When we finished the last post on Open Door, we concluded by saying “We are the temple of the Living God. 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.” 2 Corinthians 6:16b
God delights in walking with us, and among us; but when two walk together in a union, they must be in agreement.
If we walk with God, we walk in agreement with Him and walk in His ways.
Paul addressed this very same thing by asking this question:
“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” 2 Corinthians 6: 16a
The Corinthian church had idols in their life as part of their typical Greek culture. They also had been infiltrated by false teachers.
Paul, as their spiritual father, was making an appeal to his children by challenging them to no longer compromise their faith in any way.
He does this by asking questions, just like Jesus does. Here are the questions he asks within the same chapter:
- What do righteousness and wickedness have in common?
- What fellowship can light have with darkness?
- What harmony is there between Christ and Belial–a Hebrew term used to designate Satan.
- What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Paul, however, makes this statement prior to asking all of these questions. He says:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
After reading through all of the questions, I believe God is challenging us as well. When a judge hits the surface with this gavel, he is calling for attention or order.
In our chapter, Paul reminds them that they are the temple of the Living God.
Now, here’s the appeal: “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” 2 Corinthians. 6: 17
Paul, their spiritual father, tells them how they can walk in agreement with the Living God.
“Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6: 17-18
Walking in agreement with God is learning to walk in His ways.
As we grow in the Lord, and get closer to Him, it gets easier to follow Him and surrender every part of our life to Him. As we grow in our walk and in faith, we then begin to see some purging that is taking place in our lives.
What does that purge look like? That purging may include not hanging out with the same people, and not going to the same places we went before. Friday nights may change to hanging out at home instead of the clubs. Our interests change and our close friendships change too. We begin to see who we can trust, and who we cannot.
All of these changes are for our spiritual growth and learning to walk in agreement with God.
Embrace these changes as you feel God embracing you in your new and improved spiritual walk. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us as we yield to Him.
As we explore more in 2024, He delights in walking among us and helping us to perfect our walk, as He walks.
God has always intended to walk with man.
In the Garden of Eden, he walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, until sin separated mankind from God. So now He calls us to be separate from the ways of the world and conform to the ways of God. That’s why He gave us Jesus to walk with us and among us.
There is no closer place than living inside us, in our hearts, to carry out that covenant of walking in agreement.
Folks, we go not alone! We need Him to lead and guide us as our Gentle Shepherd who never leads His sheep astray. He goes after that one who does tend to stray, too. He reaches down and places that wounded sheep on his shoulder and carries that little lamb in their injury until he is healed and strong enough to follow and walk with the Shepherd who leads His flock. He learns to walk in agreement by listening and obeying His voice once again.
In the days ahead, God is bringing us back to our original call with Him, that position of agreement, living in that holy union, and position of harmony, as one.
John saw it saying “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” Revelation 21: 3
This beautiful agreement never ends and will carry us all the way through eternity, into our eternal home. For now, let’s remember that,
KINGDOM ASSURANCE
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