 With that said, 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 11 through 18, we can begin reading together here in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 at verse 11. I'll read verses 11 through 13 and I'll give you an introduction and develop this and then move into verse 18. And so beginning here at verse 11, reading to verse 13, Paul writes, O Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same, I speak to you as children. You also be open. Now as we develop this, let me give you an introduction. Let me remind you of a few things. Paul has been very busy defending his ministry throughout the letter of 2 Corinthians. Let me remind you that false teachers have crept in and they are working overtime to undermine the work of this great apostle. So in order to safeguard the church, he has had to defend himself against these false charges. I've read a number of these charges throughout the entire letter and you'll see various times and I've been pointing out to you various times that he will defend himself and there's a reason that he does that because he needs them to know of his credentials in ministry and to safeguard them. Now he's wanting to be very careful. He's wanting to make sure that he is not offensive in the things that he is saying and doing and we already saw this but remember with me what he had said in verses three and four here in chapter six, he had said, we give no offense in anything. Notice that our ministry may not be blamed but in all things he writes, we commend ourselves as ministers of God. And so he wanted to be known as a minister of the gospel and he lived in such a way and he rehearsed his credentials and experiences to them in such a way as to safeguard the ministry. Why? Because he said he did not desire the ministry to be blamed. So his greatest desire was to safeguard the purity of the message and the message he's already spoken to us about guys. You saw that in chapter five. It's called the message of reconciliation that God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world and that he has given to us the ministry of reconciliation and so he wanted to safeguard this message of reconciliation because man by nature is at war with God. Nobody who is born, who has ever been born outside of Jesus Christ, nobody who has been born has been born without that sin nature and by nature we are in rebellion. We are hostily in opposition to God. And so God in order to reconcile sinful man with himself sent his son Christ to die on a cross so that he could bear upon himself our sins as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And in doing so has given to us an opportunity to be reconciled to him by hearing the message the terms of reconciliation and that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And because this is so important, he wanted to make sure that his ministry was not offensive to people because Paul desired to be blameless in the way he approached ministry so that he might be able to give out this priceless gospel. So in order to reinforce his credibility, he reviewed as we've seen a few of the trials that he's endured, again that's because wolves had entered the flock and the wolves were boasting of their own credentials which is pretty much the normal way that wolves interrupt the work of God is they place themselves in opposition to and in comparison to the genuine in order that they might somehow seem superior to the one who has been preaching the gospel in ministry. So they're doing that because they are wolves. They also do that because they are seeking honor not from God but honor from people. They wanted to be known as very spiritual. They had even established what we today would refer to as a pecking order in order that they might reveal how they are very spiritual and how they were more spiritual than the apostle Paul. Later on when we get to chapter 10 in 2 Corinthians verse 12 Paul said this, he said we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. They've established a pecking order with them at the top. They were called the most eminent ones, the super apostles and Paul was being compared to them. He was concerned and so to provide a contrast to establish his ministry credibility we have seen that Paul reminded them of his own credentials. Again, this is not because he desires to boast about his accomplishments. You'll see that clearly in chapter 12 but he does this to protect them. He desires to safeguard the ministry from false accusations and so as we have seen in verses 4 following he had begun to share some things of his trials and all. He had spoken about how he had exercised patience and troubles, tribulations that he had been an example in needs which are unrelieved hardships. How he had been an example in the distress that he's gone through. He spoke of how he had suffered by the hand of man. He had been beaten, he had suffered imprisonment, he had gone through riots. He spoke of self-inflicted hardships. We saw this as we went through this passage together. Now he spoke of being in labor and sleeplessness and many fastings. He started speaking of his inward qualities that were being revealed by the trials and all that he went through. He also was revealing his motives as well as his methods of ministry. He spoke of his purity, how his knowledge of Jesus and doctrine. He spoke of his long-suffering, his kindness, the acts of love in other words that he'd performed. He spoke of the gifts of the Spirit. He spoke of the sincere love of a pure heart. He spoke of the word of truth. He spoke of the power of God, the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left because he was making it clear that all of this conflict that he went through was spiritual in nature. Paul was involved in spiritual warfare and because he's involved in spiritual warfare and we'll see this more closely and clearly in chapter 10. Because he was in a spiritual war, he used spiritual weaponry. That's why he spoke of the word of truth. That's why he speaks of the power of God. That's why he speaks of the armor of righteousness. And then he was closing in that particular portion by responding to the attacks that he had personally endured. You see, his detractors were encouraging the church to disregard him and to disregard his ministry. They