We are looking for sermon transcribers/transcript reviewers.
Email [email protected] to serve or to report transcription errors.

I'd like us to look at 2nd Corinthians, chapter 6 today. And straightforward, we're going to look at the subject of "Unequal Yoke".

To those who are new, you may find this a very funny strange sounding title, "What do you mean by unequal yoke? Are you talking about two different kinds of egg yolks?" I ... I want you to know that the yoke here is a different spelling, altogether. Unequal yoke in 2nd Corinthians 6 is YOKE, egg yolk is YOLK. So, it's not this kind.

Another question people have with regard to unequal yoke is, "Is this a passage that tells me I cannot date or marry an unbeliever?" So even this cartoon, they will say, "I can't date you, we are unequally yoked."

Well, this question can extend even to, "Can I do business with someone who is not a Christian? Can I go to school with someone who is not a Christian? Can I be in the same project as someone who is not a Christian?" What does it mean to be unequally yoked?

That's what we're going to look at this morning.

[1] Paul Quelling
The passage before us is actually a very straightforward one. I think number one, we see that Paul is trying to stop something. Paul is quelling some activities, some unhealthy relationships.

Because he says, "Do not be unequally yoked." [2 Cor 6:14] Again, mind you, YOKE not YOLK er YOLK, yup, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." Now, this is a reference to something that has been prohibited in Deuteronomy. Now, this is the Old Testament long time ago, when Israel was led by God. God said to them, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together." [Deut 22:10]

The "yoke" here YOKE, is used to draw two animals together to plow the fields. A yoke looks something like this, it's a wooden beam that you place on the neck of two animals, so that you can harness the strength of both animals in plowing the field. Sometimes, one animal is just a little bit not strong enough, two makes it easier. So, they do that in ancient agrarian culture.

The Deuteronomy text says, "You shall not plow an ox and a donkey together." Because there are two different kinds of animals, with two different characters; instincts and strength. They do not do well together! You can't put the two of them under the same yoke and, and expect them to plow a straight line. It doesn't work!

So Paul, understanding and referring to this ancient agrarian prohibition by God in Deuteronomy says, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." And I think contextually, he's referring to that unhealthy and excessively close relationship between the people of God and the idolaters in their day.

Because he says in verse 16, "What agreement has the temple of God with idols?" Now, he also clarifies that the "temple of God" here is not the building, it's not the bricks and mortar. Immediately, he says, "For we are the temple of God."

So, he's saying that the people of God should not have anything to do with people who are practicing idolatry. What agreement, what partnership does the two of you have together? Now, you must understand that the Corinthians were a people who struggled with idolatry, probably quite a lot of them came out of such idolatrous backgrounds. Before they came to faith in Jesus Christ, before they turned to God, they were idolaters.

And so even after they became Christians, they still had that tendency to go back to their usual activities, and to their usual friends, to their usual gangs. And they would go perhaps to eat with the idolaters in the temples. We know that this was the issue because in 1st Corinthians, we journeyed through 1st Corinthians before we came to 2nd Corinthians, and in chapter 8, we are told that, "There was some of them who were seen eating in an idol's temple." [1 Cor 8:10]

They are Christians already! But they couldn't help it as it were, they went back to their old temple and ate with the idolaters there. It's the idols feast, usually part of a worship, ritual or program.

Not only that, idolatry in ancient times, is often related to promiscuity, immorality, and that was probably what they were also involved in. Paul had to say in 1st Corinthians 10:7, "Do not be idolaters as some of them were."

So, it was a real danger, the Corinthians were in danger of committing idolatry. But he did not only talk about idolatry, he also says, Paul says, "We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in a single day." [1 Cor 10:8]

Now these two verses, you see, "The people sat down to eat and drink, a rose up to play," they had sexual orgies. These two verses are referring to the incident in Exodus 32. When Moses went up to receive the 10 commandments, Aaron fashioned a golden calf from the gold that he had received. People worshiped the calf, Aaron said, "This is the God who led you out of Egypt." They worshipped that idol, they committed idolatry and there was sexual promiscuity right on the spot.

So the Corinthians, now we did not live in Corinth 2,000 years ago, but based on the evidences pieced together, the people of the church at Corinth were in danger, or if not already practicing idolatry — eating in idol temples, and even sexual promiscuity.

