CONTACT WITHOUT CONTAMINATION

Dearly Beloved, CONTACT WITHOUT CONTAMINATION “Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her” (Genesis 34:1-2 NKJV). Dinah, in Genesis 34, was the only daughter of Jacob and Leah. The other siblings were male. Her story was a pathetic one. She desired to have contact with women of her society. The contact became her ruin as she was raped by one of the noble young men of the society. There have been arguments among Bible scholars about the innocence or otherwise of Dinah in the scenario she found herself. Since Christians live in the world, the question now arises: how can they have contact with their society without being contaminated with the society? Christians indeed are in the world but are not of the world. A Christian that the world will not contaminate in spite of his contact with the world must have the reality of self-identification that he is not of the world (John 17:16). Christians “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV. See also Revelation 1:5). Christians are salts and lights in and of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). They should influence the world with their saltiness and light. The world should not influence or contaminate them. Another related thing is that a Christian that would not want to be contaminated in the world in spite of his contact with the world will be selective in his association of the people of the world. Paul questioned: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 NKJV). An adage says, “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.” Dinah associated herself with the heathen women in her society, and she paid dearly for it. Who are you associating with? Who are your friends? Jesus Christ is our perfect Example. He came to this sinful world, and the world did not contaminate him in spite of His contact with the world. He knew who He is, and He was selective in who He associated with. If He could do it, you also can. Determine to “contaminate” the world with your Christian and godly lifestyle, and not to be contaminated by the world. Determine to set the pace for the world, not copying everything that the world is doing. Have contact with the world without being contaminated! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Help me, O Lord, that I will not be contaminated by the world in my contact with the world.