2 Corinthians 7:1-4

                                                             2 Corinthians 7:1-4

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.  Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.  I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.  I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

The promise of God dwelling among us as our Father should have some clear implications on our lives.  It is impossible to live in the presence of God and be unaffected.  God’s primary attributes are holiness and love.  So those who dwell in His presence will naturally demonstrate those characteristics as well.

 

GOD’S PRESENCE PODUCES PURITY:  We are defiled from the moment of our birth.  Both our body and spirit have been defiled by sin and the terrible effects of sin.  We use our bodies to fulfill the sinful desires of our hearts.  Every part of us has been corrupted by sin.  In this passage Paul admonishes us to cleanse ourselves from this terrible blight of sin.  We must be very careful not to take this phrase out of context.  Paul has just spent many pages speaking of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  No human can cleanse themselves from sin apart from the work of Christ on the cross.  However, those who have been justified through faith in Christ are given a new nature and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  Believers must now, in the power of the Gospel, take the practical steps necessary to repent from and abandon sin.  This is the completion of the work of Christ.  In Him we have “positional holiness” before God by faith alone.  However, saving faith is never alone.  It always is accompanied by the desire for and the outworking of “practical holiness.”  This is motivated by the fear of the Lord.  Fearing the Lord is not being afraid of the Lord, rather it is an intense and urgent desire to please the Lord.  We cannot live in the practice of the presence of the Father without striving for holiness and longing to please him in all we do say and think.

 

GOD’S PRESENCE PRODUCES UNITY:  Love of self is the natural tendency of every person in their natural state.  When we become members of the family of God, we turn from the love of self to the love of God and others.  A desire to please and love God will always result in an abiding love for others.  This is why Paul would not dare to wrong, corrupt, or take advantage of anyone.  Unbelievers in authority do all three of these things on a regular basis.  Because of Paul’s firm but loving discipline, some in the church felt hurt, but Paul wants to do all in his power to restore fellowship with these people and demonstrate that it was for their own good and that his true motivation was holiness and love.  He was willing to risk death and pain in this life to bring about the healing that was so desperately needed.  Since the church obeyed, Paul is now able to express his pride in their actions.  This brought him great comfort and joy because the people he loved were walking in fellowship with the Father again.  He just wants to make sure that this beloved church knows of his love and his desire for them to love Him as well.  Those who truly love will take great joy in being loved by their beloved.

 

APPLICATION: Don’t be deceived into believing that we can somehow cleanse ourselves apart from dependence on the power and presence of God in our lives through the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit.  Don’t be deceived into believing that we can somehow be cleansed by God without the diligence and disciplined required in our daily lives.  Love others profoundly and take great pleasure in being loved by the Lord.

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