[Steve Myers] Well, we've made it just about halfway through our studies in 2 Corinthians. We're in the middle of Chapter 6 at this time. And in this section of the Scripture, Paul begins to talk about the importance of service, the importance of example, while he's defending his ministry. Remember, there were many that were attacking him, accusing him of not being an apostle. And so as he says that he has done nothing to discredit his ministry and service to the people, in this section of Scripture, I think we can also draw some examples for ourselves as well. So take a look at 2 Corinthians 6, beginning in verse 3.

2 Corinthians 6:3 Paul says, "We give no offense in anything that our ministry may not be blamed."

All right, so he didn't want to bring any discredit upon his apostleship, on the fact that he was preaching the gospel and teaching God's way. Of course, this word for ministry is that general word for service, and he's talking specifically about his calling. But let's also take a look at this section of Scripture as we, in a sense, have an outline for how we all should serve. What does true Christian service look like? In a way, these next few verses are like a little manual, you might say, for the right kind of godly service. So take a look at how he defends himself and actually gives us some guidance on how we need to serve as well.

2 Corinthians 6:4 He says, "In all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God."

So first he says, "There's an important reason to serve." We have an important opportunity to give the right example. And so here's Paul, no matter what was going to happen, no matter what adversity he was to face, he was going to do it with integrity, he was going to do it with confidence, and he was committed in every way to prevent anyone from criticizing God through the Apostle Paul. And I think we've all got to recognize the fact that, yeah, people are watching. People are watching us.

What is it like to be an ABC student? Do you think people are watching you? Oh, is that what being an ABC student is like? Are you an example of that? People are watching Paul. Is this really what an apostle of Jesus Christ acts like? Yeah, they were being critical, watching him, scrutinizing him. And I think as God's people, as Christians, people are watching us. They're closely scrutinizing our behavior. And so it's such a reminder that we have to live our lives and serve God in a way that we don't give offense in anything, that no one can point the finger at us and say, "Aha, yeah, they say they're a Christian. They say that they're living a godly example. But look at that." You see, he's pointing that out. This idea of an offense, "We give no offense in anything," as he says in verse 3. Yeah, there's no stumbling block that he was putting in front of people. He was not leading anybody astray by his behavior. And so what a reminder for each of us.

In every area of our life, in each aspect, we have to present ourselves in a way that is pleasing, is honorable to God, and testifies to the fact we are true Christians, that we're the real deal. And so he says, "In all things, we commend ourselves." Not just, well, a few things. When nobody's looking, I do something totally different. No, not at all. He's saying in all things. And, in a sense, he begins to point out some of the challenges. You know, is life easy? Sometimes it's pretty tough. Sometimes the Apostle Paul went through unbelievably difficult things. And if anyone understood how challenging it was to continue to serve God no matter what, the Apostle Paul certainly understood that. He says, "We commend ourselves as ministers of God," literally as servants of God. Do we claim to be servants of God? Then we need to have the same perspective that Paul had.

He understood the pressures and the difficulties and the challenges of serving no matter what. He endured so much affliction and persecution for the cause of serving God. And Paul begins to talk about some of those challenges. And how did he face those difficulties? What did he do when he was confronted with the challenges of serving God? Well, he did it with dignity. He did it with resolution. He did it with honor. And we need to face the fact people are watching us. Is that the way we're dealing with the difficulties and the challenges that we're faced with? We have to maintain that commitment to God no matter what. No matter what. And so here's Paul showing, how do you deal with life in the midst of a trial, in the midst of a storm, in the midst of the difficulties. Are we really ministers, servants of God?

He says, "In much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses."

So he says, "No matter what, the patience, the steadfastness, the adversity that you're facing is still going to be faced with an endurance." That's that idea of having patience, having that endurance. He says, "In afflictions," that afflictions word has that context of when the pressure is on, when there's tension, when there's difficulties, when there's strains, whether they're coming from without or whether there's stress that I'm facing internally. He says, "We still commend ourselves as servants of God." He says, "In needs," some translations say necessities, in the difficulties, in the hardships that we may face, those difficult day-to-day challenges, sometimes struggles.

