In my post "Morning Musings-Two-Way Street" we talked about relationships between God and ourselves; our children and ourselves (the parents); and between members of God's family and ourselves. I believe that when we care most for our relationship with our heavenly father God, that the other relationships will fall into place better. This relationship with Him needs honesty and purity. What are some of the ways we can do that?Continuing from the last few verses of 2 Corinthians 6 we run, naturally, into 2 Corinthians 7. This talks about not being unequally yoked with unbelievers, those who are not of God's family. We are asked to come out from among them and be separate from them since we are sons/daughters of the Lord God Almighty who is the Holy One.
This chapter 7:1 asks us to purify ourselves from anything that would contaminate our body and spirit. In so doing we continually perfect holiness. Our motivation for doing this is our "reverence for God." So, how much do you revere God? Our measure of reverence will manifest itself in our measure of "perfecting holiness."
These verses aren't just for teenagers developing boy-girl relationships. These are for one and all. Who are our business partners? If they are not perfecting holiness, they may well be using unethical practices in business. Do we want to associate ourselves with such people? Are we equally or unequally yoked together (1 Corinthians 6:14)?
Other areas which we need to examine are in the movies we watch; books we read; music we listen to? Are they 'clean'? Are they contaminating our spirits?
May God help you, through the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer in Jesus Christ. Use the Holy Spirit's power to choose to purify out of our lives that which does not revere God.
NOTE: If anyone reading this is married to someone who is not a Christian and you have willingly chosen to marry that person against God's will but do repent of it, you still cannot "purify your spouse out of your life". The consequences of your choice will be with you until Jesus comes or "until death do you part". God is merciful and gracious and may bring your spouse to Christ; but he may not. God is the one who knows the hearts of mankind.
If you've become a Christian after being married, God's Word asks that person to hang on and to live an exemplary Christian life so as to hopefully and prayerfully get your spouse's attention and win him or her to Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 7:8-16)
Further to this, we have Titus 2:6-15 which talks about purifying oneself and having integrity. Couple that again with 1 Peter 1:13-15, 22, 23 and 1 Peter 2:1-3 which speaks of being holy in all we do. There are no gray areas--no loopholes. Prepare our minds to be holy. Be holy.
This action calls for ridding ourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Take note of the 'all's' and 'every's'. They emphasize the thoroughness we need to exercise in purifying our hearts and minds to be holy as God is holy. No loopholes. Spit spot!
1 Peter 2:12 admonishes
"Live such lives that though pagans may accuse you of any wrong doing, they'll see your good deeds and glorify God..."
Going a way back into the Old Testament, back to Exodus 30:22-29 and to 40:9-10, when Moses and the Israelites were setting up the Tabernacle for worshiping God, even the Bronze Altar of sacrifice and all its utensils were to be made holy before God! If things of worship needed to be made holy, how much more the worshipers!
When we become followers of Jesus Christ by accepting God's gift of salvation, God Himself has made us righteous (pure) in His sight by Jesus' work on the cross. (Jesus death and resurrection. Romans 5:18-20) Yet we still must be living as "living sacrifices" before God (Romans 12). To do this we must live right in the sight of man and of our own selves.
There is work to do. To be those "living sacrifices" before God look at the book of James. This is to perfect our faith to be holy as He is holy in our ongoing Christian living; that is, in our character and conduct: are we greedy; are we sly in business to hurt another; do we cheat....? As followers of Jesus Christ we need to become ever more like Him in kindness, meekness, patience, generosity, goodness and grace; to name a few. These are "acts of worship" before God. James 1:3, 4, and 27 clearly show us how we can be doing these things to work and persevere toward maturity and to keep "oneself from being polluted by the world". This does not save us rather, it sanctifies and purifies us to be ever more like Jesus.When we examine ourselves honestly in God's sight, daily communing with Him and conforming to His Word, will and ways, our relationship with Him will grow. We will trust Him more and more. We will, out of gratitude for Him, aim for that perfection and holiness with continual purification as 1 John 1:9 states:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I trust God to do that for me.
~ERC 2016~
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