"Come out from among them...I will recieve you"

How “in” Should a Christian be? How “in the world” can a Christian be without being overpowered by evil? As a young person I’ve felt the every day tug towards the flesh…sin…It’s almost like there’s a person I me that want to sin. I imagine it as if I were on on a treadmill: I have to keep, working, moving, fighting. Otherwise, I’ll drift. Timothy 2:22 sais, “Flee youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.”….and it goes on. I find that this desire to do what Timothy 2 sais is totally the opposite from what my flesh wants. It’s like trying to mix oil and water. It doesn’t work. What the point in complying to all the exhortations in Timothy? Well, there is a promise! God has promised that He will be a Father to us and we will be His children, If we obey and Honor Him. 2Corinthians 6:14-17 .I’ve found myself at times getting close to the edge…playing with the fire. The thing is, ----eventually I’ll get used to the heat and get a little closer…and closer..and closer…Before I know it I’m burning and I’m actually enjoying the smell of the smoke and think that Jesus would also be fond of it---- ‘WAKE UP!”, I tell myself. I don’t want to go there! It gives me chills to think that I would ever find myself in there!!!… in small subtle ways, I have. It’s like, you look back and say, “hey, I used to think this was evil, and I even had the right reason to back my belief. But here I am now, used to the feel of fire and the smell of my soul goin up in smoke”……So, this is a warning. Most of all, it speaks to me. We may look Christian. Act Christian. But there might be something in our lives that we’ve let in, that belongs to Belial. Well, at first we just laughed. Then we kept shootin glances. Suddenly we started actually likin it. And now we have embraced it, and something is embracing us. What are we doin watchin the Devil’s shows? Awing at his little works and creations! Marveling at his idols (OH NO! we don’t own one, we’re just lookin…). It’s corrupting our soul!…our temple….

But if we cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God, He will dwell in us, walk among us, we shall be His People. He will be a Father to us. We will be His sons and His daughters. “COME OUT from among them, and BE SEPARATE”, says the Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean, and I WILL RECEIVE YOU”

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24(RSV)

-Gabe the fiddler