"Look to God," he says, "we're still servants of God, even in distresses." That's an interesting word. The distresses word there can literally mean a calamity, an unforeseen difficulty, an inescapable situation that we just can't get out of, it seems. Kind of like when you're backed into a corner, even then, he says, "We commend ourselves as servants of God, no matter what it may be." In fact, he goes on.

2 Corinthians 6:5 "In stripes and imprisonments." Yeah, the stripes, he's talking about literal things. He literally was beaten. He literally was scourged. He was lashed, whipped. Did that alter his perspective? Not at all. And he was imprisoned. You look through the Scripture, probably seven different times. He was in various imprisonments, literally thrown in jail. And yet, his behavior, his attitude, his actions were still commendable before God.

He says, even, "In tumults." Tumults is a word that means like riots. Yeah, when you go through the book of Acts, you're going to read about different riots that the Apostle Paul had to go through. Probably uprisings, attacks. There was many times he faced mobs that were out to get him. He also says, "Labors." This is working like we think of laboring or working, but it has a connotation of working to the point of exhaustion, literally being worn out. Being worn out, he still presented himself commendable as a minister of God.

He says, "There was also the time of not only labors but in sleeplessness and fastings." Some of the translations say, "Watchings," instead of sleeplessness. Watchings, kind of keeping a night watch. You ever keep a night watch? That's not just saying having a tough time getting to sleep. Yeah, sleeplessness kind of makes it seem that way. He's not just talking about not being able to get to sleep. Here, he's talking about the fact we've given up sleep for the cause. For the cause of Christ, you give up sleep. You push on. You're dedicated no matter what. And that means sometimes less sleep to accomplish the tasks at hand so that he would give no offense so that minister would be a minister, a servant of Jesus Christ.

And so there were watchings. There were times of choosing to be sleepless. Not only sleepless, but times going without food, depriving himself, fasting. Which certainly, points to intentional fasting, drawing closer to God by fasting and giving up food, being more directed, more focused on the challenges that were before him by getting closer to God. I think he also has this connotation of giving up food because there's no time to eat. There's no time to eat. That we're serving God, we're so focused on that, sometimes that goes by the wayside as well. I think he's also talking about that, not taking the time because there's some more important things in serving God, spiritual things that were placed before him. And so I think he refers to this idea of fastings as well.

And so as we kind of put ourselves in the place of the Apostle Paul, have we ever faced these kinds of situations as what he did? I don't think so. In fact, maybe it should cause us to step back a little bit and thank God that He spared us. He spared us the difficulties that the Apostle Paul went through. But at the same time, I think we realize there are challenges that will come. No doubt, there will be difficulties ahead. That's part of our calling. But, of course, it's not just the Apostle Paul. We knew that he wasn't the only one that faced these things. There's a passage that certainly is connected to this that's found over in the book of Hebrews. Maybe we should remind ourselves for just a moment. If we turn over to Hebrews 12, there was one who suffered even more. Of course, we know that was Jesus Christ. Take a look at Hebrews 12:3. Hebrews 12:3, certainly, tells that story, doesn't it? Hebrews 12:3, we're reminded of that very fact that we consider Him, Him being Christ.

Hebrews 12:3 "We consider Christ, who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself. Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls, you have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin."

Yeah, the Apostle Paul went through things. Christ Himself went through horrible things. We're called to suffer. We haven't gone through those kinds of things. And as we do, we look to Him. We look to Him, recognizing that. Don't be weighed down by the challenges that we face, consider Jesus Christ and what He went through, and remember that God's going to be with us no matter what. That's one of the things that Paul's bringing to mind in that section in 2 Corinthians 6. God was going to be with him no matter what. Paul reminded Timothy that this is part of our calling.

