Partner with Those in the Light

This morning I was led to a passage that I had studied just a few months ago. In fact, the study was on the word “darkness” and now I study the word “light”. As I read through the passage and my study, I felt there was little if anything to add and therefore will simply post it once again, below.

I will say that you will notice the title of this study is slightly different than that of before and I do believe that they compliment each other. For we want to fellowship and only partner with those like us and not those that are against us.

Below you will find my thoughts as posted before:

Fellowship with Those in the Light, not the Darkness

“¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God;” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (ESV)

Notice the contrasts in the verses above. When I only look at them, I should not be engaged with those that are opposite of me. I am to fellowship with those that are like me and avoid others.

But that is not what Paul refers to in these verses. What he is referring to is that we should not be best of friends with those that are outside of our beliefs. I should continue to engage with others, but my engagement should be in the interest of service, love, care, and bringing the gospel to them. Even Jesus Himself interacted and engaged with the tax collectors and Pharisees, however His best friends were the disciples and those of like beliefs.

“¹⁶as 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. ¹⁷Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, ¹⁸and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.’” – 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (ESV)

I see in the second half of verse 16 and through verse 18 above that as a member of the temple of the living God, I will be walking with Him each day. I will have the opportunity to fellowship and build my relationship with Him. I am however to commune with others in the temple and as such will have a relationship with others like me and my beliefs.

Just as oil is to water, light is to darkness, good is to evil, I am to be to those that are not like me. I can be in their presence, but until one of us becomes like the other, we are not able to commune fully. I can be friendly with them, but I should not be in continuous fellowship with them. I choose to be of the temple of the living God and fellowship with others that are there with me.

Thinking of the relationships you have around you, are they like you? Are you seeking fellowship and a relationship with those that are outside of your beliefs? Will you choose to be of the temple of the living God and fellowship with others in the light?