Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?…“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.”

            2 Corinthians 6:14-16a, 17a

Let’s begin with this: God said to the people of Israel, and is still saying to us as Christians today, “Come out from their midst and be separate,” Building a compound in the middle of the wilderness with fortified walls and razor wire on the top with “No Trespassing” signs posted all around is not what God has in mind here. God is not referring to physical separation from the world. It would be quite impossible for us to ever impact the world with the gospel if we were to remove ourselves from mainstream, modern life. As tempting as that thought might be, we are not to physically separate ourselves from the world. Rather, God is talking about our lifestyles. God is referring to the way in which we live our lives, lives that are dramatically different than the rest of the world. We are to come out from among the regular routine of life and become different. Our lives should exemplify a difference in habits, priorities, attitudes, motives, and focus. We no longer live for the world rather our lives now belong to Christ, transforming us and equipping us with the power to live abundant, uncommon, and effective lives. 

In addition, Paul reminds us to “not be bound together with unbelievers.” While this instruction is referring to marriage, meaning that a Christian should not marry an unbeliever, this directive is much broader than that. The original language implies “not entering into any alliances” that are spiritually mismatched. We must serve the Lord with our lives and one practical way in which we do that is by avoiding any partnering with anyone or anything that sets itself up against the word of God. 

So, in order to drive home these two spiritual instructions, that of living differently than the world and avoiding alliances that are spiritually mismatched, Paul uses five (5) rhetorical questions designed to bring out just how vital they are. Let’s take a look at each of these comparisons and how they illustrate just how different a life in Christ should be from that of a life apart from Christ.

1. What partnership does righteousness have with wickedness?     Answer: None

We can think about the word “partnership” by picturing two individuals shaking hands. Perhaps they are closing a business deal. Maybe the handshake is an acknowledgment of mutual respect for one another. Or that gesture may simply be between two close friends. But no matter the case, “partnership” is the bringing of two sides together. And when it comes to our spiritual lives, we cannot afford to ever partner with wickedness. Practically, that means we need to be serious about ridding ourselves of anything that sets itself up against our spiritual well-being. We live in a fallen world, meaning that much of what we see happening around us is not God-centered. Couple that with the fact that each of us, as Christians, still live in human flesh, meaning that we are not exempt from being corrupted from these outside, ungodly influences, and we have good reason to guard our hearts.

Also, we need to remember that our righteousness is not our own. We cannot brag or boast about being righteous because it is a spiritual reality given to us as a gift from God. Belonging to Christ means being accepted by God. This righteousness is the righteousness of God and is found only in those belonging to Christ. By default, those apart from Christ are, in the eyes of God, wicked. This isn’t hyperbole rather it is the very spiritual reality that Paul is warning us about as he presents these five (5) rhetorical questions. Righteousness and wickedness can never enter into a partnership.

2.  What fellowship is there between light and darkness? Answer: None

The word “fellowship” in the New Testament means “likemindedness.” We often think of fellowship as having a meal with someone or just spending quality time with someone we enjoy and, certainly, those are good examples of fellowship. But at the heart of the word is the idea of being “likeminded” with someone. So Paul’s second rhetorical question rings true. Is there commonality in the thinking of someone living in the Light of Christ and someone walking in darkness? The answer is obvious. There is absolutely no similarity in thinking and loyalty when it comes to the godly and the ungodly. We see examples of this happening right in front of us every single day. Social, political, and cultural issues demonstrate the chasm between light and darkness every time the two come into contact. Of course there will be conflict between the Light and the darkness. Light, truth, and righteousness will always send the darkness into “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The reason for this is demonstrated for us in the physical world. Physical darkness cannot exist when there is a source of physical light. Take the darkest of nights and we can dispel that darkness with even the smallest of lights. Spiritual light creates the same effect. When spiritual light is shone into spiritual darkness, that darkness also has to flee. There is power in the name of Jesus and, in Him, we can dispel the spiritual darkness around us. Consider the words of Jesus:

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.