You might just make a note of 2 Timothy 3:12. Paul told Timothy, "All that strive to live a godly life, all of us, will suffer persecution." Maybe we're not there yet, but there will come times, no doubt. And so when we recognize that, we realize that's part of our calling. Part of our calling is that very fact that there will be challenges and difficulties, and will we be then commendable before God? You see, if you head back to 2 Corinthians 6, as ministers of God, as servants of God, all of us have been called to suffer. There will be times of difficulty. There will be times of challenges. There will be times of adversity. But do we look to God and make sure we don't give any offense to God? That's one of the things Paul's reminding the Corinthians about. As he goes on here, he gives us this guidance, that certainly we've been called by God to be His servants. And as he gives us the instructions here, he also reminds us, yeah, there are pressures and challenges in serving, but he also tells us how.

Notice how this list goes on and you can't help but step back and say, "Well, okay, if I'm going to be challenged with sufferings and difficulties and the trials that will come in life, how do I do it? How can I be commendable? How can I be a servant of God amidst all that kind of struggle?" Well, Paul's going to talk about that. Take a look at how he emphasizes that as he gets to verse 6. How is it possible? How can I serve? Well, he says, in verse 6.

2 Corinthians 6:6 "By purity."

First, he says, "Get rid of the dirt." Get cleaned up, in other words. He's talking about spiritually speaking. Get rid of the dirt. Be spotless. That's really what this word means. Be holy. Be righteous. Be godly. Yeah, in purity, in innocence, in cleanliness is the connotation there, which means we've got to be right before God. So if we're going to serve and it's going to be commendable before God, we've got to begin there.

Then he also says, "By knowledge." So do we know? Do we know what? Do we know God's way? Do we understand God's way? Do we know and study God's Word? Do we meditate on God's Word? Do we really understand it at a deep level so that we put it into practice? Paul says, "That's how it's possible. It's possible if we begin with purity and knowledge." And when we face difficulties, what does he say next? He says, "By long-suffering." Some translations say, "By patience." Patience in circumstances, certainly. Bearing with people is part of that very thing as well. When they're wrong, when they're unjust, when they mistreat us, when they're abusive, do we look to God for the answer? Paul certainly experienced that and expressed this to us. This is how we can do it. This is how it's possible to serve God in a commendable way and really be a servant of His.

Going on, there in verse 6, he also says, "By kindness." Now, that's that same fruit of the Spirit, kindness. That's being good, being gentle, being nice even when others aren't, even when others mistreat us, even when others are evil, when they're unappreciative, when they're unthankful, do we answer then with kindness? He says, "That's the way you serve." All that is by the means of making that possible, he says, "Is by the Holy Spirit." When we have God's Spirit in us and we're submitting to that Spirit, that makes it possible. That makes it possible to have purity, have knowledge, and, despite the challenges, look to God. Look to God for the answers by the power of God's Spirit. He also says, how we serve is, "By sincere love." Some of the translations say, "Unfeigned love." Love that, in other words, it's not fake, it's not phony, it's not counterfeit. He says, "This love is genuine. This love is pure. This love is a selfless kind of love."

Yeah, it's a sacrificial love. This is the agape love. Yeah, love that is sincere. We're going to serve God in a commendable way when we're not going to be giving any offense, even though people are scrutinizing our behavior, this is how we do it. This is how we serve God. We do it with His love, with His guidance. And then he says, we do it, "By the word of truth." That's what it says here in verse 7.

2 Corinthians 6:7 "By the word of truth."

And, of course, that's understanding the word of truth. For the Apostle Paul, it was also preaching that word of truth, teaching that word of truth, preaching the gospel, the plan, the purpose, the will of God, the Word of God. That's what it's all about. It is the word of truth. And it's possible by, he says, "The power of God." Boy, in Paul's ministry, the only way any of this was possible was not with Paul's authority, not with Paul's ability, not with Paul's power. Had to come from God's power. Without the power of God, none of it would have been possible. Nothing spiritual, nothing lasting.

