Caution to Whom We Open

If you have your Bibles open them with me to. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and go to verse 14. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and go to verse 14. Before we read I just want to make a few preliminary comments.

A few months ago, I was asked to begin writing for a publication and I've. It's a new publication. It's called clear truth. It's An opportunity to write articles on a monthly basis on the subject of theology culture things like that.

And so I'm going to begin doing that soon. I've already written a few articles that have been Submitted to the publisher and Will be going out in the first inaugural opening of the publication and the first article I wrote is.

Called.

Denominations are great. Okay now I don't have anything.

All right. Well.

The first article I wrote is entitled denominations are great. Now that may seem like an odd thing to say. But the reason why I wrote that article is because. One of the things that has been accused especially by Non-denominational churches and and Roman Catholics one.

It's one of the only things that non-denominational churches and Roman Catholics actually agree on is That denominations are bad. And that there's 30 ,000 denominations and and we shouldn't have these denominations because all the all the denominations do is encourage division in the church.

And I wrote and I said no, I think actually denominations are great. Because denominations allow us to be able to identify.

The.

Things that are definitional to being a Christian and Say we are willing to say that these people are Christians, even if we disagree on the secondary things. We can say that there are people who are believers as long as they are holding fast to the core Principles of the gospel the core principles of who God is and this is why we distinguish between denominations and cults.

My brothers and sisters in the Presbyterian Church. Yeah, they baptize babies. But and we disagree on that. But we hold fast to the same gospel and while we disagree on secondary matters. We can hold fast to that truth that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

While at the same time we can look at groups like the Mormon Church and we could say they have gone so far from Christian orthodoxy that they are no longer brothers in Christ and. So what denominations allow us to do is they allow us to make a line and say here's the line and we won't cross it.

Here's the line. We're not going over it. Here's the line and this is where we're going to stand. Now the reason why I bring that up is because in today's passage Paul is going to warn us to not make partnerships with those who do not hold to the gospel and Primarily the focus of this text is making partnerships in ministry with those who do not hold fast to the exclusivity of the Lord Jesus Christ and So let us stand and read this text and hopefully come to a right understanding of it.

Paul writes do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has Righteousness with lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with belly all or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

What agreement has the temple of God with idols for we are the temple of the Living God as God has said I? Will make my dwelling among them and walk among them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them says the Lord and touch no unclean thing. Then I will welcome you and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me. Says the Lord Almighty now, we're going to go into chapter 7 just for one verse.

Since we have these promises beloved Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Father in heaven, I pray first and foremost Lord keep me from error and give me boldness and Lord may it be boldness without hubris.

May it be confidence Lord which is confidence in you and not in self and I pray Lord as I preach this text, I pray that the truth of this text would come forward and would go out and Lord that your Holy Spirit would be the teacher that I Would decrease that Christ would increase and the message would go out into the ears of everyone who is here and not only into their ears, but through the mind and into the heart and Lord that you would use this text as a reminder.

That there are lines. We should not cross. There are areas we should not go and We should be a people who is known as a holy people As your word says here That we ought to bring holiness to completion in the fear of God.

I pray Oh God for the believer in the room, I Pray if Lord there has been confusion over the issues of this text and maybe perhaps even confusion over What they ought to be doing in life. I pray Lord that this would bring clarity and Lord for the unbeliever in this room who may not realize Lord that they are outside of the covenant and Lord that they Continue in a state where your wrath hangs above them Lord.

May it be today That they would turn from their sin turn to Christ be saved.

And.

Lord that they would know that the wrath of God which was meant for them has been taken by Jesus Christ and That his righteousness has been granted Lord as their eternal reward Not for anything that they have done.

But because of your mercy and grace Lord may we as a church Be moved to closer conformity to Christ as we study your word in Jesus name Amen. Ever so often there will be an event held in Washington where leaders of various Religious groups will come together for some kind of a gathering.

Often it is for prayer and you'll look on the dais and you will see all kinds of religious figures. Typically you will see someone representing the Roman Catholic Church someone representing Islam someone representing the Hindu religion someone representing the Buddhist religion and Usually there are a few representatives even from the mainline Protestant denominations, but typically they are among the more left-leaning or liberal side of the Protestant denominations.