used various tactics to undermine him. They gossiped about him. They lied about him. They belittled him. He spoke of the dishonor. He spoke of the evil report. He spoke of these as deceivers. He spoke of how he was unknown. That he died constantly, how he'd been chastened and sorrowful. He spoke of being poor, having nothing in this life. Those are things that he had endured. And these are some of the things that were being said of him by the infiltrators who had entered in. They said that he didn't deserve to be blessed, to be cared for, to be loved or respected, that he wasn't worthy of any of that. And so Paul has been dealing with this in second Corinthians. You see, that's what led him to respond to their constant attacks on him. I think it's important at this point, guys, to mention that there was a reason that Paul responded to these accusations. And it's a simple one. It's because he cared about the church. And he knew, and he knew that the work that he had performed in the Lord amongst the Corinthians could be undermined by these infiltrators. Today, people need to be taught as to why there are times when an answer must be given. There are people who think that any pastor who should give a reason or an explanation for something he has done, there are people who automatically will say he must be guilty of doing that or else he wouldn't have responded. But we need to understand something. Sometimes a pastor may be motivated by the Spirit of God to respond because, in fact, he's not trying to safeguard his own reputation so much as to protect the church from the infiltrators who are undermining the work of God in his midst. You see, false teachers will undermine people's walk with God. And when they undermine a person's walk with God, they begin to cripple that person and stifle their faith. And sometimes they'll enter into churches and they look around for something to disagree with. And then they focus on something that they think could be corrected. And then they go and speak to other people, pointing those things out in order to get them to agree with them. We've had that happen here in this church more than once over the years that I've pastored here. As I've mentioned before, there are reasons why we have people in the parking lot who are helping people to find places to park. Part of the reason is because we've had infiltrators here. We've had people come on the church grounds who have brought their tracks, their Bible tracks and put them on cars throughout the entire parking lot. And they're trying to influence them. We've had people come into the church building who have left their tracks, their information. We've had them come into the bookstore and try and argue with and convince those who were working in our bookstore. It was not that long ago when one of our employees in the bookstore, I didn't know this was taking place, by the way. It came to my attention after the fact. I didn't know this was taking place outside of doubt with it. But we had an employee here years ago now working in the bookstore that was being proselytized by cult members. And ultimately, I found out after the fact, he quit his job to go and follow after the lead of the cult leader. We didn't know that was taking place. And that helped me to firm things up even more because that's what they do. They come in, they'll take somebody to the side and they'll say, oh, nice church you have here, but how come you don't? And why don't you ever? And when do you? And they start planting seeds of discord and they start disrupting the flow of the spirit so that they might trap people to follow after their pernicious ways. It happens all the time. It's happened here. We've been going for a long time in this fellowship, many years now, in this fellowship. And we've had it happen more than a few times. And we've had to deal with it more than a few times. And so that's what happens. You see, over the years in my own ministry, I've had the opportunity of being exposed to false teachers and the things that they teach. And let me share some things with you about this. And I'm gonna use this as an introduction to help you to see some of the things that Paul is referring to as we get into this passage. But one of the things I'd like to point out is some of the traits, the distinguishing traits of false teachers, those who are creeping in, the types that Paul is dealing with here in 2 Corinthians. And let me share a few things. One of the things I've seen about them is that they often have very strong personalities, very strong, they're very winsome, but very strong in their personalities. And often they are good communicators. They speak in a way that entices, that actually entertains, that draws your attention to them. So they're very strong and they have a great communicating style. But the heart of what they're doing is they're drawing away disciples after themselves. So they have a strong capacity to influence, but they're not giving them the truth. Keep this in mind. The Bible does not teach that a Bible teacher needs to be a great communicator. Keep that in mind. As a matter of fact, you'll see in 2 Corinthians how that Paul is said concerning him that he's just a lousy person to listen to. He's boring. And not only was his speech of poor quality being an untrained speaker and all, but he was ugly too. And they talk about strike when strike too. You know, he was a homely person so he wasn't pleasant to look at. And then to listen to him, they didn't like, he wasn't well trained. He was in a professional order. Just keep that in mind because very often in false teachers, when you see a false teacher, very often he's winsome. He's the person that you wanna listen to. He's got personality. Maybe a very good looking guy. And he draws people, but he draws them to himself. Again, the Bible does not teach that a Bible teacher needs to be a great communicator. The Bible does teach that the word of God must be communicated accurately. And the key is not whether or not somebody entertains you. It's whether somebody is teaching you the truth. That's the key. A second thing is these false teachers very often will accuse others that they're in disagreement with of not having a deep spiritual maturity. You see, the infiltrators in Corinth had presented