And that may be the reason why Paul also said to them, "Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? [1 Cor 6:15] Because it was common that you have temple prostitutes in those days. As we have said, idolatry, immorality are often related together.

So, the Corinthians struggled with this, and Paul had to say, "Flee from sexual immorality." As he would say again, in 1st Corinthians 10, verse 14, "Flee from idolatry." [1 Cor 6:18] And I suppose, that's why he says, "You stop going there, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers."

When I was young, there was a period of time that my mom told me I was not growing well. I mean physically, I thought that's quite a surprise thing, how fat I got in primary school. But before primary school, I think I was not growing that well. So she went to the medical hall, Chinese medical hall, got a medicine. It's not ... it's not a pill, it's like a ball, you know. I can't remember how I ate it but it's a ball. And he says ... she says to me, "This is for your kam zek". [Hokkien dialect]

You know what is "kam zek" or not? Kam zek is not "kam jia jui" [sugar cane juice in Hokkien dialect] ah, not the, not sugar cane ah! Kam zek is a disease where you have that infestations of worms. So, she suspected that I'm not growing well despite eating quite a bit, because whatever food I'm eating goes to the worms that are infecting my body. So I'm feeding the worms, not feeding myself and you need to take the medicine to get rid of the worms.

Of course, we don't see as many cases nowadays, but there are parasites. There are parasitic infections around the world, especially in third world countries. Sometimes the worms can be seen on the scope, sometimes they can be seen on microscope. Sometimes they are seen visibly, very big ones and there can be a lot that comes ...

This one not 冬虫草 [dōngchóngcǎo, cordyceps in Chinese] ah, this is worms ah! Not ... not Cordyceps, worms, alright? So they ... they can come out from the body, and you know how it is, right? So for those of you who are maybe of an older generation, you may even know of worms crawling out of the backside, or you see things coming out of your faeces. Worm infections!

Why do people get worms? Why do they get infected? Because they play around in soils. You play there, sometimes you have a break of skin, it can infect through the breakage of skin or sometimes you do not wash your hands. You put things in your mouth and that's how you get the parasites, you get the worms. Not ... not the full worm, you'll not be so stupid as to see it in the adult form, but in the infant form, in the egg form, it can be ingested and you can get infected, as a result.

I think the Corinthians are playing in soil. They're going to idol's temple, and inadvertently they catch the worms of sin into their lives. So the Apostle Paul says , "Do not go there." This is a strong command, it's written in the imperative in the Greek. In other words, it's not written as a suggestion, it's a command. And if I may say, this is a present imperative.

In other words, he's not saying, "Don't go there in case you get it." He's saying, "Stop going there, stop being unequally yoked." It's the present imperative, it implies they are already doing this. And Paul is saying, "Don't do it anymore. Stop it!"

So, the apostle Paul is concerned about their spiritual growth. Remember chapter 6, verse 1, "My concern is that you receive the grace of God in vain." "You... you do not allow God's grace to produce in you the necessary fruit. You are found unfruitful, you're not growing in Him. And one of the reasons is because you are going to the soil, and you're catching the worms of idolatry, and it's eating you up. So, stop that!"

[2] Paul Questioning
The second thing Paul seeks to do, well, in this text is to support his call to quell this practice by alluding to five kinds or five questions, volley after volley of rhetorical questions.

Now, that's a language device Paul has used quite a bit in our study in the book of 2nd Corinthians or 1st Corinthians 2. A rhetorical question is a question you ask, not because you need an answer, because the answer is very obvious. But the question you ask to prove a point emphatically. So, he asks a volley or five volleys of questions:

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? [2 Cor 6:14] What kind of partnership can lawlessness and righteousness have? The answer? Nothing!

He goes on to ask:
Or what fellowship has light with darkness? [2 Cor 6:14] Nothing!

What accord has Christ with Belial? [2 Cor 6:15]

"What is Belial," you say. Please remember the word so that you don't name your son or daughter Belial, that will be quite sad. The word, "Belial" means worthless in its meaning, and most people associate this with Satan himself. Christ, and Satan as opposing ends, as it were.

So what accord has ... what kind of friendship, commonality does Christ have with Belial? Nothing!

Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? [2 Cor 6:15]

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? [2 Cor 6:16] And the "temple" here is referring to people, "For we are the temple of the living God. [2 Cor 6:16]

So, time after time, five questions in a row, just to prove a simple thing. From every angle and no matter how you see it, there can be no agreement between the two. What has a Christian got to do with idolator in the idols temple, in the idolatrous practices? Absolutely nothing!

So, the questions are designed to cause the Corinthians to have some self-reflection and realization.

[3] Paul Quoting
Paul questions them, and now we see Paul quoting.

He's gonna refer to some Old Testament texts, as he said, "As God said, ..." [2 Cor 6:16] that will be the line that links us to this next section. So he says in verse 16, "... I will make My dwelling ..." This is God speaking, of course, this is Paul quoting God speaking, of course.

He says, "I will make My dwelling among them, and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
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." [2 Cor 6:16-18]

So, he cleverly combines different sayings in the Old Testament and puts across a case for them not to be unequally yoked with the unbelievers, in particular the idolaters. I want to share with you where these quotes are from.

Now, when we read the Bible, it's very common for us to be lazy and say, "Okay, I get your point," and we move on. But there's something helpful when we consider the source of these quotes.

So for example, the first verse, "I will make My dwelling among them," and so on and so forth is taken from Leviticus 26:11-12. You can see that the similarity is high. Now, Paul does not quote verbatim, word for word, but it's a close quotation, nonetheless from Leviticus 26.

The second quotation, "Therefore come out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord and touch no unclean thing," is taken from Isaiah 52:11, "Depart, depart, go out from their touch no unclean thing."

The third quotation, "Then I will welcome you," is likely taken from Ezekiel 20 and verse 34. "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered." "I will bring you to Myself, I welcome you to Myself."

The fourth quotation, "And I will be a daughter [sic Father] to you and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty," is taken from 2nd Samuel 7 and verse 14, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a son."

Well and good we identify from the next Leviticus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, 2nd Samuel. But there's something I never realized until the commentators helped me to realize, and that is this. In every quotation, in every of these texts, Leviticus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, 2nd Samuel, they are all in the immediate context referring to idolatrous practices. Let me show it to you.

Leviticus 26 is the first quotation, verses 11 to 12, but preceding 11 to 12 is verse 1, which sets that whole command ... commands in the right context. "You shall not make idols for yourselves," then besides other things, "I will dwell among you. Don't practice idolatry, and I will make My dwelling among you." That's the idea here! So, quotation in the context of idolatry.

Same thing for Isaiah 52:11, "Depart, depart, go out from them; touch no unclean thing," and you know that it follows up with, "go out from the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD."

Now, Isaiah 52 is written as a kind of instruction to Israel, that after the Babylonian captivity, after they were brought out of Israel to be a captive people in Babylon, they will one day go back to Jerusalem, God will bring them back. But when they go back to Jerusalem, be very clear, don't take anything from the Babylonian worship sets or rituals. Don't touch their unclean things, especially the priests, they are to bear, they are to carry the instruments and the vessels that were used for traditional Judaistic worship only. "Make sure you don't touch the idolatrous worship sets." That's the idea!

And then, we see in Ezekiel chapter 20:34, "I will bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered." What is the context? Again, in verse 30 to 32, "Will you defile ..." that's about just one or two verses before 34, right? "Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with your all your idols to this day." [Eze 20:30-31]

So, idolatrous worship is scary. You don't offer only chicken and egg or pork, you offer children. And that's the context there! Verse 34, er 32, "What is in your mind shall never happen — the thought, "Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone". No, don't do that! Verse 34 then follows, "I will bring you out from the peoples." So, it's in the context of idolatry.

Again, 2nd Samuel, that's the fourth quotation, "I will be to him a Father and he shall be to Me a son." [2 Sam 7:14] And it follows after verse 13, "He shall build a house for My Name." So, it's about the temple, or about the worship of God.

So in all these instances, temple and idolatry are the immediate contextual clues. And that's why Paul chose these verses in his exhortation to the Corinthians, who are guilty of going to the soil of idolatry and catching the worms of sin.

Now, there's something else a little bit more chim [complex in Hokkien dialect], I'm not even sure if it is correct. But I read it, I thought it's interesting, I'll just share it with you, because sermon today not so long. Now, I'm... I'm not sure actually, I may go over time, but I'll still say it.

