Come out from them

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out many nations before you - ...make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them,...for they will turn your children away from me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will be against you and will quickly destroy you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones,...and burn their idols in fire….You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you….The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.” (Deuteronomy Chapter 7 - fragmented)

When the Lord our God chose to free Israel from the bondages of slavery and bring them to a land of their own it wasn’t because they were such a moral people.

“Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God has given you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Deut. 9:6)

Rather, the Lord brought them into the land in order to make them a righteous people. Hence the 10 Commandments. However, righteousness would be impossible to live out if the Lord’s people were not surrounded by the outside world. So dangerous is the influence of the world that God demanded that every last Hittite, Perizzite, Jebusites, etc., be killed. No survivors. Seems pretty drastic doesn't it? But God knows that bad company corrupts. And God’s interests lie with His people, not with the world.

Why am I bringing this up? The church in the west, and so, yes, this may well include you, has fallen away from God. Or maybe has never truly come to God in the first place. It has become in love with the world and so much that is in it. Just like the world, Christians are enamored with, and about, the goings on of the rich and famous: actors, singers, comedians, talk show hosts, radio personalities, athletes, and political leaders. Christians desire the latest fashions, decorating trends, brand names, most hip restaurants, coffee cafes and more. It loves the worlds colleges and universities of “higher learning”. And most importantly, it has freely allowed itself to be influenced, and even led astray, by the societal norms of the day. The very things God was warning His people about thousands of years ago, He still warns us about today. The nature of God’s people never changes. You acknowledge Jesus with your lips, but deny Him by your lifestyle. You wouldn’t be caught dead in that store, you don’t wear off brands, and your phone is never more than two models behind.

Jesus says, “Except for marital unfaithfulness, you may not divorce your spouse for any reason.” And yet society says that’s an outdated notion and so you follow. God proclaims, “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.” Yet, society says act in whatever manner of sex you wish. And you agree. God decrees homosexuallity is an abomination, but the church teaches that it’s okay as long as one is a believer. What do you say? Women not being allowed to teach in church? Void. Don’t take a believer to court? “Yeah, well he started it!” And what of, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 ?

The church today, just like in Moses’ time, wants to have its cake and eat it too. Too many Christians want to live in both kingdoms - the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Many think it can participate in the world, but as long as they don’t “respect” the world, they can get away with it. Wrong! Look at Deuteronomy chapter 7 again. It’s the passage I quoted to start this writing. God says (in part), “Do not intermarry with them...or they will turn your children away from me to serve other Gods.” This is what happens when we yolk ourselves with the world. It turns us and our children against God and His ways. And it means to! Satan is trying to poison our minds and souls, and far too many don’t even realize it’s happening to them. He whispers in our ears, “For you won’t surely die”. He wants us to believe we can have him and God: the best of both worlds. But it’s not possible. It never has been. You just want it to be so. God calls our participation with the world adultery with the world. Adultery! We have no choice to be on the earth, but we are not to be of the world!

“Then I heard another voice from Heaven say: ‘Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.’” Revelation 18:4

“Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

The world and it’s ways, it’s ideas and practices, contaminates the soul. The world's ways are not God’s ways. The things the world deems important are not the things God is interested in. That these things are of so much interest to you is proof that you are of the world.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Don’t you see that you can’t be an enemy of God and a friend? It’s one or the other! What don’t you understand? You’re not in the world to save the world. Please. You’re in it because you like it. It’s fun! It’s exciting. But it’s death. And it is nothing but a distraction from Jesus Christ and His ways. Look at it this way: Satan is the prince of this world and no one who is of the world is a friend of God’s. So do you think this world wants you to become more like Christ or more like their prince? This world hates Jesus! Come out from it if you are truly one of His, and have no part with it. That’s a command!

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

You claim that Christ is your Lord, but is He really? Is the Spirit of Christ in you? Does He direct your path? Or is that all just talk? God has a test He uses to determine who truly are His:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16

Why do you want to hang out with Satan and His minions if Christ is your love? This is not our world, don’t forget.

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.“ 1 John 5:19

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:14

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11

“As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.” 1 Peter 4:2-4

Our focus in this life is to be about the things of Christ. We are to be in the Word daily; as He is the Word of God. And His Word, and only His Word, changes us from who we are to who He wants us to be. And the more we become like Him, through the transforming power of that same Word, the less enchanted we become with the world. In fact, we will actually grow to hate it. The very thing we are called to do! As followers of Christ we are not here to seek our own good, but that of God. Our lives are disposable. They are of no value for this world. In fact, we should hate our lives.

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:25

Don’t just read past passages like this, but find out what they mean! You must. God demands it! Don’t let others in the church, be they friends, family, or church leaders lead you astray. Many are lost themselves, and freely choose to remain that way. Wake up!

“ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Philippians 3:17-20

Paul is referring there to fellow Christians. There are many lost in the church; especially here in the materialistic West. Growing up in the West makes it all the more difficult for a believer to ever come out from the world in any meaningful, life saving way. But for salvations sake we must love God in spite of our fleshly desire for this world; much like Moses, our example.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26

This is to be the attitude of our hearts as well. We are not to be concerned for this world, but with Christ and His calling in our lives. Everyday.

“Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Get away from Christians who speak of “blessings in this life” as if Christ wants to bring you material “blessings” because of your love for Him. That’s crap! That’s not scriptural! How many times is Jesus recorded as commanding “sell what you own, and give it to the poor.”? As the opening passage I quoted says, Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.” The New Testament is ripe with passages declaring that those who receive wealth today have received their reward. Meaning there is nothing awaiting them later. Many so-called Christians teach that you can have it all in this life if you have enough faith. What a crock! Others teach that because of God's grace you are free to live for earthly desires as long as you love God more. They are always rationalizing sin away, but because they invoke the name of Jesus when they do, you give it credence. You might have gotten out of the world in the beginning of your walk with Christ, but they want to bring you back in with them so they don’t feel as guilty. God warns us over and over about those in the church.

“These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’ If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2:17-22

It’s all happening again. The heart of God’s people can’t be hidden from Him. He has seen this over and over throughout the history of man. He flooded the earth because mankind had completely turned from Him. He rained down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, because of their sin, as examples for us today. But we now, as they then, refuse to heed His warnings. Our backsliding is as old as man himself.

-“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors... 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands... 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord...

6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him... 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day... 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed... 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. Deut 8:1 - 20 (fragmented)

-“And the Lord said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! 14 Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they...” 15 So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands... 16 When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf... You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you... 17 So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes... 18 Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger. 19 I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me... 20 And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too... 21 Also I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain... 23” But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust him or obey him. 24 You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you. Deut 9:13 - 24

You think these warnings don’t apply to you? You think because you profess faith in Christ that you’re immune from God’s commands? Because you think you know Jesus, do you think your salvation is a done deal? The Spirit of Christ Himself doesn’t seem to agree. Speaking to those in His church:

These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars (that is Jesus). I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:1-3

“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:14 - 17

But what does it mean to “come out from the world?” It means stop being involved in it. It’s not our world. This is not our land. Remember the earth is going to be destroyed. We are aliens here on this planet. And as such it belongs to others. What they do with it is none of our business. Let’s stop meddling in the affairs of others. Heck, Christians in the US act as if an angel came down from heaven and spoke to our forefathers and told them God was going to give us Christians our own inheritance on earth. That is not the case. Many act as if Israel is the land of the Jews and America is the land of the Christians. Christian people, we don’t have a land! Many actually believe that our founding documents were written with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. What? Also bogus. Listen, the Declaration of Independence may say all men have the God given right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but you won’t find that in scripture. The only right given “us” by our God is to the followers of Christ who God has given the right to be called the Children of God. When we come to Christ we give up our rights.That’s the deal. Still want to be a child of God? Christians aren’t called into politics. On the contrary we are called to live in peace with our neighbor. We are called to stay out of their way. They can fight for who’s in what office.

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Turn off the news. Turn off the talk shows. Hell, turn off the television. Those are the things of the world, and so almost by by definition they are evil. Stop watching all these awards shows. Take down all these posters you let your children have of singers, actors, and/or athletes they look up to. Teach them to have no idols, but God. Stop sending your children to colleges and universities that hate your God, that teach that faith in Him is stupid. These institutions hate God’s morality, and teach that holding to those views is hateful. Yet, you want these same people shaping the minds of your kids; God’s children?

“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,” 1 Timothy 6:20

-“I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites.” Psalms 26:4

And not only that, but many Christians continue to financially support these schools for years. So wrong. Speaking of support - stop supporting any charitable organization that doesn’t do what it does in the name of Jesus Christ. God has declared that the righteous deeds of the unrighteous world are like filthy rags to Him. Our God is a jealous God and wants all credit for righteous acts. And now that we are on the subject. Stop watching and get in the game. We are called to seek after good works. Go volunteer with strictly Christian organizations that are meeting the needs of the poor, and fatherless, and windowed. And not just once in a while, but routinely as part of your daily, weekly, or monthly life. To say you don’t have the time, is to put your work ahead of God’s. Finally, get and stay in the Word of God. Jesus speaks directly to you through His holy scripture. He will tell you what He requires you to do and who He requires you to be.

In the end we will all have to give an account before God for the life we lived. This life is a test; pure and simple. And the results of this test do matter. All the living you do in, for, and of the world will amount to nothing in the end. Only what we do for Christ matters. Everything else is vanity and self serving.

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Eccl 2:10 - 11

I don’t care how the rest of your Christian friends may be living. It doesn't matter what they do or don’t approve of. God is watching, testing and grading you. And He doesn’t grade on a scale. Get away from the world and its influence and all its intended distractions from God. We were called to another life.

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” Deut 11:26 - 28

Turn your attention from the things of the world. And steady your eyes on the Lord. Nothing else matters. That is the life of a true believer.