      John 3:19-21

Corruption flourishes in darkness and under the cover of night. But corruption can be quickly banished when people operate in the light, exposing the deeds of darkness for all to see. Light and darkness are not compatible just like the incompatibility of righteousness and wickedness. There can never be fellowship between those who walk in the Light of Christ and those who prefer spiritual darkness.

3.  What harmony has Christ with Belial (Satan)? Answer: None

Out of the five (5) rhetorical questions that Paul poses, perhaps this is the one that most obviously drives home the point that, as Christians, we must be separate. Harmony between Christ and Satan? Anyone, even those outside of the faith, can see the lunacy of this comparison. There are two kingdoms at play: the kingdom of God and that of our spiritual enemy, the devil. To “sweep under the carpet” the reality of the devil’s schemes is to ignore scriptural warning. There are two kingdoms and there are two eternal destinations. Our standing on the issues of righteousness vs wickedness, light vs darkness, and the kingdom of God vs our spiritual enemy, reveal our eternal direction. All of us are born into this world at enmity with God. Only when we experience salvation through faith in Jesus Christ do we move from spiritual death to spiritual life. Only when we are born again (John 3:3) do we become the children of God and heirs to His kingdom. The unbelieving world remains in darkness. Just like righteousness can never partner with wickedness and light cannot coexist with darkness is the reality that the kingdom of Christ and God will never be in harmony with that of the devil, the demons, and his schemes. 

4. What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Answer: Nothing

Now comes the question with which we all have to wrestle. What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Looking at this through worldly eyes, we could come up with numerous examples of what we might have in common. Perhaps we are from the same family, we share bloodline, so we certainly have that in common. Maybe we graduated from the same school as others, so we have that in common. It could be that we share a common love for fishing, hiking, or sports with someone else and of course we are all a part of the human race. We could go on and on with worldly examples of what we might have in common with those around us. But the reality is that, spiritually and eternally, Christians do not have anything in common with unbelievers. One group is heaven bound while the other is not. Believers value and prioritize the things of God while unbelievers will not follow suit. As Christians, our lives should exemplify those that have been transformed, redeemed, and restored to the way God intended for us to be all along. When we think, speak, and act just like the world, how will anyone ever see the gospel on display? We simply cannot afford to live in the same manner as those who are apart from Christ because, spiritually speaking, we don’t have anything in common with the unbelieving world.

5. What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?   Answer: None

Finally, we see that there can be no agreement between the godly and the ungodly. It is important, here, for us to define the temple of God as the heart of every born again believer in Jesus. The temple of God is not referring to the temple of the Old Testament, a church building, or specific location. As believers, we are the temple of God, another reason why our lives should be free of corruption, sinfulness, and compromise. Also, we need to define “idols.” Anyone or anything that is prioritized above our relationship with Christ can act as an idol. Consider the words of Jesus involving this topic:

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

        Matthew 10:37-39

This is true discipleship. If Jesus uses our very family relationships in discussing idols, what do we think God would say about prioritizing our careers, sports, or money above Him? Of course, we should love our families and its alright for us to pursue various godly activities but the reality is that even “good” things can become idols for the Christian if we do not guard our hearts against such things. Those who are the very temple of God cannot find any agreement with those who chase after idols, the default position for all of us apart from spiritual transformation. 

So let’s review…no partnership, no fellowship, no harmony, nothing in common, and no agreement between the people of God and the rest of the world. Rather, we should be preaching the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15-16) and making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). 

To close, we can examine the words used to describe Christians and then contrast that with the words used to describe those outside of Christ. We are either a part of this: righteousness, light, Christ, believers, and temple of God or we are a part of this: wickedness, darkness, Satan, unbelief, and idols. The choice is ours but it is impossible for there to ever be, spiritually speaking, an affinity and/or collaboration between the two groups. 

The chasm between heaven and hell is immeasurable. Likewise, the chasm between Christians and the unbelieving is wide. That is why we must “come out from among the unbelieving world and be separate.”

God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

For more on “The Chasm Is Wide,” check out the podcast “Faith in Five” on podpoint.com or wherever you search for podcasts.