By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Receive us…
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2a
Up until the twentieth century, farms were familiar to everybody. It was common to see two animals yoked up to pull a coach, a wagon, a sled, a buggy, or a plow. You might see two oxen or two horses yoked up.
What was not common was to see a horse and a donkey yoked together, or a horse and an ox. Their pace was different, their size was different, and their ability to pull weight was different. It just didn’t work.
The Spirit of God refers to such as being ‘unequally yoked together.’ And He applies it to the lives of God’s people who attempt to yoke up with unsaved people to accomplish God’s work.
He’s not forbidding us to work with the lost at our place of employment, or something like that. He is forbidding us to get in the yoke and pull together with those who aren’t going in the same direction for the Lord as we are.
Bible-Lovers
There are those of us who deeply love the Lord. We hang on every word He says. His Word is our final authority in every aspect of our lives. We fear displeasing Him and missing out on a sweet, close communion with Him. Someday in heaven, we fear losing out on a ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant’ because of our worldly, fleshly conduct during this lifetime.
Bible-Haters
There are those who are completely opposite. If God says He created the world in six literal days, they may scoff and promote the alternative of evolution. If God’s Word says He is holy and hates sin, they could care less. They may pollute the Bible. They may ridicule the existence of hell. They may deny God’s Word, ignore His glory and lovingkindnesses, and fight God at every opportunity.
Compromisers
But there is a third category of people today. They compromise. They are broadly ecumenical. They try yoking up with God-lovers and God-haters alike.
Our passage forbids this kind of unity. It’s an unequal yoke. And it doesn’t work. Bible-lovers shun such compromising. And Bible-haters affect the compromisers incrementally until there is very little difference between the two. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, ‘Be not deceived: evil communications [companionships] corrupt good manners [moral habits].’
Instead, we are to take our stand on God’s objective, unchanging truth. And we are to do this with other God-fearing people.
‘Receive us,’ says the Apostle Paul.
2 Timothy 2:22 – ‘Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.’
Father, help us to discern those who love and obey You as well as those who don’t. Help us to separate, to distance ourselves from associations with Bible-haters. At the same time, when we discern a person who is heading in the same direction, help us to yoke up to get Your work done. Keep us from compromise. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.