You can tell them by their colorful stoles. That's true, but it's also funny. Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that? Perhaps such a gathering Is not good. It's often lauded as a great thing.

Oh.

All of these people are religious people all of these people are seeking to find God seeking to go after God. Seeking to serve God. They're just doing it in their own ways. They're all going up the same mountain.

They're just all taking different routes, but they'll all eventually arrive at the same top of the mountain. Beloved have we ever stopped to consider that. Perhaps that's not the way it should be. Have we ever stopped to consider that actually partnering with those who reject Christ is Blasphemy.

Especially when it comes to partnering with them in ministry. Well in today's text Paul commands the Corinthians to not partner with unbelievers. If you have been a part of our study, you know that we do verse-by-verse study.

So this just happens to be where we are this week. Well Paul last week in our service We studied the the first part of chapter 6 and we noted that Paul admonished the Corinthians To widen their hearts to him.

He said I have spoken freely to you. I have in fact in the original language He says I've opened my mouth to you, but you are not opening up yourselves to me. In fact, you're withholding your affection.

I've given you my affection, but you are withholding your affection for me. So Paul has admonished them to open their hearts to him. But they have not. Yet they have opened their hearts to others. If we read through 2nd Corinthians, what we find is that the Corinthian Church Had given an allegiance to another group.

Paul Identifies this group as what is called the super apostles and the super apostles. Which are so named in 2nd Corinthians 11 5 and 2nd Corinthians 12 11. He says these are the people that are actually opposed to my message.

So while Paul has been rejected these super apostles have been embraced. So this is the context that is leading us in to verse 14. So real quick. Let's just go through it again. Paul has admonished the Corinthians to open their hearts to him.

But now he warns them not to open their hearts to everyone. That is the context of verse 14 when he says do not be unequally yoked and we're going to talk about what that means in A moment, but for now, let us just remember the context.

Paul has admonished the Corinthians to open their heart to him but not to open it to. Everyone remember Paul's adversaries the super apostles 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 5 and chapter 12 verse 11.

Paul has been rejected these men have been embraced. Now we don't understand that because today 2 ,000 years later. We say how could anyone reject the Apostle Paul and Yet you understand that that is what was happening in the first century.

Paul would go along and he would plant these churches. He planted churches in Galatia. He planted churches further out in Asia Minor in Ephesus and other places. He planted churches in Macedonia. He planted churches in Corinth and as he planted churches behind him would come men who would claim to have a superior Pedigree who would claim to have a superior education and who would who would claim to have a superior message and they would come along and they would say what Paul gave you Is either not the whole story or it's the wrong story.

Here's the true gospel and Often what they would add to the gospel is That they would add to the gospel the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant we call this group the Judaizers and the Judaizers would come along and they would say hey, you can't be saved unless you're circumcised and all the Gentiles to say Well, I'm not circumcised.

Well, it looks like you can't be saved unless you get circumcised. You can't be saved unless you keep the dietary restrictions. I'm Gentile. I hate I don't keep the dietary restrictions. We can't be saved unless you do these things and So these men would come in with a very erudite Personality they would come in with a very erudite Explanation as to who they were.

Paul even mentions in chapter 3 that some of them brought letters of commendation for themselves. Paul says I don't have any letters of commendation. What'd he say? You're my letter of commendation. I planted this church.

I gave you the gospel. You're my letter of commendation. But these men would come in with certificates. They would come in with their fancy Seminary degrees and they would say see I know more than the Apostle Paul and you need to listen to me Rather than listen to him so Paul's adversaries these super Apostles rejected Paul's message and this means They are unbelievers if you reject the teachings of the Apostle Paul.

You are a false tea. Are you are a false brother? And if you teach that the Apostle Paul got it wrong, you are a false teacher. Understand this and I I've been explaining this on Wednesday night because I've been preaching through the gospel of Mark and I I'm just About to finish this Wednesday night.

We're going to complete the gospel of Mark. But what I have mentioned throughout the gospel of Mark is that when you reach the God when you read the Gospels? You are reading the story of Jesus's life the narrative and in the narrative of his life.

There are many didactic passages many things that we learn that are true and important for us to know. But the Gospels are not meant to give us all of the theology of Christ. The theology of Christ comes to us in the epistles.

For instance the Gospels tell us Jesus died on the cross. The epistles tell us why he died on the cross the epistles tell us he rose from the grave. The the Gospels tell us he rose from the grave. The epistles say why he rose from the grave and why it matters.

So if you only read the red letters people say I'm a red-letter Christian well, then you're not a whole Christian. Because yes. The red letters matter if you have a red letter edition of the Bible and Jesus's words certainly have authority because he's the Son of God but guess what the black letters are inspired by the same Holy Spirit and They don't disagree with the red letters.

And so when we read Paul's writing we are reading a writing that is just as authoritative as the red letters.

And.

When we read that Paul tells us the truth and that truth must be upheld by all Believers, I cannot stand it when I hear someone say all that was just Paul. Usually comes up when they don't agree with Paul.

Something about you know, Paul says women shouldn't be pastors and oh, that's just Paul. No, that's the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us many things. People say oh, that's just Paul. No, that's the Holy Spirit.

We take the whole Bible and we trust the whole Bible and so. These men come along they say You can't trust Paul. That means they are in fact unbelievers. So it is these I believe. Who are on Paul's mind when he warns the church?

Not to be teamed up with or unequally partnered with unbelievers.

Now.

When we begin looking at verse 14 The reason why I read to chapter 7 verse 1 is because there is a context which begins in 14 and goes down to 7 1 and it actually flows together much like a sermon. In fact, some people believe this may actually have been a sermon that Paul preached and he Introduces it into the text as part of his argument because it agrees with things that he has said in other places and if you look at the structure there really is a Sermon like structure it begins with an imperative statement which an imperative statement means a statement of command.

After that you have rhetorical questions, which was a form of Oratory communication in the early church and it continues to be so today. We ask a question knowing that the audience either knows the answer or will the answer will be implied in the question right.

And Then we move to scriptural citations. Paul backs up his argument and his affirmation with the scripture and Then finally, this is why I go into chapter 7 because in chapter 7 verse 1 we have a restatement of the imperative.

So this is the outline of the text. We're going to walk through it as if we're reading Paul's sermon and Seeking to understand what he means because I'm preaching basically his sermon after him. If this is in fact a sermon so it begins with the phrase do not be unequally yoked with Unbelievers, we'll stop right there for a moment and just try to understand what that means.

The term do not Actually is in the present imperative at this point it is a verb it is a imperative command and the construction Indicates that it may actually be something that is already taking place.

So rather than simply saying do not be unequally yoked. It could also be stop being Unequally yoked. Does that make sense? It's like don't do it. And if you are doing it stop. It's present. It's imperative.

It's now don't do this. And if you are stop doing this But then the next phrase comes up Do not be Unequally yoked. The New American Standard Bible 1995 says bound right Mike.

Okay.

The New American Standard Bible more the later translation which I think came out in 2020 or something says mismatched strange word. But it means the same the New English translation says partner with do not partner with unbelievers the New Living translation says do not team up with unbelievers and It's interesting because in this section From 614 to 7 -1 we actually have six words That are unique to Paul and unique to the Bible that are only in this section.

Meaning there are six. They're called apex legomenon, but you don't even know that it means a one-time-use word and These one-time-use words come up a lot with Paul because sometimes Paul just makes words up like they honest us.

I'm convinced Paul created the word they honest us which means God breathed in 2nd Timothy 316 is nowhere else. So we don't see it until after Paul being used in extant literature. And so saying that word they honest us is probably a Pauline word means God breathed.

Well in this term, he's using the word Unequally yoked and the closest that we have to that particular word outside of the New Testament because it's not used elsewhere in the New Testament is It comes up in the Septuagint in Leviticus chapter 19 verse 19 in Leviticus chapter 19 verse 19.

In the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. It says this you shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. Heterozugon. Heterozugon is the same root that Paul uses in this phrase when he says do not be unequally yoked.

It's it's a longer form of the word heterozugon taste, but it's the same idea the idea is being Partnered with a different kind and we see this also in a specific command in Deuteronomy chapter 22 and Deuteron I'm sorry Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 22.

No, it is Deuteronomy 22. I'm sorry. I'm all over the map here in Deuteronomy 22 verse 10. The Bible says you shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. Now, why would that matter? Some people argue.

Well, it's because of the the Clinton one's clean and one's unclean and that could be the case. But more likely is the case is there different kinds of animals and if you strap two different kinds of animals together.

What's going to happen? They're going to pull apart. They're going to they're not going to work together. They're going to work against one another and it's going to be a problem. In fact, I like Jameson Fawcett Brown's Commentary on this this is what they say an ox and a donkey.

Being of different species and a very different characters cannot associate comfortably nor unite Cheerfully in drawing a plow or a wagon the donkey being much smaller and his steps shorter. There would be an unequal and irregular draft besides and this is funny.

It says the donkey from feeding on course and poisonous weeds has a fetid breath, I mean stinky which is yoke fellow seeks to avoid not only as poisonous and offensive but producing leanness or if Long continued death and hence it's been observed always to hold away its head from the donkey and to pull only with one shoulder.

So you've got an animal that has a different gate. You have an animal that has Obtrusive breath you have an animal that's going to cause the other animal to pull in another direction. If you tie them both together, what's going to happen?

Nothing good nothing good, it's all going to be bad and so It is very likely That this is what Paul is referring to this passage in Deuteronomy. When he says do not be unequally yoked and if you don't know what a yoke looks like, that's it it's basically a Piece of wood that goes over the backs of the two animals and the two loops go up underneath their neck and it ties them.

Together.

So what is this about? This is about the inability of different kinds to work together toward the same goal the inability of different kinds to work together toward the same goal in The same way that you would not unite a donkey to an ox the believer should not be united to an unbeliever.

That's Paul's point. That's what he's saying. He says do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers now again I'm convinced that in his mind who he's referring to there is false teachers and false brothers.

Beloved you understand. That when we gather as a church We welcome unbelievers into the church. Amen. There there are unbelievers here today. I'm certain I mean, I haven't walked around and look for the e tattooed on you for you to receive your elect.

But I'm pretty sure there are unbelievers here. But yet when you become a part of the church when you enter into the covenant within the body. What is expected that you would become part of the church?

That you profess faith. That you profess faith one of the most popular and largest churches in America it's up in Atlanta and the pastor of that church Makes it very well known that his church is open to all people and you can join the church.

Even if you are an unbeliever, they said we don't care. We just want you here and we want you to belong and we want you to know that you belong and you can come in. And you can join the church even if you are an unbeliever.

I'm not making this up. I can take you right to the YouTube video where he said it. I ask you church. Is that the way it should be? Should it be that the church is made up of believers and unbelievers as part of the covenant community now.

It's going to be that way because we can't know for certain the heart of a man. But the reality is that the church is Believers and the idea that we can be tied together With unbelievers that we could be in covenant with unbelievers.

It's something that Paul is telling us. No and This is specifically the case in ministry. We can do work with other ministries. We can work alongside some of my best friends in the world come from different denominations.

And as I said from the beginning of this sermon, I do think denominations are a good thing because they allow us to say Okay, what are the what are the things that are essential to being a Christian and we can stand together in lockstep on those essentials.

This is why John MacArthur and RC Sproul could share the same stage for all those years because even though they differed on the Secondary matters they were able to hold fast to the things that were essential.

But guess what RC Sproul couldn't join John MacArthur's church. That's not good. No, it's actually is good. I don't have time to explain why it's good right now. But I can tell you this there is value in having a church where we say we stand together even on the secondary things.

And.

We uphold certain foundational things that we say. All things that are Definitional to Christianity we uphold and secondary things we uphold as well. And that's what defines us. That's why we're called Baptists.

Y 'all know we're Baptists, right? Haven't always been. This church was once a part of the disciples of Christ. The disciples of Christ. In 1999 same year I got saved. This church decided to leave the disciples of Christ.

Paul was there Jack was there Pat was there.

Several of you were there.

