The Color of Worship - Silver

 2 Corinthians 6:16, 17

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of The Living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 

“Therefore come out from among them and be separate," says The Lord. "Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 

    Silver is the color of sanctification, of purification, of being set apart {separated from} for The Lord's glory and purpose. Thirty pieces of silver was the redemption price of both slave {Exodus 21:32}and under-valued shepherd. {Zechariah 11:10-13; Matthew 26:15; 27:3-10}. 

    In Zechariah 11:10-14 silver shekels forewarn of the breaking of two covenants because of their refusal to listen to Him. The first covenant broken was the covenant of peculiarity, of being singled out by God to be His own {Zechariah 11:10; Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:20-22}. The second covenant broken {Zechariah 11:14; Jeremiah 19:1-13; Matthew 27:9} was the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. No longer would they get along with each other in brotherly love, but now they hate each other because of the abundance of sin in their camps, in their hearts.  

    Only in Christ have the two covenants been restored. Only in Christ has God redeemed a people who were not His own. Only in Christ has God redeemed His elect, the people He called to be His own though they rejected Him time and again. Only in Christ can we love one another with the love of Christ. Only in Christ is anything made possible that seems impossible. 

SANCTIFICATION 

    Hebrews 9:22

According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

    Exodus 30:11-16 tells us that the silver given for the building of the tabernacle was the atonement price paid to ransom each man's life who consented to being numbered in the census. Therefore silver represents the atoning power of Christ to redeem us from sin and death. 

    Romans 3:25 - Christ Our Atoning Sacrifice

God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

    1 John 2:2

He Himself is The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. {John 3:16} 

    1 John 4:10

And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins.

    Hebrews 2:17

For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. 

PURIFICATION

    1 Peter 1:22

Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

    Zechariah 13:9

This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My Name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” [Hosea 2:23; Jeremiah 31:33]

    1 Peter 1:6, 7

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

SEPARATED

    1 Peter 2:9 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

     1 Thessalonians 2:4

 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, Who tries our hearts.

    2 Timothy 2:15

Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles The Word of Truth. 

    2 Corinthians 10:18

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

    Jeremiah 9:24

But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

    

    

    

    

    

    

A Crucified Life - - Is Received By The Lord

 

2 Corinthians 6:17

"Therefore come out from among them and be separate," says the Lord. "Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 873

Separate: set apart

From the Greek word 'aphorizó' (pronounced af-or-id'-zo): separate from a boundary (a previous condition/situation).

    Being saved and filled with the Spirit isn't enough to remain untouched by the world. We have to make that hard and sometimes difficult decision to set ourselves apart from the unrighteousness that is in our churches. Our testimony should stand out so much that they who practice wicked living are drawn to us so they can have what we have: a strong relationship with Jesus Christ and a faith-filled lifestyle in the Holy Spirit.

    We are commanded by our Lord and Savior to "come out from among" the unclean. Our lives are to be living witnesses of Christ in us. We are to reflect His image and shine His Light and His Love into the sinful world around us. This includes our family members who are not walking with Christ. 

    As it was when Jesus began His ministry, so it is with us. His own town at first rejected Him. The city of Nazareth recognized Him only as a homeboy, not as the Savior they so desperately needed. They tried to kill Him. Luke 4:16-30. 

    We need to step up and make a firm decision to live for God in Christ. Though we are becoming holy people we are not 'holier than thou people' nor are we 'better than you' people. We are sinners who have been changed into saints because of our faith in Christ. The people around us need to see the change in us. Be amazed. Wonder. This change needs to be so self-evident that it makes people hungry for the Word we have in us. 

    Though many will come against us, we can't let that have a negative effect on our relationship with Christ. We are a set apart and being sanctified people. Our actions need to reflect our relationship. We will set ourselves apart. 

    I used to drink. But when I got filled with the Holy Spirit, I couldn't stand the smell of alcohol: it made me sick, physically sick and nauseous. I still can't stand it. I am filled with new wine. 

    When we make that decision and stand by it, the Lord receives into Himself and unto Himself. We are grafted into the Tree (Romans 11:24). He prayed in the garden for this to be so: John 17:22,23 "I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me."

    Stop playing with sin in your church and your life and kick it out the door! There is no room for the works of Satan in the House of God. Knowing that our hearts are the dwellingplace of God when we believe, this doesn't leave room for discussion now, does it? 

    No longer should the born again Holy Spirit filled believer want to have anything to do with that which they have been delivered from. But when they do, they will be worse off than they were before. Peter refers to it as a 'dog returns to its own vomit'. 2 Peter 2:21-22. Proverbs 26:11. 

    I urge you. Come out from the wickedness around you. Set yourselves apart and follow Jesus Christ. Be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Seek His face. Worship in His Presence. Rejoice in your victory! and glorify God with your lives. 

    A crucified life turns its back on worldly living and lives only to please God and serve Him. Let us do so.

RECEIVED BY CHRIST

Just To Be With You - Paul Baloche

Seekers of Your Heart - Sandy Patti, Larnelle Harris, Steve Green

New Wine - Hillsong Worship

Hungry - Kathryn Scott

In The Garden - Jim Reeves

Just A Closer Walk With Thee - Randy Travis

Better Than Life - Phil Wickham

I Know Whom I Have Believed

    

Separated

 

2 CORINTHIANS 6:17

"Therefore come out from among them and be separate," says the Lord. "Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

Separate: to set boundaries, to set or place apart

Matthew 25:31-35, 41

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

Revelation 18:4

"Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues." 

If we don't separate ourselves now, the LORD God will separate folks later. A conscious decision has to be made to commit one's self to a life lived according to God's will and God's purpose for us. 

It is not that we 'cannot' do what we used to do before we got saved, it's that we choose not to do what used to do. Nor do we want to do or be what we got saved from. We want to live a separated life unto God.

 Sin separates a person from God. Sin is unholiness. Sin is unrighteousness. Sin is disobedience to God's Word. To die in sin is to be forever, eternally, separated from God. There is no changing one's mind after death. And a person cannot be prayed into heaven by another after death. The decision to follow Christ must be made this side of heaven, this side of eternity, this side of breath.

Today is your day of salvation. Today is the day you give your heart to God. Today is the day you surrender your bodies as living sacrifices to God. Today is your day to believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. Today is your day to be filled with God's Holy Spirit and begin to live a life changed because today is the day you get saved.