Separation
Joshua 23:12 “For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”
Joshua had been with the Israelites since the days of Egyptian bondage; he had seen how the Lord blessed His children who remained faithful to Him, and He had seen the awesome judgment of God. (Numbers 16, Numbers 21) He knew that the love of God was infinite, but he also knew that the wrath of God was just as consuming. He reminded the Israelites that if they were to remain faithful they must stay holy as He is, and intermarriage with the people around them would be the beginning of the end. God did not love the Israelites any more than the others, but they were the people that He had chosen.
In the same way God does not love Christians any more than the rest of the world, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.. But because of the grace of Jesus we have been chosen by God to bring His message of salvation to the world.“(italics mine)
Therefore, we must stay separated from the world. As Christians we are called by God to walk a tight rope; the Bible says that we are to be “in the world, but not of the world”. We cannot “intermarry” with the world, and still maintain the blessings of God. God will not use a dirty person to bring His blessings into the world! For then His blessings could be easily confused as coming from the world instead of clearly from Him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14,”You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden ;15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The world cannot see the good works of God when they are wrapped up in a dirty package. The full glory of God must be seen in us before the world recognizes that His blessings are upon us.
I do not mean that we must be perfect, but we must always strive for His protection!
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Father God, I thank You for giving me Your blessings, and I ask that You help me remain faithful to You in order to show the fullness of Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Yes, You Can Ministry 