We're going to pick up where we left off. We're in the middle of chapter six and we're going to finish. We'll go all the way through the first verse of chapter seven today. And I want to start with just the first or, excuse me, I want to start with four words from the last verse that we'll look at today. So you kind of know where he's going. And this is what he says at the end. Bringing holiness to completion. So that's, that's what Paul's after for them is after for us that when it comes to our holiness, he's like, let's get after it. Let's, let's go. Let's pursue. Pursue this. And holiness means to be set apart. So when Paul uses this word, holiness, or this call to bring holiness to completion, we know what he's talking about to these people. Stop trying to fit in with the world, be set apart. Stop trying to look like the culture you live in and start looking like the God you follow. Like, he's calling them to be different than the world that they live in. He's calling them to practical, godly living in their everyday life. Now there can be a resistance to want to talk about this issue. Like, when you come to church, it's like, let's talk about grace. Let's talk about faith. Let's talk about God's mercy. Let's talk about how much God loves me. I love that topic. But anytime holiness, and specifically practical holiness and godly living comes up, there seems to be this visceral reaction to it. Like, I don't really want to talk about that. It's just something we're not too fond of. And I think that holiness could use some PR help to the American church specifically. Like, we just have this reaction against it. And anytime we talk about practical godly living, somebody in the group is quick to cry, legalism. Like, don't be legalistic. Which just shows me you don't really understand legalism and you're not too fond of godliness. But this is something we should passionately pursue and chase in our lives. Question is, why? Why should we care about holiness? Why should we really care about holiness? Besides the over 600 times the Bible references it, or over 700 times when you count the different variations of the word holiness? Why should we care about holiness? Why should we care about how we act and how we talk and what we watch and how we handle money and how we handle our time and what we wear? Like, why does that matter? Like, isn't there more important things to talk about, Jake? Like, why does all that stuff matter? But I think if we better understood holiness and what it's all about, I think we would have a greater passion for it. Like, I think we would want it for ourselves, we would want it for the people we care about, we'd want it for our spouse, we'd want it for our kids. But the problem is right now, a lot of people when they hear holiness, they just think that means I can't do a lot of stuff. I can't do that and I shouldn't do that. And I should. Like, holiness is just restrictive. But what if it's restrictive for glorious reasons? Like, what if it's restrictive for life changing, world changing reasons? So let me give you a warning. We're gonna get into a text and Paul's gonna say something in the text that's going to make you be like, I don't know if I like that. And if you've only been feeding on cultural Christianity, you do your devotions through Instagram and some influencer, you might even be like, that doesn't sound Christian. It's in the Bible, so we're going to have to deal with it. Right? But there's this kind of phrase or saying that he's going to give that we're just going to kind of react against perhaps. But if we could understand what he's getting at, it's a game changer. And this is Christianity getting real. Because I don't know how many of you might be tired with just kind of playing around with Christianity. Like, I got, I come to church, but I got one foot in the world and I believe in God, but I kind of care more about these things. And you're just kind of doing both. You're just kind of living in both worlds. Like, you would call yourself a Christian, but it's like, it's not a passion of your life. Like, you're just kind of living in both worlds. And let's just say, like, what would happen if we went all in, if we were like completely passionate about our devotion and our holiness to God? Like, what, what would be there? And. And as we get into 2 Corinthians again, we're going to pick up in the middle of chapter six and through the rest of the book, you may feel like the pace of this train is picking up a little bit and some of you are going to love it and some of you guys will want to jump off, but this is like a time where Paul's like, really leaning into him. And you need to remember Paul's going to say some bold things, and he loves them dearly. So when you hear me say some bold things, it's from a place of the text, and it's from a place of compassion and care for what's best. So, Second Corinthians, chapter six. Ready? Some of you like, man, maybe I shouldn't have came today. You did, you did. You're here. And now with the small roads, it's harder to get out. So we're going to start in verse 14. Let me give you some. Some refresher so we have some context for what Paul is saying. Because if I think we just jump in, you're like, whoa, let me give us some context. And we're actually going to come back and revisit the context to help us make sense of these verses as well. But he starts out with this amazing Gospel presentation in Chapter 5, which may be one of the best chapters in all Scripture. 