Monday 6 May 2019

God's family

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.                                                     2 Cor. 7.1


The promises that Paul refers to are very likely the words of God as contained in the final verses of the preceding chapter.

God says of believers: “I will live with them. I will walk among them. I will be their God and they will be my people. I will be a Father to them, and they will be my sons and daughters.

But there are also directions from God to His children: “Come out from them and be separate. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.”

Paul demonstrates his own heart by his encouragement to his “dear friends”. In starting with purifying ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, we may progress to a perfecting in holiness. Our motivation for this is reverence for God.

Of course I want to do this. But, without making excuses, I cannot do it on my own. So I shall take God at His word. He says, “Ask, and you will receive.”



Lord God,
I so want to follow this encouragement of Paul’s. I want to be purified of anything and everything that might contaminate my body and spirit. I want to embrace perfecting holiness. And I want to do these things out of holy reverence for You.
I cannot achieve these things in my own strength. Therefore I ask of You. I ask You, dear Lord, to lead me in purification of body, mind and spirit. I ask You to lead me in perfecting holiness. And I ask You to lead me in deeper reverence for Yourself.
I love You and want to demonstrate my love in pleasing You. I ask Your help in this, in Jesus’ name.           Amen.

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