And so something we have to realize as well, the only way we're going to accomplish anything spiritually speaking is by the power of God. It's by His will, by His way, by submitting to God. That's the only way it's possible. And then he says, "By the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." Armor of righteousness sounds a little bit like what we read in the book of Ephesians 6, the armor of God. "We've got to put on the armor," he says, "the armor of righteousness." Then he says, "It's on the right hand and the left." So if we're going to be righteous, the only way that's possible is through Jesus Christ. That we can be declared righteous when we're repentant and when we are forgiven before God. He says, "It's on the right and the left." In other words, we're going to do it no matter what. The power to live right, the power to think right, the power to act right.

He says, "That's possible when we put on the right clothing." Isn't that what he's talking about? What kind of clothing do we put on? That spiritual armor, the spiritual armor of God, spiritual maturity being set apart by God. He says, "That's how we can serve." That's how we can accomplish these things even though we face persecution, even though we face difficulties, even though there's stripes and imprisonments and riots and sleepless nights. "Yeah," he says, "this is how we can do it." And so when we recognize the guidance that he's giving here, he not only says, despite the difficulties, here's how you do it. And he also talks about the way we do it. As we go to verse 8, notice he talks about having a passion for service. So he says, "Here's the way life is. It's going to be challenging. It's going to be difficult, but here's the way to serve God commendably."

Now, he says, "Here's the way, not only how to but here's the way to do it, by having passion for serving God." Notice the passion here in verse 8, he talks about honor and dishonor.

2 Corinthians 6:8-9 He says, "By evil report and by good report, as deceivers yet true, as unknown and yet well-known." You notice a couple of things going on here? Notice he's going back and forth, isn't he? He says, "As dying, and behold, we live, as chastened and yet not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things."

So here Paul, speaking of opposites, as he goes through these next several verses here, and I think in a way, it's kind of describing life. Life is ups and downs. It's back and forth. In life, we face exceptions. We face the rule. He points out the fact that there are going to be times we will be rejected, and there will be times that we're honored. And he's showing both, back and forth, that life brings changes. Life brings challenges. And yet, despite these things, even in the midst of these changes, who's always there? See, he's reminding us, God's always there. God's always there.

Yes, when we're being honored, did that happen to the Apostle Paul? Yeah, no doubt. There were times in his ministry, in his service, he was honored. But, boy, there were also times he was dishonored. Unjustifiably, yeah. But, certainly, that was the case. Were there times that people reported evil things about Paul? No doubt. And yet, sometimes there were good things too. That's life. Sometimes there's ups, sometimes there's downs. He says, yeah, people treated him as a liar, as a deceiver, and yet, he was true. He was true to God. He was true in the way he carried out his service to God. And so in all of these things, no matter where it may be in life, he says, "God's always there."

2 Corinthians 6:10 He says, "As having nothing and yet possessing all things."

And so in a way, as he talks about this passion that he had for service, no matter where we are on that scale of things, he says, "We have a responsibility as the called out ones of God, we have a responsibility to make the most of whatever opportunity life brings." So maybe, in a sense, he'd say, "Is there ever a perfect opportunity for serving God?" Maybe.

But wait a second, there may be extremes. And I think, in a way, he's saying, "Don't wait for the perfect opportunity to step up and serve, to give." He's saying, "Make the most of whatever opportunity there is before you, no matter what life may bring." He says, "Whether people are honoring you or dishonoring you..." Well, if they're dishonoring you, is that an excuse not to serve God? I don't think so. Not at all. In fact, no matter what it is, whether people are lying about you or whether there's a good report, he's saying, "Search every opportunity." Whatever the circumstance may be, use those opportunities to serve, to give, to honor God, no matter what. Because there aren't that many times that there's going to be perfect opportunities to give and to serve. Don't use those things as an excuse. Boy, Paul could have come up with all kinds of excuses, couldn't he have? But he said, "No, be responsible. Be responsible no matter what." And he says, "Keep the right focus. Keep the right focus in all of these things."

