A HOLY PEOPLE

Passage: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Key verse: 7:1

NIV

Warning Against Idolatry

14 Do not be yoked together(A) with unbelievers.(B) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?(C) 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]?(D) Or what does a believer(E) have in common with an unbeliever?(F) 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?(G) For we are the temple(H) of the living God.(I) As God has said:

“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”[b](J)

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them(K)
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.”[c](L)

18 And,

“I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,(M)
says the Lord Almighty.”[d](N)

7 Therefore, since we have these promises,(O) dear friends,(P) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness(Q) out of reverence for God.

Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Temple of the Living God

14 (A)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For (B)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or (C)what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 (D)What accord has Christ with Belial?[a] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For (E)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

(F)“I will make my dwelling among them and (G)walk among them,
    and (H)I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore (I)go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
18 (J)and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, (K)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body[b] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar
  2. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Greek flesh
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Do not be yoked with unbelievers (14-16)

A yoke is a piece of wood that fits over the neck of 2 oxen, enabling them to pull a load together. If we deliberately bind ourselves to a person with worldly priorities and values, we cannot please God. If one marries a person whose goals in life are different from his own, the yoke that should make the burden easier makes it unbearably heavy.

2. We are the temple of God (16b-7:1)

We are God's temple, his dwelling place. When God makes his home in our hearts we become his holy people, his children. He does not want us to compromise with idols or with the world or with unbelieving people. Jesus died to make us pure. Let us believe God's promises (16b,18), and keep our hearts and lives pure in him. Through God's promises we participate in his divine nature and escape worldly corruption (2Pe 1:4).

Prayer: Lord, make me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Purify me by Jesus' blood so that I may be a fit place for your Spirit to dwell.

One Word: Live like God's child