Do Not Follow

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; ³⁰ Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. ³¹ Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. ³² What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

God’s admonition to not follow after the practices of the nations or peoples around them still stands today.  Today within much of the church worldly practices have been incorporated.  Too much of the time, we as the body of Christ, both corporately and individually, have our eyes on the world rather than on Christ.  We need to be “Biblically correct” rather than “politically correct.”  Often the worldly mindsets and practices come in subtly because of the environment in which we live and because of the worldly stuff that has not been worked out of us yet.  I believe we need to diligently seek the Lord for His leading and His correction. 

The word translated church is ἐκκλησία ĕkklēsia, which means “a calling out.”  We are called out of the world into Christ.  Our new home is in Christ, a place of separation from this world and the things of this world.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We cannot walk in all that God has for us while seeking after the things of this world or walking in the ways of the world.