themselves as super apostles and they would be little Paul. We'll see that in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verses five and six where Paul said, I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles, these super apostles as they were presenting themselves. I'm not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. See, they were accusing him of being an untrained speaker. He didn't have eloquence. He said, I may not be able to speak as well as some of these, but I know God in a way that they don't know. So they were saying that he was a person that doesn't have a deep spiritual knowledge, understanding and all of that. He says, no, I do. A third thing I've seen is they don't teach God's word but they select verses that they use to preach their pet doctrine and ensnare hearers. They do not teach what we refer to in scripture as the whole counsel of God. They're the ones who will find a verse here and there and then tell you all of your dreams will come true. If you follow me, you're gonna have health. You will have success, wealth. You'll have all of that. You may find this interesting to note that very early in the history of the church, infiltrators were not just in Corinth but were in various places. And the apostle Peter in second Peter chapter two verses 18 and 19 speaks of this. And the apostle Peter said concerning false teachers when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lust of the flesh through lewdness the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. They have these great swelling words he said of emptiness. So they don't teach the word of God. They give to you pipe dreams. A fourth thing about a false teacher and if you're taking notes fourth thing is they live unholy, unloving lives. In Titus chapter one verse 16, Paul said they profess to know God but in works they deny him and then he describes them in this way being abominable, disobedient and disqualified for every good work. A fifth thing about them that you'll see is they use the ministry to become rich off of the people. They use the ministry to become rich. In second Peter chapter two verse three, he says it like this, in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. And that's so true. I've seen so many over the years who will tell you outlandish stories. I always think of the same individual who had guaranteed to those who would listen to him that they would always, always be healthy. There was a guarantee that he was preaching all you need to do is claim your healing and you will always be healthy. He died of cancer, never admitting it but this is the guy who told you you would always be healthy and it wasn't really published very widely that when this false teacher died he died of cancer but at one time he was speaking of how that he was so filled with the spirit that he stepped off the platform and hovered in the air and then was able to return without gravity pulling him to the ground. He, they exploit you with stories they've made up and people keep on sending in their cards and letters. A sixth thing is they tickle the ears of the hearer. Why, because they want the crowds to keep coming. In Galatians chapter one verse 10, Paul said it like this, do I now persuade men or God? Do I seek to please men? And then he says if I still pleased men I would not be a bondservant of Christ. So they're ticklers of the ear. They want the hearers to continue coming because it gives them fame and notoriety as well as money. A seventh thing, they change the message of the gospel. They will twist it in order to suit their opinions. In Galatians chapter one verses eight and nine, Paul said it like this. He said, let God's curse fall on anyone, including myself who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again, if anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall upon that person. Now remember in chapter four, Paul speaking of himself had said that he didn't walk in craftiness nor did he handle God's word deceitfully. And then in eighth thing, they preach a different Jesus and a different gospel. Again, we'll see this when we get into chapter 11. John in first John chapter four verse three said every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This, he said, is a spirit of the antichrist. And so they change who Jesus Christ is. They change the gospel of Jesus Christ. They change the Godhead. That's what they do. You see the church has been infiltrated and by the way, we'll be going through several more chapters and seeing very many different instances of this. I'm just giving you a few things for the moment, but the church has been infiltrated and Paul's love for them and his concern for them is stirred. He loves them. You know, in many organizations, you can be part of an organization but it's not required for you to actually love the people that you're part of the organization with whether it's a sports team, whether it's a union, whether it's a club of any sort, a fraternity, sorority, whatever. You are not required to love the people you're working with. If you're in law enforcement and you're part of that fraternity of brothers and sisters, it's not required of you to love one another but to be a believer it is. To be a member of the body of Christ, it is required of us to love one another, required. It's a demonstration that we actually know God. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another. That's the mark of the Christian. It's loving one another, caring about one another and Paul loved them deeply. The church is infiltrated. Paul is an apostle but he also has a heart of a shepherd and he's stirred, his heart is stirred within him. He wants to present them to Jesus as sincere and pure believers. Again in 2 Corinthians 11, verse two, he said, I'm jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, to Christ. I'm jealous for you. I want to present you pure. And that's causing him to speak to them in this way. It's this love for them that provokes him to open his heart to them. Notice verse 11, O Corinthians he says, we have spoken openly to you. Our heart is wide open. His emotions are stirred. He's writing with great open-heartedness. I'm a minister, he's saying, who loves you and I am transparently sharing my heart with you. Listen in ministry this is often one of the most difficult things to be vulnerable and open to a church. It's one of the deepest prices any minister ever pays because when the minister opens their heart and it's real and shares their love and devotion with the church, not everybody appreciates that. Not everybody responds well to it. Not everybody sees it for what it is. Being open-hearted isn't an easy thing. I can still remember as a kid, my dad used to, on occasion he would lecture me, he would do it quite often. He'd say, David, you need to keep things to yourself. You need to keep your heart more closely guarded, son. You open up, you're too open-hearted. But I, even as a kid, I was that way and I've never changed because I really believe an open heart is an important thing to have and that's who I am and I can't hide myself. I understand what Paul is saying in a different way as a minister. My heart is open to you. I understand what he's saying ministers would. But guess what, I mean, Paul's dealing with this because one of the things that's difficult to remain vulnerable because sometimes the people will reject you. And the bottom line is we'll see this in chapter 12 by the way is those you love will often be the ones who hurt you the most. I'll read to you in chapter 12 to give you the example by a cross reference by reading to you verses 14 and 15 when he says, for the third time I'm ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you. I do not seek yours but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children. And he said, I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. Though the more abundantly I love you the less I'm loved. That's ministry. The more I love you the less I'm loved by you. In Zechariah 13 verse six, we read, one will say to him, what are these wounds between your arms? And he will answer those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. And so his vulnerability is genuine because his love is real. And in this open-heartedness, well, his vulnerability is going to prepare the people for his appeal. His appeal for them is to be committed to God. Recommit those of you who are beginning to fade. And he's going to now deal with some of the misconduct in the church and that's why he begins by requesting openness. Notice how he says again in verse 11, we have spoken openly to you. Our heart is wide open. We have been candid with you. We have spoken honestly, frankly, openly to you. I have completely spoken from the fullness of my heart and I'm open to you. I've become vulnerable out of love and concern for you. My heart has been opened. There's room within it for you to enter. It's wide enough for all of you and it's opened wide enough to receive all of you. He loved these people. He was telling them that he deeply cared for them. He wasn't using them. He wasn't lying to them. He wasn't abusing them and he wasn't deceiving them. He was simply loving them as an open-hearted shepherd. And that's how he ministered in general. Paul didn't hold back. Remember back in the book of Acts in chapter 20 verse 20 when he was speaking to the elders of the church of Ephesus and in a place called Miletus. Remember how he said, I kept back nothing that was profitable to you. He was open-hearted and poured into them and so he's saying to the Corinthians, I've been open with you. Now you need to be open to me. Notice how he says, you in verse 12, you are restricted. You're not restricted by us but you are restricted by your own affections. So he's saying, don't restrain yourselves from receiving what I have to say at this point. My heart has made room for you. Please make room in your heart for me. I love you. I care for you as a result of this love. I'm openly sharing my heart and it's out of concern for you and your welfare and your spiritual growth that I'm telling you these things. You see, some of you, he could be saying, have been influenced by mighty tractors and it's beginning to quench your love for me. You've allowed them to convince you that I don't love you. I'm not to be trusted and they have influenced you. Some of you have decided to believe their lies. Again, in ministry, that's part of every minister's heritage. That's part of just serving the Lord. I can't tell you I've been in ministry a long time. And I can't tell you over the years how my wife and I have experienced that. I can't tell you how many people who we loved had in our home ministered to, cared for, generously gave to. I had somebody in our fellowship that I paid their way to go to Israel. Just lost my reward, but it's an illustration. Paid their way to go to Israel, out of my pocket. And their thank you was leaving the church and never saying goodbye. I can tell you story after story after story of things that have been said about me and my wife, my children, my people who should have known better. But you know what? I learned a long time ago, keep your heart open wide. Keep it open. It's worth it. Because in the end, God has his ways. That's what we're like. That's what we've been called to. And Paul is saying that this is his open hearted. This is what always ministers to me. It shows what I'm teaching you. You've been influenced, he's saying, by others. You've believed their lies. And you closed your heart to us. That's what he's saying. But he's saying in verse 13, in return for the same meaning open heartedness, I speak as the children. You also be open. I speak to you as if you're my children. You know, in chapter 4, verse 14 and 15 of 1 Corinthians, he said, I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you, for though you might have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel. So I'm speaking to you as a father speaks to his children, keeping in mind that children love their father. And as a father loves the child, even though the child can be rebellious and reject and so many other things as I did with my own parents and can be done to every parent, there's still that bond between a father and a child that he's appealing to. And he's saying, I'm asking you as my children, be open. Make room in your heart for me. I have opened my heart to you as my children in the faith enlarge your heart. Receive what I have to say. Receive my instructions. Proverbs 4, verse 1, hear my children the instruction of a father. Give attention to no understanding. Proverbs 7, verse 1, my son, keep my words, treasure my commands within you. So he says, open your hearts to me. Receive my words of correction. You see, the church needs to be corrected and Paul is bringing a word of correction to them. And correction is often most effective when it is exercised in love. And so he's giving a correction. Verse 14, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? What part has a believer with an unbeliever? 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, walk among them. I will be their God. They shall be my people. You see, the Corinthians are compromising their faith by listening to false teachers. And Paul begins now to cite examples of inappropriate relationships, inappropriate alliances. Obviously, an alliance with a false teacher is inappropriate. And so he uses illustrations of what we have referred to as unequal yoking. He uses that term in verse 14 when he says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. It's a way of speaking of inappropriate alliances. Now, he's not condemning contact with nonbelievers. If that's the case, then who are we going to evangelize? He's not doing that at all. What he's saying is, don't be entering into covenants or alliances of those who do not know the Lord. And so he begins here, notice, by speaking of a donkey and an ox. Do not be unequally yoked together. You say, well, what do you mean donkey and ox? Well, that's actually an Old Testament phrase. What he's using, you get it in Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, chapter 22, verse 10, where it says, do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. That's where this is coming from. That's an unequal yoking. Donkeys and oxen were not to be yoked together. They had a different pace. They had a different height. They had a different weight. And they had a different nature. And so that was the demonstration of that, that a donkey and an ox are not to work side by side and being yoked in that way. The work isn't going to be effective. They're not of the same nature as the point. You see, when you look in the Bible, an ox is clean. An ox could be offered to God as a sacrifice, but a donkey was unclean. So Christians are not to have unequal alliances and the most obvious one that we can appeal to, even as we go through this, it's something that people are very aware of. The most obvious one is in relationships that can lead to marriage. In the Old Testament, New Testament, you don't see a lot of information of any at all about dating. Do you know any commands anywhere that says, thou shalt not go to this R-rated movie on a date? You don't find anything like that related to dating because they didn't have that system of yoking. They had arranged relationships and all of that. In our days, we have a different way of courting in all, and so that's why I use the word dating in this, and it's related to here as unequal yoking in a marital relationship. We use it very often when we speak concerning that, and that's why the Bible teaches clearly that believers are to date and marry other believers. Paul said that in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 39, when he said, a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she's free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. That's an unequal relationship if a Christian woman or a Christian man, for that matter, begins to want to go out with the court and ends up marrying an unbeliever that is forbidden. Men and women are unequally yoked when one is a believer and the other is not. In Deuteronomy chapter 7, verses 3 and 4, God in the Old Testament law said, nor shall you make marriages with them, speaking of the unbelievers. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. They will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods. So the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. And so for those who are dating right now, if you're a believer and you're dating an unbeliever, that is forbidden. And you have to take that before the Lord and speak to him concerning that, because if you're doing that, you're violating what God would have for you. There was a man we all know by name. His name was Solomon. And remember how that Solomon had prayed and asked God to give him wisdom. And God had granted his prayer. We see in 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 12 that God said to Solomon, I will do what you've asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never be, so there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. He had asked for wisdom and God said, I will give you that. We know him as the wisest man. But Scripture records that this man, Solomon, entered into forbidden marriages in 1 Kings 11 verses 1 through 4. King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Cellulites, Uptites. I'm waiting to hear the sound of laughter. Sidonians, Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, you must not intermarry with them because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods. Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had, check this out, 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. That's crazy. And his wives let him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been. A man may have authority. The wife has influence. In the case of Solomon, Solomon loved many foreign women. He married those and his heart clung to them in love. And in his older age, his heart didn't remain strong attached to God the way his father's had, but it was turned away. The influence over time, he allowed them to build altars, sacrifice, and actually allowed paganism to infiltrate the nation. And so, if you're dating somebody you need to understand that person is supposed to be a believer. I've said this before, if you're standing on the ground there, I'm on the platform, it's easier for you to pull me off the platform than it is for me to pull you onto it. And a person will draw you down before you're able to draw them up. Never forget that. And so, as he's speaking of improper relationships, I'll touch these lightly. Notice how he speaks again here in these verses. And he speaks concerning other things. He speaks of righteousness and lawlessness. What does it have in common? In other