“2 Corinthians 7:1-4”

Wednesday, June 06, 2018

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing.”

---End of Scripture Verses---

“God has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises” through His faithful Son and His trustworthy word (2 Peter 1:4). Among the greatest of these promises is that God will dwell in us and walk among us and be our God and we will be His people (2 Corinthians 6:16). “‘And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:7). I can think of nothing more comforting than to know that I can call as my Father, the God who created the heavens and the earth, even the entire universe. As His precious child I can trust Him to take care of me and bless me and give me all the riches of heaven for eternity.

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleans ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit…” Our sense of gratitude and indebtedness should prompt us to “clean” our lives up just as much as we can. What are the things that you allow to “defile” you? Is it the worldliness that pours forth from the television, radio or internet? Do you watch and listen to obscenities, crude humor, sexual innuendo, negativity, etc.? When we allow garbage to go into us, garbage will (stay in us, and) come out of us. Maybe books or magazines or worldly friends are having an ungodly influence.

Paul warns about the defilements “of flesh and spirit”. Even things that we consider to be spiritual in nature can be displeasing to God and corrupting to our souls. There is a lot of “entertainment” in the religious world today that is being pawned off as “worship”. Do you try to worship God in ways that you like and make you feel good, or do you try your very best to worship God in the ways that the New Testament reveals that are pleasing to Him? Do you think that a “concert atmosphere” with bands playing and people singing and dancing and strobe lights flashing is authorized, truthful and respectful worship to God?

God expects us to grow and learn and move on to maturity by “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect. But He does demand us to take Him, His word and His worship very seriously. He expects us to live our lives in purity and in “fear” of Him. That word fear can mean “respect” or “reverence”, and it can also mean “terror”. If we obey and honor and respect our “Father”, we will never have to live in fear (terror) of Him. But if we do not, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

Please read 2 Corinthians 7:5-13 for tomorrow.

Stay holy my friends!

- Louie Taylor

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