Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Corinthians 7:1 NKJV
In order to fully understand the Therefore at the start of today's extract, we need to fully grasp what has gone before. The verses before today's extract demands a life of separation from anything unclean, which is the basis of acceptance by God. And it is the foundation of today's extract. If i will lay hold of the promises of sonship and the benefits of having God as Father, the first task is to cleanse myself from every filth.
This is a role for me to play. No cleaning will happen without my clear cooperation. What am I required to clean myself from: all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. I thought someone has said that the flesh cannot respond to God. Have you met the God who cannot behold iniquity; who destroyed the world of Noah with water or Sodom and Gomorrah with fire? This is a God who warns copiously in his Word that I must subdue my flesh so that it does not lead me to hell. I therefore have the power and the grace to subject my flesh to God. It also shows that the spirit of man can be polluted. How does this happen: it is all through the senses: sight, hearing, feeling, taste and touch. If I do not place a guard over the things I allow into my life through these points, I am setting myself up for heartache and damnation.
This is the groundwork for the perfecting of holiness. I'm on a journey towards perfection and it will not happen overnight. The fear of the Lord is the key to all that God intends for me, and if I will be all God intends, I must walk and live as God directs. His promises have context and preconditions, and no matter how much I cry for them, I will only enjoy them if I align with the conditions and obey as directed. His time of favour is here.
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