2nd Corinthians 5. We got into that through Christ. God's not counting our trespasses against us. That's awesome that anybody who's in Christ is a new creation. Get some soft Amens for that one. We learned about double imputation. People felt smart there, but Christ takes our sin and gives us his righteousness. All this amazing gospel proclamation. And then he says, I implore you to be reconciled to God. And right after that, he says, I'm pleading with you, or I appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. Now don't forget, he's talking to church people. He's talking to church people to be reconciled to God. He's talking to church people to not take the grace of God in vain. Like, don't become a Christian or just be a Christian and name on. Don't just kind of go through the motions. Don't just kind of claim the name of Christ, but live like the world. Don't do that. Don't receive it in vain. And then he says, they're being restricted by their own affections. He's saying, here's what's holding you back. You love the wrong things. You're in love with this world and not with your Savior. This is what holding you back. And then he says this at the end, like, this was the last verse before we get into the text we're going to look at today. He says, widen your hearts. Now, doesn't that sound awesome? Like such a beautiful thing? Who's against widening your heart? He's like, widen your hearts. But then he says this right after that. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That sounds restrictive. That doesn't sound like heart widening. That sounds like heart restricting. How do those two things go together? And we'll see this, but just kind of up front, he's saying, if you're gonna widen your heart to God, it's gonna mean kind of closing your heart to the things of this world. If you're going to be devoted to God and be passionate about God, then you're going to have to say no to some things of this world. Now, how many have heard this verse quoted before in the past? It's a fairly common verse. Or you've heard it say oftentimes when this verse is, sorry if I'm going fast, but we got a lot. Oftentimes this verse is used when it comes to, like, dating or marriage. Now, that's not the context of what Paul's talking about. He doesn't mention anything about dating. He doesn't mention anything about marriage in this context. But it's not a bad application. Like, the principle applies. It's more than that, but it's not less than that. So he's saying, hey, if you're going to be yoked up, don't do that with an unbeliever. That applies to marriage and dating. Now, it's not permission to divorce if you're married to someone who's not a believer. First Corinthians 7 addresses that. But it's a message for another time. But it is great advice in dating and marriage, getting married. So if you're here, it's like, ah, but he's super nice, but he just doesn't love Jesus. Are you telling me that I shouldn't date him? That's exactly what I'm telling you. Just so it cleared up, like, yes, that's what it he's advocating for. But again, it's not the content. It's not Paul's driving point. He's thinking bigger picture than that. He's thinking, this is a principle for all of life. And the idea of yoke, like, you guys understand what a yoke is like for farmers, they'd have like a harness that would put on two ox or horses to pull and plow your field. The idea comes in Deuteronomy 22. There was. Israel has said, don't. Don't put an ox and a donkey together to plow your field. I guess they don't pull the same. It doesn't work. And Paul's Using that language of like, don't yoke up with an unbeliever. It unlived the same. It doesn't poll us. It doesn't value the same things. Like, it just doesn't work. Now he's not, hear me, he's not saying, don't ever interact with unbelievers. Like in 1st Corinthians 5, he goes in like, you'd have to leave the world if that were the case. Like, someday, but not now. Like, this isn't. Don't have any non Christian friends. That's not what he's saying. But to be yoked is to be connected with purpose, is to be connected with mission and direction. Like, this is what my life is about and these are the people I'm doing that with. Like, we're traveling the same direction. And it's a mixing where there shouldn't be mixing. Now, the Israelites had a problem with this because God rescued them out of slavery in Egypt, bring them into the promised land. He says, you're going to be my people. You're going to be holy, a holy people. You're going to be set apart. You're going to be different than all the nations around you. And there's a reason I'm asking you to be different, because I'm asking you to represent me to the nations around you. You. And I'm going to work through you to the nations around you. But you need to be holy. You need to be set apart. But they wanted to fit in and they begin to marry the women of other nations, and then they begin to adopt the customs and cultures of other nations. And then they begin to worship the gods of other nations and not completely abandon Yahweh. Yeah, we'll worship him too, but let's mix in some world with it. Now, our culture obsessed with diversity. But there is a good kind of diversity and a bad kind of diversity. We want ethnic diversity. We want generational diversity. We want social, economic, class diversity. Those are biblical things made possible by the gospel that tears down the wall of hostility and we find commonality in our Savior. But we don't want moral diversity. We don't want some of us, like, fighting for sexual purity and then others of us hooking up with our dad's wife. True story dresses in First Corinthians. We don't want theological diversity. We don't want some of us saying, well, we follow Paul and we follow Apollos and we follow Christ. True story happening in Corinth. We don't want some of us speaking in tongues and then others not. And those that do look down on those who don't and say, you're less spiritual than we are. Cause we do. Like, true story happening in Corinth. Like Paul's saying, hey, you have moral diversity, you have theological diversity. It's causing division within your church and this is wrong. You're being influenced by your culture and you're taking on their moral perspective. You're being influenced by the culture and you're taking on their spiritual beliefs and you're intermixing it in what God has said. And it's causing all kinds of division. You're being influenced more by the culture than you're influencing the culture. And there's a mixing. And what happens when you mix, you dilute. And the more world you add to the church is not church growth. You're just less potent. You may be big, but you're not faithful. And Paul's calling them. This isn't what we're called to do. They were foolish in their cultural engagement. And you need to understand this, guys. Satan. And for some of you, that's new to this, like, you're just weirded out that I mentioned Satan. The scripture talks about this person clearly as an adversary against the church of God. Satan does not want to fight the church. He wants to join it. He wants to join it. I want to get in and just like, can we not talk about that? Because that's kind of offensive. Can we not do that? And can we twist that? Just twist it a little bit and just add some of the world to it. I just want to dilute it, to take away its potency and its power. And Paul's saying, don't lock up in mission and purpose and direction with people who don't see Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And then he asks five rhetorical questions to make his point. Let's look at this together. Verse 14. So he says, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. 4. There's a couple important fours in this text. He says, here's why, here's because. And then he's going to pose five questions. What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? It's the first question. Or what fellowship has light with darkness? Second question, or what accord has Christ with bellel? It's Satan. That's the third question. Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? Fourth question. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? That's your fifth question. He has five questions and the answer is it's clear to all of them. Nothing. Like they don't. They don't go together. They don't mix. They don't fit together. You wouldn't yoke those together. Now notice the words that he uses because it helps us understand what he means by yoked. So look at the words. Hope you have your Bible. Open partnership. What partnership has righteousness with all this? Fellowship. What fellowship has light with darkness? Accord. That word accord could be translated harmony. See any musical people in here? Like somebody sings a note, somebody else sings a different note, but they sound well together. He's like, these things don't sound well together. Christ and Satan. Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? Or what agreement. That could also mean pact. Like a pact you make with the temple of God and with idols. So he's saying, here's what it means to be yoke. Partnership, fellowship, accord, harmony, portion, agreement, pact. That's what I'm talking about. Don't look for that in people that don't treasure your Savior. Those things don't mix because there are things that don't mix righteousness and lawlessness doesn't mix light and darkness. It doesn't mix Christ and Satan. It doesn't mix believer and an unbeliever. Don't pull in the same direction. It doesn't mix God and idols. It doesn't mix a Christian and somebody who's full of greed. It doesn't mix a Christian and somebody who embraces yolo that mix a Christian and somebody who entertains themselves with sexual immorality. It doesn't mix a Christian who will get to church whenever they can, but shows an unwavering devotion to seventh grade girls volleyball. It doesn't mix. Paul's saying these things don't go together. It doesn't represent. And then he gives a theological reason why. Here's what he says next for. So you have another kind of because statement here. Here's why. We are the temple of the living God. Like, there's a deep truth behind these bold statements. We're the temple of the living God. Now, this is a shift. And we might not get this shift if we're not kind of entrenched in the first century. But this is a shift. See, the temple of God is where God dwelt. It's his presence, it's his power. And what was in the temple? I mean, there was a lot in the temple. What was the most prized possession in the temple kept in the best place? The Ark of the Covenant. Right? And there were times In Israel's history, where they would take the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them, you would think, if you're going to go into battle and you want to flex your muscles, let's bring a tank, right? Let's bring some bombers, let's bring some big weapons. What do they