This post was last updated on July 29, 2026

Day 97 (Year 2)

Departing from Unclean Things

“Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? … ‘Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.'” (2 Corinthians 6:15, 17 NASB)

The word “Belial” in the above scripture comes from the Greek word Beliar, meaning “worthless, or wicked.” Paul indicates that Jesus is totally incompatible with everything worthless and evil. Although Jesus and Satan coexist in this world, they are opposed to each other and cannot be harmonized within anyone. The “unclean” in today’s verse refers to things incompatible with God’s holiness and His Word. In 2 Corinthians, unclean things refer to the sins and lifestyle of the unbelieving world, such as sexual immorality and idol worship—things every believer must abandon. Only then will we be accepted by God. The passage indicates that believers and unbelievers do not fit in any partnership, particularly because secular values and ways of life are not compatible with us. So, believers should not bring any worldly ways of doing things into the church.

The second verse is Paul quoting the Old Testament (Isaiah 52:11), urging God’s people to leave the sinful city, break free from all impurity, idol worship, and issues related to evil spirits, so as to be accepted by God. I understand these verses as particularly addressing those who want to accommodate both Satan and Christ, seeking to benefit from each. The word “separate” in the verse comes from the Greek word aphorizo, here meaning “mark off from others by boundaries, limit, or exclude.” In truth, we should strive to turn from Satan’s power to God rather than wanting to believe in Him on one hand while unwilling to cut ties with unclean things on the other, and thus being unaccepted by God. Unclean things lead to destruction, and worthless things cause people to lose their divine focus. 

Believers should carefully examine everything we possess, promptly clearing out all wrong and harmful collections and habits, discarding worthless things, and purifying our homes. We must recognize that unclean things can bring the curse of evil spirits, and accepting evil will inevitably lead to ruin. On the contrary, we who seek Jesus’ redemption and cleansing will cooperate with His work, breaking free from all influences of Satan, unbelief, and impurity, but living a new and holy life, free from Satan’s influence in daily living and being blessed by God unceasingly.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel you have already broken free from the influence of what is worthless, evil, unbelieving, or unclean? If any remains, how will you rely on the Lord to deal with them?

2) Are you willing to discard and clear away all unclean and worthless things from your life and home? Why?