HE WILL BE TO YOU A FATHER
My earthly father lovingly reproved me whenever I misbehaved. Yet, every time he spanked me, he made me hug him afterward. As much as I didn't want to hug him, I will never forget putting my head on his shoulder and spilling out my tears. He always said to me: "I love you, David. God has His hand on you, and I’m not going to let the devil have you."
Likewise, in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, we hear a loving rebuke from our heavenly Father. He warns: "Get as far away from sin and the world as you can. Run from evil!"
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
God is telling us here, "I have chosen to be your Father and I will not share my role with the devil. If you are going to mix with the world or hold on to some unclean thing in your life, then our fellowship will not work. If I am going to be your one-and-only Father, then you must forsake the world and its pleasures — lay down your sin. You cannot keep any filthy thing in your life.”
He says further, "I want to lead and guide you. I want to favor you as only I can favor My children. Therefore, I will not permit you to come to Me with hands that have been touching any unclean thing. Separate from all of that and then I will receive you as a son, a daughter. I long to be a Father to you!"
If you want to follow Jesus, don't come to Him halfway. Come all the way out of the world. Your Father says, "If you trust Me as your Father to deliver you, I will send the Holy Ghost and give you power and authority. I will give you hope while you're in the struggle and I will bring you through."
Likewise, in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, we hear a loving rebuke from our heavenly Father. He warns: "Get as far away from sin and the world as you can. Run from evil!"
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
God is telling us here, "I have chosen to be your Father and I will not share my role with the devil. If you are going to mix with the world or hold on to some unclean thing in your life, then our fellowship will not work. If I am going to be your one-and-only Father, then you must forsake the world and its pleasures — lay down your sin. You cannot keep any filthy thing in your life.”
He says further, "I want to lead and guide you. I want to favor you as only I can favor My children. Therefore, I will not permit you to come to Me with hands that have been touching any unclean thing. Separate from all of that and then I will receive you as a son, a daughter. I long to be a Father to you!"
If you want to follow Jesus, don't come to Him halfway. Come all the way out of the world. Your Father says, "If you trust Me as your Father to deliver you, I will send the Holy Ghost and give you power and authority. I will give you hope while you're in the struggle and I will bring you through."