2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (NLT)
And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [17] Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. ...
- Following on from yesterday's note, this admonition reminds us that the depth of our relationships with unbelievers is not the same as with believers.
I spend a lot of time hanging out with friends and colleagues at my local airport. They are an interesting gang of characters and I am blessed by knowing them. But sometimes their topics of converstion can become pretty raunchy, expressing things I'm not comfortable with. Usually this happens in the context of humour and camraderie. Balancing my reaction and particiption with my friends in times like this can be challenging. It is not my place to judge or "police" their behaviour (as Paul has layed out previously), but rather to love them as Christ does. So I avoid letting my face turn into a dark scowl, or otherwise demonstrating any disapproval. I might even smile or laugh when there is anything in their comments I can agree with. Otherwise I remain pleasantly quiet, or humorously turn the conversation back towards a healthier tone when I can.
In all this I am reminded that there is a gulph between me and my airport buddies. But I also look forward to the day when this chasm will be closed when Jesus reaches them with the same grace and love by which he also saved me.
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