BC Circle
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner–not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
There are so many roads to go down with this scripture. The company we keep; the company we don’t keep; witnessing to them; judging them; and even discipline of all. But a central theme in this passage is the BC (before Christ) and the AC (after Christ) in your life. If you have truly repented of your sins and accepted the grace He gives, your life will never be the same. Your views of the world and yourself before this Salvation & revelation will be much different. The world will reach out and try to tug you back into it’s grip with all types of enticements; but these are all a ploy to steal your soul by Satan.
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. You are called to go before men and live your life for Christ. Your circle of influence before Christ is your circle of influence after Him. That circle will change and in many ways get smaller in relation to BC; but that is due to His work in you. We are not to become haughty but to become humble. Pride will ruin any testimony you have of change, because pride is the root of all sin. Although you may seem to reject the habits and people of your life before Christ, it is only because you are seeing them living in sin and a glimpse of how Christ sees them.
Don’t withdraw into a shell, but humbly share with those close to you how your life is changing. You don’t have to understand what is going on, but the evidence of change is in you and through you too all those around you. God may place one person before you in the BC time of your life that your heart bleeds for. You want them to share in what you now possess. Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? Begin to pray for yourself as a witness for Christ, and for Christ to use you to reach them. Prayer for someone close to you is an incredible experience to see God start to work in their lives also. Together you have walked down the road Before Christ, and together you can walk down the road to eternity with Him.
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