Promises

2 Cor. 7:1

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. 

The conclusion of chapter 6 begins chapter 7. Six ended with For we are the temple of the living  God. Following this,  Paul referred several promises from the OT. #1 God will make His dwelling place among them[those who are the temple of the living God], and walk among them. #2 God will be their God, and they will be His people. #3 If we go out from among those unclean and separate ourselves touching no unclean thing, then he will welcome them. #4 He will be a father to them, and they will be sons and daughters to Him. 

The original location of these great promises was Is. 53:11, and their original readers were the Jews, God's chosen people. But Paul now used this quotation to refer to believers, Jews and Gentiles alike. Because the temple of the living God is no longer in Jerusalem, but is in each believer, these verses apply to us as well. We are His chosen people, and His words are written on our hearts. Our circumcision is not physical but one of the heart. Our relationship with Him is based on grace and faith, belief granted to us by God, and not on works of the law, anything that we have done. It no longer is an issue of outward actions but of inward belief.

But Paul says now, 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. Our obedience and outward actions follow salvation not earn salvation. The promises of God become the reason and the impetus for our obedience. In love, we must cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the body and spirit. Our old patterns of living must be put off and our new way of living put on. We must desire our bodies to be sanctified practically. When we are saved, we are covered with the imputed righteousness of Christ. God sees us as Christ is. But the hang up is that as we live in the here and now, and until we meet Christ in the air, we are still in the flesh and we must grow into this new way of living, this sanctification each day. We must bring holiness to completion in the fear of God. We will see Him and be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. On that day, in that moment, our sanctification will be complete. In that moment our flesh will be dropped away forever, and we will become the spiritual beings we have truly longed to be. But until that day, we must cleanse ourselves every day from every defilement of our flesh and spirit. If we don't, what does the temple of the living God that dwells in us look like? Are we besmirching the greatest gift given to man? Such filth is abhorrent to God and should be to us as well. Perhaps this cleansing is truly next to godliness. 

Father,

Convict  me mightily so that I might see the depth of my filth. I want to be obedient and clean. Help me to do that. Give me Your grace and strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen