2 Corinthians 7
Week 11
Thursday
Paul said, “Therefore, since we have these promises, … let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Golfer Ben Crane wrote that there are four top priorities to his life: loving God, serving his family, honing his craft, and cultivating meaningful relationships. Talking about how those priorities affect his life, he said: “For me, I’ve learned that TV is something that just crushes my affections for the Lord. So one of the biggest things for me is not watching very much TV and not getting engaged in too many sports. Because when I spend too much time with those things, I start to care too much about them and I start to head in the wrong direction.” (Ben Crane, “Life in the Fairway”, p. 72)
This reminds me of the fairly well-known Susanna Wesley quote (found in our 2013-2017 Manual on p. 49): “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over mind, that thing for you is sin.”
I know there are things I must avoid which others might not consider sin. For me, to be what God wants me to be, I have to avoid them. Are there things in your life you need to eliminate?
Inspired by a note written by Dr. Gary Pate.
2 Corinthians 7
1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
5For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. 6Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more. 8For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. 13Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 14For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. 16I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
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