Day 3437 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV

That the sights and sounds of our current surrounds have come to inspire us to become as deaf and blind as this world’s long been is a matter no longer up for much debate on this side of that cross.

For it’s such replication that Christ came to retrieve us from repeating anymore. He took our transgressions upon Himself that we might agree to lay them down and do something new with life, in life, for life as it were. Indeed, we are, in Christ, called to strive toward that new life He purchased through that tomb on our behalf. We are called to share in His suffering as seen and shown inside His carrying of our costs as we ourselves take up now a cross upon which we too lay down a life that a new may be received.

Problem is that to do as the world doesn’t demands a degree of devotion that again, this world just doesn’t seem to have.

So this leaves us left looking still at a world entirely familiar, a way of life we’ve always known, a life we’ve in many ways come to love, and yet now we’re to sacrifice said substance for the hope of a life kept up ahead. And as this is, again, a hope, a goal, a trust this world doesn’t have and doesn’t show any sign of ever wanting, we are then left to do what is all but impossible considering both our past successes and the present stresses such a radical shifting is so sure to bring.

For here we’re known as much as we know here. So too have we loved life as lived here and too life as lived here has loved us as well. That is the reward given unto all who do as the Romans do; you’re treated as Romans are. Whenever you look just like, sound just like, live just like the rest of the crowd, you’re welcomed always into the fold. This world is unquestionably willing to love those who are like them, and truth be told, they’re entirely eager to do so. Indeed, if we belonged to the world, it would love us as its own.

And we’ve known that sort of warmth and welcome for as long as we might remember.

Indeed, each of us have a lived an existence of such substance that we’ve become but a reflection of the world’s rebellion. We too have done things, said things, assumed things, consumed things that have worn down our better intentions and become instead inventions that are intended upon our remaining so much like the world around us that we couldn’t be picked out from the crowd. And we’ve done all we have, said all we have, consumed and commended all we have simply to retain that fellowship.

Both because we like the feel of fitting in but also because we’ve seen what happens should one venture a bit too far into being a bit too different to satisfy society’s stagnancy.

Doesn’t go well. Christ being the climactic example!

And yet such a stern understanding of the risks associated with falling outside an arrogant world’s darkened assumptions is exactly what we see asked of us in the second half of that verse paraphrased up above. John 15:19 in full tells us that yes, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.” But going on, and where our social demise only begins to become realized, “As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.”

Finally finishing with, “That is why the world hates you.”

Ah yes, the outcome that all of us have long tried to avoid at all costs, even a life lost. We hate the idea of being hated, for a long time we’ve been roundly loved. We’ve for a long time been able to fly well below the radar of a world rife with rebellion. We’ve for all our lives in fact, been able to exist as if we’re best friends with everyone, doing always then what best friends are apparently supposed to do. But therein lies the problem, for this world’s understanding of friendship is built upon lies aimed at things such as pleasing itching ears and placating personal preferences.

A true friendship, such as that shown us by Christ laying down His life for us, a greater love none can have than to lay down his life for his friends, that sort of fellowship is built upon truth.

And thus we come to the proverbial straw which proves just enough to break a culture’s back.

For this world hates that, that wretched truth and all its humiliating honesty. But they hate the truth because they continue to confuse humiliation with humility. Granted, having been so long so arrogant, the path back to humility is at first humiliating indeed as it shows our errors, highlights our flaws, testifies to our transgressions and asks that we confess the lot. Which is a lot like nothing this world is in any way willing to do. No, this world lives lost inside this pretend pretense in which pride has everyone convinced that they do no wrong.

And that’s exactly why we’re called here to not be yoked together with unbelievers!

It’s because we have been, and because of it, we have been found guilty of sin. We know this because of verses like that of 1 Corinthians 15:33 which tells us that, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Indeed, and verse 34 goes on to hammer that truth home, a little harder even. “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.”

