“Make no treaties with them or their gods. They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.” [Exodus 23.32]
These words apply to all areas of a believer's life. There is no fellowship between light and darkness.
The problem in modern society however is that it has become somehow 'noble' to coexist. Some would even go so far as to say that it is the Christian thing to do. But is it?
Certainly Jesus brought a new and glorious Way - the Way of Salvation. Jesus was known to fraternize with "publicans and sinners." But, did He? Did Jesus fellowship with them in their sin, or did Jesus love them in their sin causing them to turn from their ways and follow Him and His Ways? I think, and the Word confirms, the latter!
Every believer is tasked therefore with qualifying every relationship and interaction with unbelievers for how it informs them of the Ways of God - the Way of Faith. Unless a believer is consciously portraying Christ and His Way to unbelievers, there is little good to come from the relationship!
The problem with a Christ-less relationship is that the unbeliever will quickly believe all is well. This decision comes because if no conviction of sin comes as a result of an unbeliever's fellowship with a believer, then the unbeliever is subject to the damning lies of Satan whispering all the while, "See, you are okay..."
Unlike Israel's Promised Land, the real estate of the Kingdom Jesus brought is the human heart - the soul of man. If no effort is made to confront and dispel darkness in the human heart, then the Kingdom believer is in disobedience and therefore subject to being caught up in that darkness.
Jesus simplified our message to the world:
It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]
Our faithfulness to this message will open every opportunity to explain the Way of Christ more fully to all we encounter. But if we do not initiate the message of Christ (let the Light shine), nothing will happen and darkness will continue to prevail.
God makes a distinction between those who are His and those who are not. If God has gone to the trouble to make this distinction, should not we also?
Father, help me to shine the Light of Christ to every soul I encounter.
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