By Steve Horn
Corinth was by all historical accounts a very wicked place. When Paul established a church there, he was establishing a church in the midst of one of the most difficult cities of his day.
When we move to the letters called 1 and 2 Corinthians, we realize that the struggle in Corinth continued. Paul confronts them in the first letter and defends that confrontation in the second letter even as he commends them for hanging tough in the midst of an unholy world.
In 2 Corinthians 6-7, I note some principles for living holy in an unholy world.
- You cannot be holy and walk with unholy people. (6:14-16)
Paul raised five rhetorical questions. People like to apply this passage to marriage. That is a good application, but note that this is not found in the context of this passage. As such, this issue of being unequally yoked should be a principle of every relationship in life.
- You cannot walk with God and participate in unholy activity. (6:16-7:1)
You do want God to walk with you don’t you? So do I. There is a requirement. We must walk in holiness.
- Holiness must be pursued in the life of the believer in the fear of God. (7:1)
Fearing God is a good thing when fearing Him rightly leads to godliness.
- Your holiness might not come without confrontation from another believer. (7:2-12)
This is a tough principle, but when people genuinely love you, they will seek the best for you.
- Holiness always brings joy in the ones around you.
The Apostle John said there was no greater joy. I agree!
Steve Horn is senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lafayette. This editorial first appeared on his blog.