Indeed, to our shame is how the truth of the Gospel must come as it cannot leave us so comfortable as to consider how we might remain unchanged. For we’ve come to hate change, at the inspiration of the complacent world around us! Which leads me to my point for today: What other wicked or worthless inspirations has this world planted inside our hearts? What other misleading messages has this world spoken into our ears now so deaf that we, like they, seem to struggle when told the truth?

What other sinful inclinations has this world encouraged us to invite into our lives so as to accomplish the outcome all of us want in this world: Our being just like the world so that we can be liked, loved by the world? Yes, what have we been inspired to do so as to gain the whole world and all the “love and acceptance and inclusion” and whatever other delusion designed herein?

Lost a soul perhaps?

Why yes, yes we have. Gave it away in order to gain the welcome and warmth of a world gone cold and thus only warm because so many burn for their desires which they deny may kindle fires that, oddly enough, Scripture says will one day prove unquenchable. Is that the outcome we want for our forever, unending fire? Crave the flame, do we? Well you know the cliché, play with fire and wind up burned.

And this world that’s going down in flames will indeed feel the burn when at once the blessings of a benevolent God have done as this world asks Him incessantly. Indeed, again clichéd in nature, be careful what you ask for!

Because though God leaving us alone to do as we please would allow us to finally find our pleasure without feeling guilty for being so sinfully selfish, His leaving us alone also removes all of His protection and provision, thus leaving any who walk that wide road wide open to the workings of the devil who has no such care or compassion as we are not his creation. No, this world is just his playground in which he does as he’s descended to do; steal, kill, destroy.

All the more reason to, again as seen here, not be yoked together with unbelievers. Which means, in simplicity, that things have to change!

Why, because we’ve lived a way of life in which we’ve allowed this fickle world to inspire in us a share of their failures toward faith, their fear of faith. Indeed, this world is so vastly foolish that the many are none too willing to merely embrace their fearful misunderstandings, simply for what we talked about a bit yesterday, just the ability such a communal confusion continually affords that grants anyone who wishes the courage to deny life itself as found in faith that asks we change, promises we will change.

Alas, in a world in which nothing changes as society strives against it, we walk among an entire humanity that refuses change and inspires all others to do the same so that, in the end, none have to feel as if they lived a life lacking the courage to contend for more than they ended up settling for. Indeed, we walk amongst a mindset that is almost entirely debased, just as Scripture said would come. And this is both undeniable but also incredibly dangerous as we see within the world around us and the ways so many waste away inside their fear of faith this sort of ease and calm and comfort that all people have come to crave in life.

And looking instead upon the narrowness of the gate which opens unto life after this one is done, it's a stark contrast to be sure. And this difficulty as found in a faith asking we take up crosses and turn cheeks and rejoice even in the persecution and retribution of a world bent on rebellion, it's something that again only adds to the solace as assumed within the succor of a society of sinfulness. Add the two together, the challenging change brought about by an alien faith from a place entirely unlike what we've made of this world and the completely opposite amount of ease and simplicity seen and shown and thus so easily assumed within society, it just invites fractures into our faith.

Indeed, we so often allow this world's faithlessness to inspire in us fractures and failures in our own faith, and maybe even a share in the very forsaking of forgiveness as done by so many who live as if it unneeded.

Which is again precisely why we are not be yoked together with unbelievers for the companion of fools will indeed suffer harm for it! And what is possibly more harmful than the everlasting loss of life as loved by this world that looks upon faith and those faithful as foolish and fools? That is what this world is, foolishness personified as so many here think faith foolish and thus forsake the forgiveness that could and would open unto them that narrow gate as found only through the humility which agrees that our arrogance cannot fit nor then the many mistakes and misunderstandings said pride has designed deserve to be allowed entrance either.

No, the sinfulness of man has rendered us all entirely, eternally condemned, and this outcome, while one which Christ came to tell us could be changed should we be changed, no society just won’t hear of it, for again far too many assume faith to be foolishness and thus remain fools themselves.