Why did we leave the disciples of Christ? Because the disciples of Christ is an apostate denomination. I Can't believe you said that we'll go listen to their preachers preach the gospel. They reject the gospel of Jesus Christ.

They reject the exclusivity of Christ. There has to be a line that we don't cross. There has to be a circle where we say we're not going outside of this circle. Oh, you're an exclusivist. Yeah, I'm an exclusivist.

I have to be an exclusivist. I read my Bible. And there has to be a line Where we say we're not partnering Particularly and especially in ministry With those who would deny the gospel of Jesus Christ this really comes up in a lot of ways and again, I'm I Remember years ago this this might this might Be careful.

Does me talking to me years ago? My wife went to the walk for life and If you don't know the walk for life is it's a I think it's an annual thing where People go to the federal. There's two courthouses downtown.

There's this City County Courthouse, and then there's the federal courthouse and at the federal courthouse They walked around the walk for life. They walked around Holding signs and and and standing against abortion now, I am a thousand percent Against abortion.

I I believe it all should be abolished. It's a case. You won't know where I stand. That's where I stand. But as I was walking around Jennifer remember she was with me. We're walking around and I noticed everybody around us is Either a nun or a priest.

There were very few Protestants there. Who were all incognito? Nobody would have known but the vast majority of people surrounding us were either wearing a collar now. Of course, they could have been Lutherans.

Lutherans were collars as well. Some other people were collars, but I'm the point I'm making is When it was over the nuns and priests began to go up and pray the rosary and they began to do their Roman Catholic Prayers and Jennifer and I couldn't couldn't become part of that.

The rosary is blasphemous. We do not hail Mary. Guys, if this offends you and you don't leave this place angry come talk to me. This has to be considered here. Who do we partner with in ministry? Where do we draw the line?

And I said to my wife I said I need to be preaching the gospel to them just as much as the federal courthouse needs to hear that abortion is the worst and The most terrible act of hatred and killing of the most innocent among us for the last 50 years and has killed millions of people.

Absolutely, the federal government needs to hear that but these Catholics need to hear the gospel, too. You understand the line I'm saying. And again, this is gonna get me people are gonna not like this.

That's fine. But this is the reality. Where do we draw the line with whom do we minister? Who do we tie ourselves to who do we team up with? Paul says do not team up with unbelievers and Then he goes into his rhetorical questions.

He says what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial and what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

This is a rhetorical structure. It's based on three Inner. What I would say three blank spaces. He says for what has blank with blank for what blank has blank with blank. So what partnership fellowship accord portion and agreement?

Those are all basically synonymous. Has righteousness like Christ believers in temple. Those are all basically synonymous with lawlessness darkness Belial unbelievers and idols. Those are all basically synonymous and Basically what he's saying is What common ground do you have?

That's the question. What common ground is there? He's all what we have all kinds of common ground if the common ground isn't Christ. Then you really don't have common ground. That's the point. He's making if the common ground is not Jesus Christ.

Then you really don't have common ground. John MacArthur and regarding this passage said the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Cannot be linked in a common cause and then Paul gives his scriptural support.

Beginning in the half of verse 16. He says for we are the temple of the Living God as God said and he begins to quote the Old Testament and Paul does what he often does here. Paul doesn't quote from one specific Passage, but what Paul does is he gives us somewhat of an amalgam of several passages pressed together to make a point.

He does the same thing in Romans chapter 3 when he's defining sin. He talks about sin and he says for as the scripture says and he gives all these scriptural passages. You say wait a minute. He's all over the map.

He doesn't care. He's not saying in John 3 16. It says no. He's saying this is what God has said and he and he quotes several passages. He quotes from Exodus 25 Exodus 29 Leviticus 26 Ezekiel 37 and Isaiah 52.

So he's grabbing all of these passages that make a point and the point is this That God has from the beginning called his people.

To be a.

Peculiar people. I remember Saying that one time and I got a little side-eye what you mean peculiar means set apart. It means to be distinct. It means to be different. Usually if you say peculiar you're thinking in the negative right.

You're a peculiar guy. But in this sense what it means is it means to be distinct? God's people are Supposed to be distinct from the world. I Didn't get an amen then. No, I mean seriously we hear that and we say oh that's uncomfortable.

