We may often have heard this phrase: “Separate yourself from the world,” as written in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
This verse is directed to us for the context of life here and now, on this earth, not later. Therefore, we must ask a serious question: Has this verse truly been realized in our lives? What are the marks of a people genuinely indwelt by God, in whose midst He dwells, being their God, and they truly becoming His people?
We must not allow ourselves to live in uncertainty or in the status quo. We must truly enter into the realization of this Word. There is something we ought to fear: God gives us freedom, and He does not force us to do His will. If someone chooses something, and it is indeed their choice, God will not stop them. Just as when Adam and Eve approached the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, though God had already warned, “Do not eat of that fruit, for on the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” Yet when they approached the tree, dialogued with the serpent—the personification of the power of darkness—God did not intervene. He let them do it.
The same applies to us. Many times, we have already heard the Word clearly directing us to repent, but we still ignore it. Habits that do not nurture faith are often dismissed as trivial matters, labeled as “weaknesses.” But in reality, they should be called “sins.” For example: not reading the Bible, being easily offended, quick-tempered, watching pornography, flirting, being dishonest, and still worldly. These are not mere weaknesses—they are sins. Such things prevent us from having fellowship with God. And if such a state continues to the point of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Spirit no longer works in a person’s life, or if someone dies in that condition, they will experience the second death: being separated from God forever.
However, as long as we are still alive, there is still an opportunity. If the Lord grants us time to repent, it means we still have a chance to avoid the second death. The question is: Does God truly indwell us in our lives today? Do we welcome Him, becoming His people—or do we remain indifferent? If we take this lightly, living as we please, God will not stop us. And this is terrifying. For not a few believers—even those faithful in church attendance and active in ministry—still live in uncertainty, without clear direction. More ironically, many churches do not confront this firmly.
Therefore, let us examine our own lives. The problem is, we often do not take life seriously because we feel we still have time, that we can still change later. Yet we do not know when our lives will come to an end. We must realize: God has given us personal sovereignty. He does not take that sovereignty away. What we choose and decide today will shape our lives—and determine whether we will experience eternal life with God, or the second death, separated from Him.