April 27, 2022 PERFECTING HOLINESS
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
There are two truths that stand out in this passage. One is that we have not arrived spiritually; and the other is that we are not to wait on God to cleanse us-that is something we do. We must not take lightly, or even forget the promises we have from God, and we must not forget that Jesus was crucified in order that we might be restored to the Father and that we could become heirs of salvation. Our salvation was not an isolated even sometime in the past; we have been saved at a point in time, but we are also continuing to be saved; salvation is on-going. The on-going process is about maturing in the faith and being transformed into His image; we have been given the Holy Spirit who helps us in this process. As said above, we must be conscience of the fact that we have not arrived spiritually; no matter how long you have been a believer, there is room for spiritual growth in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. There will be occasions when we act improperly, speak a wrong word, or have wrong thoughts and desires; this is what Paul refers to as ‘defilement of the flesh.’ Instead of allowing these things to continue to be an issue for us, we must ‘cleanse ourselves’ by laying them aside and turning from them. Because we have the Holy Spirit living in us and because God has made us new creations, we can ‘lay things aside’-that is an amazing power. Hebrews 12:1 makes this truth clear; “let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.’ Often times, there is one particular sin that ‘so easily ensnares us;’ for example, one may find himself or herself often being impatient-and that is what needs to laid aside. It is important to not get focused to trying to fix all of our defects-that in itself can be a work of the flesh. Rather, we are to have our hearts turned to the Lord and be desiring to live in a way that pleases Him, to live according to His word. When we err, or sin, the Holy Spirit will show us that. When we realize that our flesh, our old self, is being expressed in some way through us, let us realize that that is what we must lay aside-or as they say “Quit doing it!” God has made it possible for us to turn from anything that is not pleasing to Him and to walk, or live in newness of life. So, do not become obsessed or over analyze what may be wrong with us; just be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit and cooperate with God in the process of being transformed. To be being transformed is to be being changed.
1 Peter 1:16 “because it is written,”You shall be holy for I am holy.”
Romans 13:12, 14 “The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let is therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lust.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed