Week 47 2 Corinthians 6
Yesterday I was thinking about Paul’s advice about not teaming-up with people who don’t like the Lord.
I figured a simple breakdown was to divide interpersonal connections into: 1) First Level Connections and 2) Second Level Connections.
It’s totally possible for me to have a personal connection with a person who disliked – maybe even hated – the Lord. But Paul said that Second Level Connections had limitations.
For instance he said that between righteousness (First Level) and lawlessness (Second Level) there couldn’t be a partnership
Between light and darkness there was no fellowship
Between Christ and Satan no harmony
Between a believer and an unbeliever no common ground.
A believer can fraternize in any number of regular & day-to-day ways with a not-believer. I’m following the Lord and at the same time having a lot of Second Level Connections with people who don’t follow the Lord.
I can have pretty decent Second Level Connections but when it comes to the fundamental level of my renewed spiritual life connections (my First Level Connections) I don’t have anything in common with an unbeliever. That’s just the way things are.
At some point I accept that my Second Level Connections and my First Level Connections are different. So I have to differentiate between them. It’s possible for me to have both connections. But it’s a balancing act. They don’t mix. They’re compartmentalized connections. Friendships with fences.
Note: quotes 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NASB)