I already showed that
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is misapplied. The key is to avoid those who will lead you into sin and those who will lead you away from Christ. But, those who are good people, respect your choices and those in professional relationships that you have a chance to lead to Jesus are OK.
Well, as far as God is concerned, those who haven't put their trust in Christ are as follows:
Romans 1:18-23
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Romans 3:9-19
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Colossians 1:21
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
The unbeliever is suppressing the truth of God in unrighteousness; the unbeliever does not understand or seek after God; the unbeliever is bound under the power of the flesh, the World and the devil; the unbeliever is an enemy (hostile) toward God, alienated from Him, and caught up in evil living. Whatever may appear to be the case on the surface, at the core of every unbeliever is this person, living in rebellion toward God, spurning the gracious atoning work of Christ on their behalf, serving Self rather than the Saviour.
The believer, in contrast, is thirsting after God, pursuing daily intimate communion with Him, growing more and more holy, more set apart unto God, every day. Their chief concern is living in a way that pleases their Lord, that honors and glorifies Him at every turn (
1 Corinthians 10:31). Such a believer hates sin, and acts to avoid it as much as possible, forsaking the World where such sin is constantly celebrated, submitting themselves, their bodies and souls, to God's control (
Romans 8:14; Romans 12:1; James 4:7-10, etc.), and exposing and rejecting the hidden things of darkness wherever they are encountered (
Ephesians 5:8-13).
Of course, there are many Christians who are not walking this way with God, who have become lukewarm and compromised in their faith, comfortable with sin, and delighting in the fellowship of sinners. They don't see the problem with linking themselves intimately with those who don't know or love Christ; for they are closer to the sinner in how they are living than to the Saviour. Birds of a feather and all that.
If what Paul says above is true of the unbeliever, though, there can be no such linking, which is exactly what Paul points out in
2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Am I suggesting that the Christian ought to become a hermit or monk, cloistered away in a monastery, never coming into any contact with the lost? Of course not. We are to love the lost, sharing with them the Gospel, and living among them as salt and light. But while we are among them, we are not of them. We love them with the truth, and with self-sacrificing generosity and grace, but we must not link ourselves to them except in superficial ways, offering a hedge-trimmer, or Christmas gift, or a shoveling of their driveway, or small talk on a sunny morning over the fence, but not close friendship, intimate friendship, and certainly not marriage or close business ties with them.
Again, as the prophet Amos asked, "How can two walk together unless they be agreed?" (
Amos 3:3)