march in with? The Ark of the Covenant? Because you know what? They were flexing. We got God. We have the power and presence of our God. And that was housed in the temple. And the temple is where you encountered God. And now Paul is saying, we are the temple of the living God. He's kind of contrasting that with idols or dead. He's like, we're, we're the temple of the living God. As in, we are where people experience the presence of and power of God. And this theological truth has missional implications. See, for people of the world to encounter the living God, they don't have to journey to Jerusalem to go to the temple. We are the temple of the living God. And Paul's telling them, there's a temple in Corinth, there's a temple in Cedar Rapids. And there people can experience the power and presence of God among his people, his set apart people. But what if his people aren't set apart? What if his people aren't any different than everybody else in our culture? What if his people don't act different, don't behave different, don't live different? Where are people going to go to experience the power and presence of God? Guys, we got to get this. We are where people encounter the living God. We represent God. And if we're going to church and the temple prostitute, which was staircase, you're misrepresenting God. And if you're going to church and getting sloshed on the club or the bar on Saturday night, you're misrepresenting God. And if you go to church and watch those shows or handle that money that way, or do this with your time, that just looks like everybody else. We misrepresent God. But here's what's interesting. That's not the card that Paul plays, even though it's true. See, Paul gives an incentive motivation for holiness, not a responsible obligation to it. And maybe some of you grew up in a situation where holiness was talked about, but it always felt like this responsible obligation, just do it. It's the right thing. Just do it. And there was never an incentive motivation to it. Well, Paul doesn't do that. He. He doesn't bring out the whip. He brings out the carrot. Now he's still calling people to holiness. But he gives some incentive, motivation to it. So you're like, well, what's the incentive? That is a great question. Let's keep reading. He says this as God said, I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Here's what's happening. These are quotes taken from Leviticus 26 and Ezekiel 37. So what Paul did, he took part of a phrase from Leviticus 26 and part of a phrase from Ezekiel 37, and he made his own phrase. Now, let me just say that. Don't do that, okay? You don't get to do that. You don't get to mesh those things together. Paul does that, and he does it for a reason. It's part of the point he's making, because the context of which those come are part of the point that Paul's making. So he's like, I want you to understand what Paul says here. I want you to understand what Paul says here. I'm putting it together because I want you to understand what I'm getting at here. So here's the context of those things, because where he pulls them from matters. Leviticus 26 is about taking worship seriously. Obey God, don't make idols. Keep the Sabbath with reverence. And it's interesting, in that section, it ends with God reminding them that he rescued them out of Egypt and he broke their. What? Anybody got to guess what? He broke their yokes. They were under the yoke of slavery in Egypt. And he's like, I broke their yokes that you might walk upright. So in that kind, he's like, why are you going back to those yokes? You were yoked to a pagan world before. You were yoked with unbelievers, before you know how that worked out for you? Slavery. And it's where it leads again. Spiritual slavery. Like, why do you want to put those yokes back on? I set you free from those yokes. And then Jesus comes and he says, take my what yoke? It's light. My burden is easy. And then he goes into Ezekiel 37. And Ezekiel 37 comes out of a situation where he's talking about the valley of the Dry bones. Freaky chapter. You should read it. It's awesome. But there's this vision of a valley of just a bunch of bones, skeletons that come to life, and it's like a horror movie. Flesh comes on them. It's like the walking people. Then life is breathed into them, and it's this picture of revival. God said, I'm going to take dead people, I'm going to make them alive. I'm going to revive my people. I'm going to do a work among you. And this is the quote from that section. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the very next line is, and the nations will know that I am the Lord said, I'm going to do something among my people, and the world's going to know about it. I'm going to make a movement among my people. So you put these two quotes together from their context. Paul is saying to the Corinthians and to us, you take holiness seriously. You take the worship of God seriously. And I'm going to start walking among you. I'm going to do a movement of my power among you. So let me give you part of the big idea. I'll give it in parts. Here's the first part. Our holiness is key to our effectiveness for God. Our holiness is key to our effectiveness for God. You want to make a difference in this world? Don't try to fit into it. Be different, be set apart. Represent God. Don't mix where you shouldn't be mixing. You just dilute. You just dilute what should be represented. It's like salt that loses its saltiness. And I think