Using the World in Christian Endeavors- 2 Chronicles 1-5

2 Chronicles 2:17-18 (ESV)

Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

To build the Temple for God, Solomon not only called on the King of Tyre (a non-believer) to provide experts in the art of craftsmanship (a man named Huramabi).   But he also used 153,600 resident aliens.   These were non-Hebrews who lived within the boarders of Israel.   They lived there but did not have the Jewish ancestry.    This was the Temple.  It was the most Holy of Holies.   Yet, Solomon used their skills and labor to construct this place God would dwell.    This might be a great example of the relationship between believers and the world today; between the Church and the world today.   Using non-believers to build churches is not an unholy thing.   Mixing non-believing truth with church truth is an unholy thing.  Since my main job is to speak about leadership principles to the unsaved world, this becomes an important balance.   I know what I write about and teach is great for the unsaved world, but I am not sure the Christian world would be so accepting.   This is certainly not because I speak false doctrine to either.  But because my writings are not providing a chapter and verse, the Christian world is, understandably, leery of me.   Solomon was allowing them to be the labor, but not those who would work in the Temple.   They could work on it to build it but not in it to use it.   We need to understand that God can supply our help through the unsaved world (think of Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro).  But that does not mean we are to cross over into their doctrine.  This is the line we have to walk each day as we employ others to help us from automobile repairs to heart surgery.   The truth is, God can use anyone.   But we must always be aware of false teaching that might be woven into that combination.