Notice that the quotation in 2nd Samuel 7:14 is, "He shall be to me a son." Okay? But when Paul quotes it, he actually says, "And you shall be sons and daughters." [2 Cor 6:18]

Now, that's interesting! Why does Paul suddenly go and add, "and daughters"? Commentators suggest perhaps he wants to emphasize the equality of men and women. In the ... in Christ, there is now no more Jews or Gentile, male or female, bond or free. So, he wants to emphasize that, that's possible. Paul doesn't quite explain it.

But there's someone who also explained that there is a possibility that Paul is quoting another text here. So, 2nd Samuel is only, "And I'll be a Father to you." But the following text may be a quotation from Deuteronomy, chapter 32:19. His suggestion is that, "The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and daughters." This is the phrase that is taken.

And the reason he says this, is because Deuteronomy 32 is a chapter that Paul used quite a bit to talk about idolatry in 1st Corinthians chapter ... 1st Corinthians, chapter 10. For example, in Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 16, "They stirred Him to jealousy with strange gods ..." Idolatry, right? Foreign gods. "... with abominations they provoked Him to anger."

Paul saw this ... he is a super expert in ... in the Word of God. And he referred to it in 1st Corinthians, chapter 10, and verse 22. He talked about it, he used this verse. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 17, "They sacrifice to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known." And Paul again, use this in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, and verse 20. So, it is not altogether strange that Paul would again refer to Deuteronomy 32 and refer it here.

Now, whether you take that or not, I think it's really debatable, but the main point I'm trying to prove to you is that Paul, in quoting these Old Testament promises and commands are really dealing with the issue of idolatry. Because that is the context of each and every quotation, we've read. Whether you take it to include Deuteronomy 32 or not, they all prove that they are regarding idolatry.

So Paul, seeks to quell this unhealthy association with idolatry. The Corinthians are playing in the soil and catching the worms of sin, hindering their spiritual growth. Possibly resulting in them receiving the grace of God in vain or at least in danger of doing that.

In order to do this, he uses the literary device of rhetorical questions, to cause them to reflect upon themselves and realize for themselves, how ridiculous, preposterous their actions really are! He quotes from the Old Testament, God's commands and promises, so that they may be called out.

And he finally ends in chapter 7 verse 1. Now, this is where I don't think the chapter divisions are so well executed, because I think this section should end in chapter 7 verse 1 and not verse 18. Because it's clear, "Since..." Huh, and you have to link it to verses 16 and 18.

So, "Since we have these promises," that God will dwell with us, we will be His people, He will receive us, we will be His sons and daughters. "Since we have this wonderful promises beloved," [2 Cor 7:1] "Don't feel shortchanged should you leave the past entirely. Don't feel shortchanged that you can't be with your old friends anymore, I will be your God. Don't feel that you're the loser, no, you're the gainer! You're the winner, because God is going to make His presence and blessings obvious and clear to you."

"I have these promises, therefore," Paul says. "... Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement. [2 Cor 7:1] The word, "defilement" is interesting. It is the only time it occurs in the entire New Testament. And it's a word that refers to religious or worship related defilement.

So, "cleanse ourselves from every defilement," religious or worship related defilement of body and spirit," probably meaning your entire life, "... bringing holiness to completion ..." Let that intended end be seen to, that you will be mature and fruitful in God, "... in the fear of the God." [2 Cor 7:1]

And that is something that we kind of looked at in 2nd Corinthians 5, knowing the terror of the Lord or the fear of the Lord. So Paul, really look ... so, at the end of the day, this text is quite simple. It begins with this call, "do not be unequally yoked." He gives a few questions to cause them to reflect upon their actions. He quotes the Old Testament to encourage the Corinthians with regard to the wonderful promises of God, and he ends it all with saying, "Get out of there, cleanse yourself."

So like my mum probably, "Don't play in the soil anymore, and please take your kam zek medicine." "Cleanse yourself of all the worms, so that you're rid of this issue, or infection with idolatry."

This is the text before us. Actually, the issue is dealing with idolatry, but because of this great attention and focus on unequal yoke, I, I thought it would be good for us to deal with some questions, as well.

FAQ
So I ... I like to have some FAQs, frequently asked questions, so that we may clarify our thinking and understanding of this text.

Q1. Can I do business with a non-Christian?
Number one, can I do business with a non-Christian?

How? Can you do business with a non-Christian? Can you buy and sell with a non-Christian? You enter a contract with them, you know! You're bound to the contract with them, you know! You are joining together with them in their business, okay? Can or not?
Matthias says, "Yeah," because you're not businessman, what! Can or not?

Let me ask you even more challenging one. Can I be a business partner with a non-Christian? No. How about lawyers? I ... I... I... I just saw a lawyer in front of me, so I asked. Lawyers, can or not? You know lawyers how they function, right?" Partners. So if you want to be a lawyer in a firm, you must make sure and if you're promoted to partner level, you must make sure all your partners are Christians. Hah, have ah, so many meh? How, can you be a partner? This is tricky, right? Because we are so used to saying, "No."

Now, hold your horses, don't throw stones at me first. Let me finish explaining then ... then you decide whether you want to throw tomatoes or stones at me, alright.

Can I do business with a non-Christian? Huh, wah suspense ah! I think based on this text, let me say that first, based on this text, Paul is not teaching withdrawal from social or commercial activities, but from idolatrous religious activities. I labor throughout the exposition to show to you that Paul is actually quite specific and precise. He is not forbidding social, commercial activities, but he's saying, "Do not be a part of those religious idolatrous practice or activities."

Number one, he talks about agreement of the temple of God, the people of God with idols. [v16]

Number two, all the quotes are contextually based on idolatry or the temple.

Number three, the word, "defilement" is a religious or a worship related defilement.

Number four, Paul calls for engagement with the world elsewhere in his letter.

1st Corinthians 5:9-10, "I wrote to you in my letter, not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world ... since then you will need to go out of the world."

Paul, in 1st Corinthians 5 is saying, "If you have a Christian brother, who calls himself Christian, but who is living in immorality, what do you do?" Separate from him, because you need him to realize that he's doing wrong, you need the world to realize that such practice is not endorsed in the Church of Jesus Christ. But when it comes to non-Christian, you do not avoid them, because if you really want to avoid them, you cannot live in this world. Because everybody is sinning in some way or another.

So, Paul does not call from disengagement from this world. So that means, I can actually eat with them, I can have coffee with them, I can maybe play basketball with them. I can even maybe transact or do business with them, I don't think Paul is forbidding this.

1st Corinthians 10:27, "If one of the unbelievers invite you to dinner ..." You say, "No lah, I'm a Christian, you're not Christian, cannot go your house, dirty." Piak, wah lau, what kind of friend is this! You will have no friends. And you will ... you will not be able to witness to anybody. Paul says, "If your unbeliever friend invites you to dinner, go, whatever he lays before you eat. Unless he tells you, "Er ... this one pai kuay [have been offered to idols in Hokkien dialect] one ah." Then you say, "Sorry, I can't eat lah!" But you can go to his house, you can be social, you can be friends, you can be kawan-kawan [friends in Malay] with all your unbelieving friends.

So, Paul is not restricting social or if I may say commercial activities, but religious idolatrous activities. Jesus Himself, ate and drank with sinners and publicans. Jesus Himself calls His people, the salt and the light of the world. Jesus prays for the church, prays to the Father to preserve them, but not to take them out of the world. They need to be in the world!

So, I don't think this is saying that Christians cannot do business or relate or be friends with non-Christians. The context, the teaching here, I think is specific to idolatrous worship practices.

And if you think about it, for that matter — can I go school with a non-Christian?

How come school can, business cannot leh! If you say cannot, then you have to prove it by withdrawing your child from Rosyth Primary School lah! "I cannot do business with my business partner," then don't let your child study in the ... if he's a Christian, don't let him study in a secular school because he will be bound to many unbelieving friends, do project with many unbelieving friends. Cannot be ... well, nobody does that!

Some of you may after this sermon, I do not know, but I hope you will not be misguided in that sense. Can I play basketball with non-Christians? We are bound in the same team you know! You see, how ridiculous it can go, if you're not careful about it.

