"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2Cor 7:1
This was BibleGateway.com verse of the day, and it really
got me going...
So what are "these promises" that we must
cleanse ourselves to obtain?
As we read in the verses ending chapter 6 - To be called
His sons and daughters. To dwell with Him and walk with Him for eternity. Oh
the privileges that come with being called God's son!
God has desired us to inherit and have dominion over all
His creation, and to minister Life to the saved nations. And He has indeed
called us to be His children, brothers of Jesus Christ.
"and if
children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we
suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." - Rom 8:17
"Everyone
who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." - 1John 3:3
And so how do we "purify" and "cleanse
ourselves" that we may obtain these promises? And didn't that cleansing
take place when we accepted Jesus, or at baptism?
No. Our past sins were washed away when we believed, were
baptized, and received the grace of God through Jesus Christ (2Pet 1:9, Rom 5
& 6), but now we must walk the walk to enter into the fullness of salvation
and the promises of God. We must "walk worthy" of our calling, of the
Lord and of His Kingdom. (Eph 4:1, Col 1:10, Phil 1:27, 1Thess 2:12, 2Thess
1:5)
As Paul writes in Rom 6:2-4 ~
"We are those who have died to sin; how can we live
in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him
through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
That "new life" is one of leaving behind old
habits and attitudes and living and behaving in ways that are acceptable and
pleasing to God. We are to be turning away from the sins we have been delivered
from.
When we choose to remain bound to our sins, we
"limit the Holy One of Israel" and find ourselves restricted from
moving forward in Christ. Those verses in 1Cor 6 tell us that it is not God's
Word that restricts us, but our own affections (vs 12) if we allow our fleshly
desires and passions to control us. Our compromising with the things of the
world, seeking pleasure in that which is passing, will rob us of God's
blessings and we risk being disowned by the Father –
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.” - 2Cor 6:11-18
Verses 17 &
18 should be preached from pulpits everywhere every Sunday. Sin has no place in
the Christian life. Jesus did not come to forgive us so we could continue in
our old ways, He came to set us free and destroy the sin that "so easily
entangles."
We "cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh" in part by putting down the
bottle, throwing out the porn, giving up the gossip and guarding our tongue.
And even deeper "from all filthiness of the spirit" (in part) by
forgiving those who have harmed us, by letting go of our pride, by giving our
allegiance only to God, and by "taking every thought captive in obedience
to Christ."
We are to be
done with our old nature. It's time to walk in the "newness of life"
that we have received by His Spirit.
"You have
had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their
immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their
terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course,
your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of
wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that
they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living
and the dead." - 1Pet 4:3-5
Yes, we may be
ridiculed by our old friends because we've given up drinking & smoking
& swearing, and removed certain
posters & movies from our home (or gotten rid of TV altogether as I did 10
years ago), and you may be mocked for your belief in Jesus and the promises of
God, but oh what we will forfeit if we continue in the ways of our old nature,
or try to live in both worlds at the same time.
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." - Col 3:5-10
These activities
and lifestyles have no place in the Kingdom of God. These will all be removed
in the Day of the Lord, along with all who still cling to these behaviors
whether they claim to be Christian or not. (Matt 13:41-43, 1John 3:7-9)
As we let our
light shine by righteous behavior and speech that is pleasing to God, may it be
said of each of us –
"Thanks be
to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from
your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You
have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." - Rom 6:17-18
Peace & Blessings,
Michael
"Therefore,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside
every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of
God." -
Heb 12:1-2
Amen