the church, especially in America in the last 50 years, has missed this. In the name of relevance, we've tried to make Christianity more culturally appealing and less offensive. So don't say that, because our culture would react against that. And if you could kind of ignore these parts of scripture and focus on these parts of scripture, I think it would go better with the world. And if we could kind of just make Christianity more appealing to people and kind of compromise in that, then it'll be better. But hear me, church revival doesn't come when the culture prefers Christianity. It comes when Christians prefer God over the culture. Some of you didn't hear that. Revival doesn't come when the culture prefers Christianity. Revival comes when Christians prefer God over the culture. So listen, there is a connection between power and holiness. There is a connection between the power of God and your purity. God makes that connection. Like, you really want to see a change in this world. You really want to see a revival. You really want to experience the power of God. Here's where you begin. Stop looking at porn. Stop hoarding all your money just for you. Stop living for retirement instead of the kingdom. Stop entertaining yourself how everyone else entertains themself. Like that's where revival begins. A movement of God's power is not dependent upon our strategies or our programs or our relevance. But in Scripture, what's connected is God's power being moved by our devotion, our holiness. He says, seek me with all your heart. See what happens. Bring the full tithe and see what I do. Like, worship me as I call you to worship me. See how alive I am. Like, he's calling his people to do that. It's not just, don't, don't do that. That is a really cheap and shallow view of holiness. There's a vision to holiness. God saying, I'll move in power when my people are fully devoted to me. But it's not just about effectiveness. The promise is even sweeter than that. Look at verse 17 and 18 says, Therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing. Then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. So here's what we need to know. Here's the second part of our big idea. Our holiness is key to our effectiveness for God and our intimacy with God. It's key to our intimacy with God. Holiness is an invitation to intimacy with God. He's saying, hey, separate yourselves from them. Like, be uniquely mine in all, every practical way of life. And I'm going to be your father. You're going to be in my family. Like, he's inviting them and it's saying, go out from them. Be separate from them, touch no unclean thing. Then. Then this is the relationship that you're going to experience. And you might hear that and be like, man. That sounds really conditional. Are you saying that I have to repent in order to be saved? Yes, it's exactly what I'm saying. You know, no, no, no. We're saved by grace. You are, but not grace on your terms, it's not, yes, I'll take the grace of God and I'll continue to live in whatever way I want to live. That's not how it works. Nowhere do you get that idea in Scripture. That is not what God calls us to see. I think a problem that we have is a lot of us have a faith that admits that we're sinners, but we don't have a faith that admits that God's better than sin. So we end up just wanting salvation but not wanting holiness. You track with me on that. And what we need to understand is repentance is part of faith. It's the faith that says, I believe God is better. I prefer Christ. And that Leads to some radical change. Last week, if you missed it, Jamie and Jess, some missionaries of ours, were back visiting Southeast Asia and came up and shared with us a little on stage and then did some more sharing at the 11 o'clock service up in the classroom. But there was a time when Jamie was sharing about their work there and he told us a little bit about Eric, to pray for Eric. Do you guys remember that? He was praying for Eric. Eric is a student who grew up Buddhist and just different culture. And he was resistant to the gospel, but he's showing a lot of interest in it now. And he asked for prayer for Eric because he said if Eric became a Christian, that would mean a dramatic change in his life. And everybody kind of chuckled because, well, yeah, but here's the problem. We fall into thinking that for us to become a Christian doesn't mean a dramatic change in our life because we're an American, but it does. Holiness is not just running from sin in which this culture is entrenched in so much so we don't even notice it all the time. It's running to God, which calls for dramatic change. Now, I want us to see this in the larger context because it matters. Because you might feel like this seems disconnected, like Paul talking about, you're a new creation in Christ and we get the righteous of Christ and he's not counting our sins against us. And then this kind of call to holiness. It seems like Paul took a hard left turn, but he didn't. They're connected and we need to see how they're connected. So if you go back to chapter five, he's saying, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, or for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God for our sake. He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. What a beautiful gospel presentation. And then he says, I'm appealing to you. Do not receive the grace of God in vain. Don't take this beautiful gospel message and just kind of half go about in the halfway. Like, don't just kind of lazily go about it. Don't be a Christian. In name only. Like, he's. He's challenging them to really buy into it. And now he's calling us to not yoke up with unbelievers. I mean, he's getting practical. So what's the connection? So Paul talks about positional holiness in chapter five. Like that's something that God has done on our behalf. We didn't do it. Christ did it. He accomplished it on the cross. We have his righteousness. But then in chapter six, he's talking about practical holiness. Live this way. Don't do this. So what's the connection between the two? Because you're going to find some churches that all they preach to you is practical holiness. Don't do this. Don't do this. This is wrong. This is sin. Say no to this. That's all you get is behavior. And then you're going to get some churches that all they want to talk about is, God loves you. God loves you. He died for you. You're special. Just kind of all that. And they never call you to any holiness. But the key is both exist in Scripture, and we need to talk about them both. We don't just need to talk about them both. We need to see and understand how they're connected. And here you have Paul talking about one in chapter five and going right to the other in chapter six. So within the same context, he's getting at both guys. Practical holiness is only possible because of positional holiness. I want you to get that. Practical holiness is only possible because of positional holiness. Or you can put it this way. The only sin we can effectively say no to is a forgiven sin. The only sin that you can have victory over in your life is a forgiven sin. And here's what I mean by that. The work of Christ on the cross not only atoned for the offense of sin before a holy God on judgment, but it also breaks the practical power over sin in our lives. If you believe it. If you. So let me look at this. This is First Peter, chapter one. He says, as obedient children. So he's talking about obedience. Do not be conformed to the passions of your former life. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your. What? What's that word? Conduct. Like the way that you live. Sense. Now I want you to remember that word sense. Okay? Lock that in your mind since it was written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on him as Father, who judges impartially according to each one's. What's that word? Deeds. And then the other one, conduct, like to go back to action how we live our lives. Conduct yourselves with fear throughout your time, at the time of your exile here on earth, knowing that you were ransomed from your. From the futile. And then what's the next word? Ways. Like the ways of life, the ways that you live inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb, without blemish or spot. So the blood of Christ, Jesus Christ's work on the cross ransoms us from our ways, our ways of life, our conduct, our deed. It impacts how we live. Christ died to reconcile you back to God and change the way you live. So is that true for you? Do you live differently because of the cross of Jesus Christ? And how does that work? Because I think often we like, okay, I get he died for my sins. He covers that. But how does him dying for my sins help me not live in sin? Like, practically? How does it change my ways? Well, let's go back to our text, because you see it here, it gets applied here. If you can see how Paul applies it here to their practical struggle, then you can apply it to your practical struggle. What was their problem? What was their temptation? They were a church, a group of people that was more influenced by the culture than they were influenced in the culture. They wanted to fit in. They wanted to be like. Like, what's the problem? Right? In the first verse, you're yoking up with the wrong people. You're looking for fellowship and belonging and harmony and accord with people that you're not meant to. You want to belong. That's what's driving you to compromise. And then what does he say? Verse 17. And therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing. Then I will what, welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me. You see that? It's like, hey Corinthians, you want to belong. You want partnership and you want fellowship and you want harmony and you want agreement and you want a pact. I'll give you belonging. I'll be your dad, and you can be in my family, and I will welcome you. And there's no belonging the world can offer you that I'm offering you. Like you have ultimate belonging in me, if that's what you really want. You want a yoke? I got a yoke. And my yoke is easy. My burden is light. Come here to me. Belong here with me and belonging to God, or reconciliation, as he puts it in chapter five, is only possible because of the cross of Christ. We have his righteousness, that's positional holiness. But because we have his righteousness, because we are positionally holy, then he's saying, okay, then practically do this. And you see this in Hebrews chapter 10. So Hebrews, chapter 10. Oh, you did you go 18. All right. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no. He did that. 19. Because I was like, we can't start 19. Because it starts with the. Therefore, that's how good our slide people are. It's like, I'll add a verse. So he says, where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering of sin. Tremendous news. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, through his death on the cross. And what's the next word? Sense. Right. Remember I said hold on to that word sense. Like, there, you see? Again, sense. We have a great priest over the house of God. Then what did he say next? Let us. And there's actually three letters. We're not going to look at all of them. He says, let us do this, let's do this. But it's like, since this is true, let us do this. Like, sense this, then this. Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, with our heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Since we have a savior, since we can approach a holy God, since we've been given the righteous of Christ, let us do this. And that's the same argument that Paul's making in our text. So go back to our text. Let's look at verse one of chapter seven. What's the very first word? Okay, just those who can read. What is it? All right, since we have these promises, Time out. What promises? What promises? This promise of like, hey, you take your holiness seriously. I'm going to move among you. You're going to see my power. I'm going to stir up revival. You take your holiness seriously. I'm going to draw close to you. I'm going to be intimate with you. I'm going to be your dad. You're going to be in my family. Those promises. So since we have these promises, beloved, then what? Let us. Same thing. Like, since this is true, then let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the Fear of God. Positional holiness and practical holiness go together. If you believe in the gospel, live like it. God is better. Pursue him, prefer him. And he ends by saying, in the fear of God. And that has two meanings that are both applied here. One, fear means fear. Same word, it means fear. And he's saying, don't take this lightly. God will not be mocked. You will not trick him by coming to church every now and then when you're really living in love with the world that's not going to fly. And cut it. So fear the Lord, Take him seriously. But fear also has a meaning of reverence. He's saying, in the fear of the Lord. It's like there is nobody or nothing as wonderful as God. Prefer him, pursue him, choose him. So three clear imperatives in our text. Verse 14. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Verse 17. Go out from their midst, be separate from them. Touch no unclean thing. And then verse one. Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion. Guys, separation from the world is part of following Christ. It's not Christ. And I get a party how I want, when I want, it's not Christ. And I get to sleep with whoever I want, when I want, it's not Christ. And I get to watch whatever I want, when I want, it's not Christ. And I'll wear whatever I want, how I want, it's not Christ. And I'll do with my money whatever I want to do with my money. It's I implore you, be reconciled to God. Choose God. All in on God. Now, notice this, because this is important. It's the amazing promises of God that motivate our holiness. You see that since we have these promises, Paul gives them a carrot, not a whip. Good news drives good behavior. So if there's a behavior problem, there's a news problem. And for some people that are so embracing this world, they don't know the news. They don't know what's offered to them. They don't know what Christ has done on their behalf. They don't know a new creation is possible. They don't know that in Christ Jesus God is not counting the trespasses against them. And then you have some people that are just embracing this world because they don't really believe that God is better, that God will satisfy, that God will deliver, that God will draw close. And Paul's telling them and us, I implore you, take God seriously. Be reconciled to God. Go all in with God. And if you do, he will move among you. And if you do, he will draw close to you. So where are you mixing? Where in your life do you have things that don't mix with the call to holiness? Maybe you handle money the same way an unbeliever would handle money. Maybe you watch the shows any unbeliever would watch. Maybe your calendar looks like any unbeliever's calendar. Maybe you talk like any unbeliever would talk. Maybe you dress how any unbeliever would dress. What if we did? What if we took holiness seriously? What if we actually believed the promises in this text? God said, I'll walk among you, I'll breathe life, you'll see my power, and I'll draw close to you. You won't belong. I'll be your dad and you'll be my kids. Is there anything better than that? So as we take communion and you remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross on your behalf, you have a sense. Since this is true, since we have a great high priest, since we have a sacrifice for sin, then let us live for him wholeheartedly. So I hope, Church, that our time of communion would be a time of repentance, and our time of repentance would be a time of excitement. What might happen when we turn to a living God and believe his promises? Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would indeed wake us up from this trance of just trying to live our best life now, from not really believing the promise that true life lies in you, preferring to yoke ourselves with things that just enslave and burden us, rather than to you, which is life giving, break our pride, teach us to hate our sin, give us a hunger for you. Help us believe your promise that when we turn from sin and run to you, we will be met by you. Pray this in your name. Amen.