He says, "It's as though we're possessing all things," because ultimately God holds eternal life out for us. God wants to give us eternal life. And so even though it may seem like we've got nothing right now, he says, "The reality is we possess all things." He says, "Look beyond the challenges, look beyond the difficulties, and continue as servants of God. Continue as servants of God no matter what the challenges may be." And so Paul lived his life that way. His life really was an unbelievable example of the way to serve. And he set the tone for all of us that in spite of what the circumstances may be, good or bad, we can serve God, and we can choose to have a passion for service no matter what. And so he set that example. And so he calls on the Corinthians to follow that example. Don't get caught up with these false teachers making false accusations. He's showing where his perspective was. And so as he gets to verse 11, notice what he says.

2 Corinthians 6:11 He says, "O Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open."

Literally, he's saying, "Our heart is enlarged." He doesn't have a heart problem here. That's not what he's talking about, right? He's saying, "I care about you." Remember, he had lived there a year and a half. He loves these people. And he's saying, "My heart is wide open."

2 Corinthians 6:12 He says, "You're not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections."

In other words, if there's a problem between us, it's not because I don't love you, it's not because I don't care for you, it's not because I'm not concerned about you, it's actually because you've withheld your love from us. So he's pointing out, here's where the real problem is. That's where the problem is. And so he calls on them.

2 Corinthians 6:13 "Now, in return for the same," he says, "I speak to you as children, you also be open."

He's calling on them to be true servants of God, to open up their hearts and see the truth, see the truth of the matter. Don't be taken in by these false teachers. Don't allow them to sway your vision. Verse 14, tying into that idea and giving a general principle as well.

2 Corinthians 6:14 He says, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"

And so, now, he begins to point out that opposites don't attract. You can't have someone that's lawful be united with someone that is evil or totally lawless. It doesn't happen that way. You can't have that perspective.

2 Corinthians 6:14 "Believers and unbelievers yoked together," he says, "It doesn't work."

And it's an interesting concept that he begins to talk about here as he ties in this idea of yoked together, being yoked together. This word for yoked is the word zugos. Zugos, don't be yoked together. And what's interesting about that, it's like a balance. Let's see if I can draw a balance here, kind of like a teeter-totter here, right? Maybe you've got your little teeter-totter, your little balance here. Do you know what the zugos is? That's the zugos. The zugos is that beam that carries the weight. It's that beam going across. The zugos kind of means to join together.

So that's the idea of this yoke, the zugos. And a balance beam, the zugos is the beam itself. That's the zugos. And so when you have different weights, yeah, the balance is going to look like that. It's unequal. One side's down, one side's up. And he's saying, "That's not the way of God. It doesn't work like that. You can't put light on one side of the balance and darkness on the other and think it's going to even out. Not going to. Light and darkness, good and evil. No." He says, "There's no communion." Communion, that's that word for partnership, right? There's no koinonia. There's no sharing. There's no connection there. There's none. What happens when you walk in a room and you flip on the switch? Is it still dark? No, the light comes on, the darkness vanishes. And so when we recognize that, that tells the story that we cannot be unequally yoked.

2 Corinthians 6:14 He says, "There's no connections with believers and unbelievers."

And, of course, we know the Corinthians had been kind of putting up with people the way they shouldn't have. They shouldn't have been buying into those who were unbelievers. He says, "There's no connection there. There's no fellowship there. There's no communion there." That's that same word there. There's no connection, none. And so as he talks about that very fact.

2 Corinthians 6:15-16 He says, "There's no accord," verse 15, "with Christ and the devil, Belial." He says, "What part has a believer with an unbeliever?" And then verse 16, he says, "What agreement has the temple of God with idols?" He says, "You are the temple of the living God."

