The Tragedy of an Unclean Christian

We are living in a time when connectedness is the rule of the day. With our cell phones, our Internet, we are always connected with those around us. Being connected to those you love and to those who need you is one thing, but there is another kind of connectedness that is not so good. There is a concerted push in the world today to bring everyone together under the same umbrella, one world, one society, one church. This is the heartbeat of the world and, sadly, it is becoming the heartbeat of the church. I would just remind you that God did not call His people to be inclusive, but exclusive! The fact is, we are called to be vastly different from the world around us! This trait of separation was sorely lacking in Corinth. Of all the churches mentioned in the New Testament, the church in Corinth was undoubtedly the worldliest. If the church in Philippi was known for its compassion, and the church in Ephesus was known for its commitment, the church in Corinth was known for its carnality! It was a worldly church dwelling in a wicked city. The city of Corinth was so vile, that to be called a "Corinthian" meant that you were a person of low moral standards. Sadly, the evil of that society had penetrated the church and things had gotten so bad in Corinth, that there was little distinction between them and the world around them. Paul is letting them know that things do not have to be that way! These verses tell us everything we need to know to remain separate in a linked world. While the world and the church are melding together so that there is little distinction between them anymore, God still expects His people to be different. He expects us to stand apart from the world.