When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia commanded us.” (Ezra 4:1-3)
This bit of biblical history is very instructive to Christians today. The pressure to compromise within the Church is at times nearly overwhelming. Each day that passes finds more and more of the secular influence seeping into the lives of the believer. Many mainline denominations are nearly totally secularized with even some evangelical churches not far behind.
This compromising is blaringly obvious in those who accept theistic evolution and millions of years into their churches. This is the usual first step to the totally secular church. These ways of thinking must be allowed to have “no part” in the Church.
Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. (2 Peter 3:17)