Yeah, we should have no connections there, none, none whatsoever. And so he brings up this idea of being yoked together, which goes all the way back to Old Testament concepts where the Israelites were given instructions in that very fact, some physical instructions that should have brought to mind these spiritual connections as well.

If we go all the way back to Deuteronomy, let's just remind ourselves here, Deuteronomy 22, we have instructions to ancient Israel. And notice what they were told as well. Deuteronomy 22:10, one of the instructions they were given as they were beginning to come into the promised land. And it might seem, well, kind of random. What does that have to do with anything? Because they're given a number of different instructions here in chapter 22 of Deuteronomy. If you notice verse 10, see how it connects to what we're reading in 2 Corinthians.

Deuteronomy 22:10 It says, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together."

Well, pretty straightforward. Well, why not? Why not? They're unequal. They're different kinds of animals. They're not going to pull that plow in the same way. It's probably going to be all cockeyed if you got one pull in one direction, one the other. They're different heights. They're different abilities. It's not going to work.

And so God warns them ahead of time, don't do that. They're unequally yoked. It'll be like an unbalanced balance beam. It's not going to be effective. And so physically He's telling them that's the way you should operate when it comes to agriculture, but that same concept then applies in a number of ways. We fast forward to Amos. Take a look at Amos 3. I get to the minor prophets, and we see this same principle is applied here as well. So when we take a look at what Amos reminds us of, he tells us pretty specifically the same concept applies in a greater sense. In a greater sense, he reminds us of this same thing in Amos 3. Notice verse 3.

Amos 3:3 He says, "Can two walk together unless they're agreed?"

Sounds kind of similar to what Deuteronomy says, you know, "Don't plow with an ox and a donkey," right? That's unequally yoked. Well, here Amos even says, "You can't even walk together unless you're agreed." So he's certainly speaking to this idea of being unequally yoked. If you're not agreed, that's kind of like what Paul's saying. Are you a believer? Do you perfectly balance with an unbeliever? Obviously not. And so when it comes to church members, if it's a believer and an unbeliever, are they balanced? Of course not. And so this principle that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians applies in numerous ways, spiritual ways, yeah, of what he says, "Righteousness and lawlessness, they don't fit together." Well, does this same principle then work in business? Does the same principle work in romance? Does the same principle work in marriage? Absolutely. No doubt about it. And so when you recognize this, you know, no wonder he encourages the Corinthians that we have to be equally yoked.

We have to be equally yoked, and that becomes so critically important that there is no sharing, there's no partnership with righteousness and lawlessness. When that commitment to do right isn't there, no, it's unequally yoked. And that's kind of interesting when we look at this unequally yoked, the yoke word zugos, but unequally is hetero zugos, the base word there. Heterozugeo is the word. Hetero, well, what's hetero? Well, it would be opposite, right? Opposites. If you're heterosexual, you're attracted to the opposite sex. That's the way it's supposed to be, right? But unequally yoked is differently yoked or more of a strange altered yoking, that's not going to work. And so here, it's saying, "Don't be improperly yoked to people of a different mind." There's differences between people who are God's people, who are focused on God, committed to God, and those who are not. In fact, it's such a big difference, he's warning us, "Don't get into that mess because it's not going to be good." Because there's going to be disagreement. There's going to be conflict. There's going to be harmful things that are a result of that. So don't put yourself in that situation. And so Paul instructs about that kind of a yoke.

And even in relationships, this principle applies. It's a serious thing. And so he's saying, "Look to the spiritual side of things. Just don't look to physical things." And so this idea of harnessing animals together to pull a plow or pull a wagon also applies in this situation. And that yoke that goes on them, that harness that goes on them helps them to pull in a similar fashion. And so when we notice this, we recognize that fact that he's telling us, be careful when it comes to being connected to others. Be careful about that. He says, "There is no agreement with the temple of God and idols, none whatsoever." And so this is a fantastic principles when we consider the ideas of what he's trying to really get across here. And he's trying to help us to get the right, proper, perspective.