words, those who love the Lord cannot compromise their faith and accept lawlessness. He speaks of light and darkness. Light does not cohabit with darkness, but by its nature it actually exposes. In Ephesians 511, Paul said, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Rather explosive. He speaks of what in common does Christ have with belial. The word belial speaks of a false God, but the word literally is translated worthless. Believers do not accept as normal and right the worthless things of this world, as the point he's making. We are worshipers of God, and the world rejects the things of the Lord. He goes on a fifth thing. He says a believer, what in common does a believer have with an unbeliever? Any fully committed believer knows that your ethics are not compatible with that of an unbeliever. If you're looking for a business partner, you don't go into a business partnership with an unbeliever because your ethics are different and you're going to compromise. And so you're strictly warned against that. Then he speaks of the temple of God with idols. Again, every Christian knows that we are God's temple and because we are God's temple, we will not practice idolatry. There will be no false God. Notice how he says in verse 16, how he says, you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them, walk among them. I will be their God. They shall be my people. The living God dwells in us in contrast to the dead gods worshiped by unbelievers. In Jeremiah 10, verse 10, the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth will tremble and the nations will not be able to endure his indignation. In Romans chapter 8 verse 9, Paul said, you, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the spirit if the spirit of God lives in you and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. And that's something for you who are listening to this study right now. That's something for you to think about. If you don't have the spirit of Christ, you don't belong to God. That's why you need to open your heart up and become the temple of the spirit of God. Because prior to opening your heart up to be a believer asking Christ to enter in, you are outside of the promises of God. You're not reconciled to God. But when you open your heart to God, you become the temple of the spirit of God. God comes and he literally, his spirit dwells within you. And when he dwells within you, you belong to him. And now that you belong to him, you don't follow the things of paganism anymore. The life is transformed. But if you don't have the spirit of Christ within you, you don't belong to him. So you need to open your heart up to the Lord today. You need to say, God be merciful to me, forgive me. I want to be your temple and I want to live in a way that pleases you. And then he finally closes by saying, in verses 17 and 18, therefore come out from among them, be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. And I will receive you. I will be a father to you. And you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Be separated. Be separated from this world system, the things that he just spoke about. Be separated from this world. So you're separated from and then he says, and be separated to someone. Be separated from the world and be separated to the living God. Separate yourself from the world. From this world that has values, goals and standards that are rejecting God and tempting to us. Turn away from those things. Turn to God. Separate yourself from the world. Separate yourself unto God. Like it says in James chapter 4 verse 8, draw nigh to God. He will draw nigh unto you. So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. I will receive you. I will be a father to you. You shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Separate yourself from the world. Separate yourself unto God and you will be his child. And so Paul is telling the Corinthians that they need to be separated and these false teachers that have entered into the church are attempting to separate the heart of the church from the heart of the one who brought the gospel that revealed the heart of the Father. And so separate yourself from the things of the world and the influences of these false teachers who would draw you away from God and be separated unto God so that you might walk as his children and know his blessings. And so if you need to get right with the Lord because you're not right with them right now whether you're a backslider or whether you're somebody who's just never really giving your heart a price before we close I want to give you an opportunity to get right with him. So let's pray together. Father I do ask that as this word goes forth that you would be glorified through it. And Lord if there be any that you are speaking to right now I pray that you would touch their hearts in such a way that they would yield themselves to you right now. And even as ours I close our heads about hearing the voice of the Lord speaking to you you may be trusting in your religion or trusting in your own goodness there could be a thousand and one things you're trusting in but you're not trusting in him. And if you need to get right with the Lord and you know it the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now and you know it. And I ask you to open your heart to Christ and give yourself to him and you can do it by confessing you can ask God for forgiveness God cleans me and you can invite him to enter in Father fill me may I be your temple and if you desire that then pray with me I'll pray a simple prayer and if you can by with your heart sincerely agree in faith you can open your heart to Christ right now you can pray Father forgive me I'm a sinner Jesus died on the cross to save sinners Jesus died to save me forgive me of my sins cleanse me give me a new life I will follow you every day from this day forward in Jesus name Amen and if you've done that I ask you to please contact us that way we can follow up that way we can send you a Bible if you need one that way we can minister to you as effectively as is possible and so please do and let's close with the final word in Jesus I ask that as we have been in your word today may your word really find a home in us and may we love you and may we serve you with all that's within us in your name we pray