No, that is what these texts say. The Old Testament is filled with calls to Israel to be separate from the unbelieving nations. In fact just for a moment. Go to Psalm 1. Just for a moment. Run over to song keep your place in 2nd Corinthians because we're gonna go right back.

But Psalm the beloved song book of Israel.

Begins.

With a call of separation notice what it says in Psalm chapter 1 Verse 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the wicked? Nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of.

Scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law. He meditates day and night. Notice the blessing that is given in the very first chapter of the very first Book in the Psalms or rather the first chapter of the Psalms.

It says blessed is the man whose posture is one of separation. That's the Keith standard version. But notice he mentions three postures. He says blessed is the man Who does not walk who does not stand and who does not sit?

That's everything. Because you either walk in standing or sitting or flying and you ain't got wings. So the writer of the psalm here is saying in whatever condition you are in You are blessed when you are not in the condition of being.

Tied to these type of people. And who are the type of people that Psalm 1 says? People who walk in the counsel of the wicked who are excuse me who are the counsel of the wicked sinners and scoffers. Again throughout the entire Bible there is a call for Separation there is a call for peculiarity a call for distinction and Beloved that's it's not just an Old Testament concept.

If you go into the New Testament, what does it say in 1st Corinthians 15 33? It says in 1st Corinthians 15 33 do not be deceived. Bad company. Ruins good morals. That's basically Psalm 1 restated. Who you spend time with who you make your life with who you partner with who you minister with is much more likely to bring.

Down.

Than for you to raise them up and so when we go back to 2nd Corinthians and if you're in your Bible go ahead and go back. So after Paul gives us these Old Testament citations, which again wouldn't have been Old Testament for him just to be clear Paul's that's just the Bible for Paul.

There was no New Testament. He's writing it. But as I've said many times chapter divisions don't matter they were added in later. So Paul goes right into the next argument in This restatement of the imperative notice in chapter 7 verse 1 since we have these promises what promises?

The promise of the verse that just came before God says I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters. To me why. Because you have separated yourself. You're my children. You're distinct from the world.

You're peculiar. You're different and you're going to be my children my sons my daughters. And since we have those promises Beloved let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement body and spirit. Bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Do you realize that the the Bible calls you to a holy life if you were amens the longer I go in it. That the Bible calls us to holiness. It actually calls us.

To separation.

Body and spirit. There are all kinds of things in this world which can Defile our bodies all kinds of things that come in through the eyes that come in through the ears and We're constantly having to protect ourselves.

We're constantly having to shield our children From what the world tries to put in front of them because there's always an attempt to try to bring these ungodly Things in and he says that we ought to cleanse ourselves from those things.

Body, but also spirit. You know, what is amazing to me? How many parents wouldn't dare let their children hear a curse word? But are happy to let them hear false teaching. They wouldn't dare let their child child loose on YouTube.

But they will allow them to be engaged in hearing false things about Jesus. Body and spirit. There are dangerous false teachers all around.

Paul says.

Since we have these promises Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit bringing holiness to completion. The King James in the New American Standard Bible say perfecting holiness.

And I know just just so you know, I know what some of your thing. I know I'm not perfectly holy. I'm not going to be perfectly holy on this side of the veil. I'm not going to be perfectly holy as long as I'm in this flesh, okay.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but the pursuit of the Christian is the pursuit of Christ likeness and This is what Paul's telling us. We must pursue is Christ likeness and to do so in the fear of.

God.

Robertson says on this the fear of offending God is A very necessary element in the process of sanctification. The fear of offending God is an element in sanctification. He goes on to say we cannot do without all.

There is no depth of character without it. Tender motives are not enough to restrain from sin. Tender motives are not enough to restrain from sin. We actually have a have to have a fear of God. No, no.

No, it's just reverence. Explain the difference to me, please. Write me a five paragraph essay on what you mean when you come and tell me that later. Oh, I don't fear God. I reverence God, please explain to me the difference.

Because that's what we want. We want to take a we want to take the teeth out of God. We want to ruin the lion's mouth by making it nothing but gums. You remember the question from Narnia? When they saw the lion Aslan, is he safe?