Now, please ah, don't go around and say, "Pastor Jason say can partner with non-Christians, so I look for non-Christian business friend already." I'm not saying that you should, I'm not saying that, that is the best choice you can make. I'm just saying this text does not explicitly prohibit these things. Whether you want to partner with a non-Christian partner or a Christian partner is a wisdom decision, but not ... it is not a scripturally prohibited decision.

Alright, so please don't go around and say, "PJ say I should go to unbelieving partner or unbelieving school. He said that's the best thing to do!" I'm not saying that! I'm just saying that conventionally we have thought that this verse prohibits all these things, I don't think contextually it is.

2. Can I marry an unbeliever?
Second question - Can I marry an unbeliever?

Aah, what do you think? No ah? Hah, can or not? No. So, I only hear no. Can I marry an unbeliever? Yes ah, hah, hah. You're not at a marriageable age yet, so ...

Well, some people say, don't marry a donkey. They kind of understand from the logic that if it's an ox and a donkey, meaning the ox refers to the Christian and the donkey refers, maybe not the Christian, you will end up like this. You want to serve God but the donkey don't want to, what to do? And maybe that's why people have the cartoon that we started out with, right? I can't date you, we are unequally yoked, wrong yoke but I think you get the point.

This is a very common statement, this is a very common belief and practice. But let's come to this, can I marry an unbeliever?

Drumroll ... again, before you throw tomatoes at me, let me finish first, then you decide. Okay, first one, I see no tomatoes yet, the second one is this, or ... or the second question, I think is this, contextually there is no mention of marriage in this.

Okay, there is no mention of marriage. But even though it is, or marriage is not explicitly referred to in this text, Paul does say in 1st Corinthians 7:39, "A wife is bound to a husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes only in the Lord."

So, I think 2nd Corinthians 7 does not, or 2nd Corinthians 6 does not really talk about unequal yoke in the sense of marriage, I think it is in the sense of idolatrous worship activities. Nevertheless, other parts of Scripture tells us that we should not marry unbelievers, if you're a believer, that is. Alright, I think that's pretty clear!

3. So shall I divorce an unsaved spouse?
"So, if you say I cannot marry an unbeliever, the follow-up question is shall I divorce my unsaved spouse then? "He's a donkey. He really is the donkey, I want to get rid of him. Can I divorce him?"

Well, the choice is available before you're married, but after you're married, you should not divorce him. The Bible is clear, 1st Corinthians 7:13-14, "For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife and unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband."

God actually still has this intent for you that you were married, then you got saved, then stay in this marriage to be a blessing to him. You don't divorce him. But if he wants to divorce, if she wants to divorce, then let it be so. "In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace." [1 Cor 7:15]

I think we looked at this quite elaborately in the 1st Corinthians 7 series, I just want to highlight the different situations and principles involved once again.

"Ah, how about this? Shall, not, not about leaving my spouse, but should I leave my non-Christian company? "Unequal yoke, pastor, my company, a lot of non-Christians, I cannot take it you know! I want to leave. I ... I... I want to obey unequal yoke." Again, I think contextually, you're using this text for the wrong thing, lah! Because even in 1st Corinthians is pretty clear, and actually this really emphasizes the point that I think Paul is specific about religious idolatrous practices in 2nd Corinthians 6.

Because in 1st Corinthians 7:20-24, he says, "Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called." And he's specifically talking about the slave, "You are slave, you are a servant of the family, now you got saved, you come to know Jesus. Maybe your master is not a Christian, do you say, "Ay, you're not a Christian, I cannot serve you anymore."'

Paul says, "Actually no, you should stay where you are called, you abide in the same calling wherein you're called." Now, if you can have the means to gain your freedom, by all means do that. But if you're not able to, it is not wrong, it is not sinful for you to remain where you are. Don't worry about it, you can still serve an unsaved boss. If you're in an unsaved ... in a company where I see most companies are filled with people who do not know Jesus, that does not mean you sin, that does not mean you have to get out.

"So brothers in whatever condition each was called, let there, let him remain with God." [1 Cor 7:24] Alright, I think that's pretty clear.

4. Can I go idolatrous temple for worship?
Final question I have: Can I go idolatrous temple for worship? If you say yes, I got to start all over again. So, I'm glad I hear nothing like that.

Can I perform their religious rituals? Well, it gets tricky during funerals, right? Or maybe during special remembrance days in different religions. Can I eat food offered to idols? These questions I think are answered emphatically so far in 1st Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians - No.

But let me say this, even if you should refuse, do it nicely. I think a lot of people, we ... because we know the truth, we are very harsh. Because we know the truth, we kind of feel like we are superior to others, and we bulldoze our way. No, no, be respectful, be gentle, be explaining yourself as lovingly, and as kindly as you can to your relatives or to the people around you who expect you to perform some of these things. But I think the answer is no, and there are a few reasons why.

Number one, you may stumble others. That's a reason that is referred to in 1st Corinthians 8. If you eat in idol's temple, you would cause your brothers to see that and think that it is okay, and they will do the same thing and their consciences will be defiled. You will stumble others, that's not good. So, we don't do that!

Number two, it hinders your spiritual life. Just like what Paul is talking about here, you may be in danger of receiving the grace of God in vain. You're not allowing grace to produce the fruit in your life, and that's not healthy. You catch the worms of sin.

And number three, it provokes God. Deuteronomy 32, verse 16, "You provoke Me to anger and jealousy." That's not right! So, for these reasons, one for people, one for yourself, one for God. The answer is an emphatic no.

I thought these FAQs, I hope will be helpful to you, but let me close with a simple segue application if I may. I... I... I suppose not all of you come out from idolatrous backgrounds, so you may feel like, "This sermon okay, interesting for some facts here and there, but I'm not really involved in idolatry, nothing to do with me."

Well, there's a verse that says, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry." [Col 3:5]

You may not go to the idolatrous temples to worship idols made of wood or stone. But Singaporeans, myself included, can be so tempted to go back to this god called money and fame and wealth and power. And that is idolatry!

You know, when you are involved in idola ..., in covetousness, it is not as obvious, it is more subtle than worshiping stones and wood. But it is equally damaging, because when people see you covetous in your life, the way you ... the way you drive yourself or some of the material goals, the way you sell yourself to obtain these stuff, it stumbles them. It hinders your spiritual life, and it grieves and provokes God.

Do you live in a way that is distinct from idolatrous people? To many ... for many I fear the only difference between our lives and theirs is 90 minutes on Sunday morning. For 90 minutes and in Gospel Light, may not be even 90 minutes, but for 90 minutes, you come to church, they stay at home. But apart from that, you live the same way as they do, practically idolatrous.

The Bible tells us, "Put to death these things," kill these things, repent of these sins, stop being involved in these things. Stop going to the soil of idolatry or covetousness, come out, because I will be your God. You don't have to fear you lose out. You will never lose out, I will be with you. You will be My sons and daughters." And may the promises of God in 2nd Corinthians 6 encourage you to live a life that pleases Him.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Perhaps today, you are involved and you know you are neck deep in covetousness. Christianity to you is just a weekly routine of paying your dues on Sunday morning, but right after service, what you're thinking about is business, sales, commissions, earnings, profits, titles, ranks, houses, cars, bags, net-worth.
You worship the god of mammon like everybody else.

Do you know how many people might have stumbled by you? Do you know how you are allowing these worms of covetousness to suck up whatever nutrients you're feeding on? Do you know how your God feel? Don't join in a worship of foreign gods. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.

There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunge beneath that flood and lose all that guilty stains. Today we can confess our sins, today we can come back to God, I pray today there will be a tremendous U-turn in your life, that you will not live for this world. For what profits a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul. Love God, love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Serve Him and Him alone today.

Some of you may be practitioners of idol worship, my friends, there is forgiveness for you. The God of the Bible hates idolatry, because the infinite, majestic, supreme and glorious God cannot and must not be represented by created things. It is a travesty, it is an insult to Him.

Though He is angry at sin and idolatry, He is also the God of love who has sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and pay for your sins. I urge you today to turn from sin and to look to Jesus, He went to the cross and died so that He may save you from your sins. And I pray today you may turn and believe upon Him.

So, Father this morning we thank You for Your Word. We pray for a church that will be serious about loving You, serving You in the fear of the Lord. I pray for a people today who hear the Scriptures, to turn from sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for this time, bless each one of us, draw us nearer to You. We thank You in Jesus' Name. Amen.

We are looking for sermon transcribers/transcript reviewers.
Email [email protected] to serve or to report transcription errors.