As he says, let's pick up the end of verse 16 here, he says, "God says, 'I will dwell in them, I'll walk among them, I'll be their God, and they shall be my people.'" And so here in verse 16, we have this quotation that comes all the way from the book of Ezekiel. And he reminds us of the spiritual perspective. We're supposed to be in zugos with God. We're supposed to be balanced and yoked with God. Didn't Christ say that? That should be our perspective. We're connected to God inseparably. In fact, well, let's remind ourselves of that. If we go back to Matthew, let's just remind ourselves of what Christ said. Matthew 11, notice verse 28, we get to the end of the chapter. Matthew 11, toward the end of the chapter, notice what Christ said, after Paul says, "No light and darkness, there's no righteousness and lawlessness, none of that can go together," if we try to yoke together in marriage, in romance, in business, in these different situations, He says, "There's going to be terrible consequences. We need to be yoked to God." And so Christ says that.

Matthew 11:28 "'Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'" Now, there's a positive consequence. He says, "Take my yoke upon you and learn." Are you tired? Are you tired of sin? Are you tired of troubles? You want a right perspective? Be yoked to Christ. "'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I'm gentle, and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'"

"Take my yoke," He says, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Boy, what a difference. What a difference when we're balanced. We submit to God, "Take my yoke." We willingly submit to God, and we are obedient. We learn of Him, right? That yokes, that suggests submission, submitting to God and obeying God. And when we do that, we're promised blessings, and ties in with that idea of passionate service he just got done talking about, in how we serve God commendably. My burden is light compared to the burden of sin.

This yoke of Christianity, this yoke of Christ, is easy. We can be servants of Jesus Christ. And so He shows us the right way. And we put on this yoke, it's the right yoke. It fits. It fits the right way. Not like with a donkey and an ox. When we're joined to Christ, it's a perfect fit. And this is one that we should desire, being connected to God, having a right relationship with God. It's the most important partnership we could ever have. And so Christ recommends that, and He requires that if we're going to be godly people, if we have made a covenant with God, and so He says, "This is the way." And so this idea of being yoked together, we want to be equally yoked with Christ. And so, ultimately, yes, that's when, back to 2 Corinthians once again, God says, "I will dwell in them, walk among them, be their God, they shall be my people." Yeah, that's taking on the yoke of Christ. And what a beautiful thing. What a wonderful opportunity that we have to be connected inseparably to God the Father and Jesus Christ. And so in verse 17, he says…

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 "'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Don't touch what's unclean, and I will receive you.'" He says, "'I'll be a father to you. You shall be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty."

And so what a blessing that we can be separate. With the power of God's Spirit, we can serve God. Through His connection, we can be yoked with Jesus Christ. And he says, "It brings us into a right relationship, a balanced spiritual relationship with God the Father. We'll be His sons. We'll be His daughters."

That will be a powerful, positive thing. And that's the kind of fellowship, that's the kind of koinonia, that's the kind of sharing that God wants with us. And so Paul's urging the Corinthians to have that kind of a relationship. We separate ourselves from the ways of this world, and we are connected and live like Christ. We put on that yoke, and He's there.

And, of course, if we're yoked to Christ, does that mean we're doing all the work? No, we're yoked together. We're doing it together. He is living in us and through us. And so we are accomplishing spiritual things together with Christ. And so what an amazing opportunity we have here, that he's explaining how great this wonderful calling we have is, that we are servants of God, and we can have commendable service to Him as we strive to come out of that darkness and put on the light, live in the light. And God says as a promise, "I will dwell in them." And so let's take that promise to heart. And as we conclude Chapter 6, what a blessing, what an opportunity we have to be yoked together with Jesus Christ. All right, we'll leave it at that for the moment. We'll pick it up there in Chapter 7, next time.