And the problem is that we are utterly surrounded by their workings and wantings, bombarded by their winnings and grinnings that seem to say to all without eyes their own to see beyond the disbelief of a broken humanity that blindly assumes there be a good life here, a great life here, a best life as so many call it these days. Indeed, it's this lie that inspires other eyes to blind and ears to close as minds give way to the wasting that allows a person freedom from the waiting. Nobody here wants to wait as there's time to waste in such a patience, especially that demanded across a lifetime in order to find the sort of hope that cannot fit within a life that ends.

I've talked about that at length in these daily attempts to honor God and hopefully help someone else in the process. It's this personal proclivity in which I prefer a hope held beyond the horizon of this life as defined by the tomb. I want to leave nothing here whenever I'm called to leave. I want only my every hope to be still waiting, not any left as I'm leaving.

And yet this world doesn't live like that. Rather everyone here is chasing after their many dreams and desires, gains and glories as if we humans have any use for any of the above as none can be contained in us for thus they’d be only stained in us inside these hearts of ours, as deceitful as they ever were. And again, this is why we're here called to not be yoked together with unbelievers for their unbelief may inspire us to once more waver on ours, or even to walk away from it altogether.

No, rather as we just discussed yesterday, we are in Christ children of the light, and none puts a light under a basket but instead allows their light to shine amongst a dark and dim and dead mankind so that any who've a chance left might chase for Christ before that chance is gone.

Friends, we are called to be His city on this hill called here so that whomever is to be found with Him in Heaven might hear of Him as faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word about Jesus. Thus we are here as messengers with a commission this world considers anything but commendable. Rather many here think it contemptable as it calls out the truth which threatens the captivity in which so many captives have become comfortable and complacent.

Indeed, we are comfort busters, and this world so filled with those peaceful at slumber in a life aimed at the asunder will hate our rousing rhetoric as it is most offensive to the pride they prefer.

Alas, much to their coming disappointment and likely disdain, we cannot refrain from speaking His Name as there's none other under Heaven given to mankind by which we all must be saved. No, that from which we've been set free is that against which we're now called to fight. That which we've renounced we will come to denounce, and this world in denial of such radical change will try and silence any and every reminder that such change, such improvement, such blessed betterment is not only possible but it is promised, and promised for all!

For in fact all will bow as every tongue then confesses Christ as Lord of lords and King of kings. You and I are merely here to try toward that undeserved hope that as many as possible can confess Him as Savior too. For that day of Judgement will bring either sentencing or salvation, and thus all will be changed indeed. Either from life to death as many here live to pretend impossible, or rather from death to life as found within the renouncement of a sinful life done before the death we all owe.

The problem then is, again, that we walk among so many who will most vehemently, perhaps even violently deny such a truth as the tomb has to tell. But that’s the point of our breaking away from this world, just as Christ has now called us out of this world, which is why they will not love us as their own anymore. It’s so that we don’t fall away into once more allowing this world have too much sway or say inside our faith. For if they do, as they have, they will only convince us to lose what we know we couldn't obtain any other way, and thus what we should know we cannot agree to let go.

No, please don't let this evil world overcome you but rather overcome evil with goodness, with honesty, with truth and modesty and morality. Yes, let us live so that the world may indeed see our good works and glorify God on the day He visits. For that, for we who are in Christ, shall too be the day we leave for home. But for this world, it will be only the day they've feared as their home is forcefully taken as they’re given one from which they cannot leave.

Don't let them pull you there with them my friends! No, break whatever yoke, burn whatever bridge, scuttle every single ship that is sailing upon a friendship with this world so alive in enmity against God!

For that life of enmity is the one which ends. Do not then yoke yourself to any who deny it, for their denial will only inspire your share if you tie yourself to their sinking soul. He called us to more, and so as I often seem to close these anymore:

Let us then be on our way.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold