2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (NIVUK)
…As God has said:
[…]
18 And,
‘I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.’
Paul does something really interesting here when he is arguing that we shouldn’t be tied to unbelievers, he looks back to God speaking to David (2 Samuel 7:14 & 7:8). There God talks about the special relationship he will have with David’s son, a father-son relationship. Paul quotes these verses, but changes them so that they are no longer singular but plural and applies them to us – we are God’s children and he is our Father. This is why we will find it hard to be tied or yoked to non-believers, because we have a completely different identity, we are God’s children with all that this brings to our outlook, self-identity and values.
Father, you call us to be in this world but not of it, to work with and reach out to non-believers, but to remain faithful to you and your ways. Help us by your Spirit to walk this tricky line.
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