: Here Paul builds a prophetic case as he bundles Lev 26:12, Ezekiel 37:26 and Isaiah 52:11):
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
TIMING OF THIS WRITING: Verse 16, above, fits in great with the time of year this brief study is being written – the recent conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles. Succot. Immanuel. God with us- His burning desire always and forever being to be in the midst of His people. And it will occur! Stay on track. Stay tuned.
As our adversary hears the eschatological clock ticking louder, and as he futilely campaigns to lure lost and desperate souls into greater darkness (as well deceive sanctified ones back into darkness as we might allow him through slackness) we would do very well to embrace the promises pointed to by Paul, and to daily determine, by God’s abundant and continuous great grace and by the active promised leading of His Spirit, to address and walk in 2 Cor 7:1:
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
All scripture NKJV
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