2 Coríntios 7

2 Coríntios 7

Maclaren - The Tree of Life, according to some of the old rabbinical legends, lifted its branches, by an indwelling motion, high above impure hands that were stretched to touch them; and until our hands are cleansed through faith in Jesus Christ, its richest fruit hangs unreachable, golden above our heads. The fullness of the life of Heaven is only granted to those who, drawing near Jesus Christ by faith on earth, have thereby cleansed themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. J R Miller - The forests in summer days are full of birds’ nests. They are hidden among the leaves. The little birds know where they are; and when a storm arises, or when night draws on, they fly, each to his own nest. So the promises of God are hidden in the Bible, like nests in the great forests; and thither we should fly in any danger or alarm, hiding there in our soul’s nest until the storm be overpast. There are no castles in this world so impregnable as the words of Christ. Bob Gass - A Call to Holiness Let us turn away from everything wrong … giving ourselves to Him alone. (2 Corinthians 7:1TLB) Before his conversion, St. Augustine was a “party animal.” After becoming a Christian, he often walked home past a bar he’d frequented every night. One night, a prostitute, who assumed he’d finally “come back to his senses,” approached him. But when they met, he walked right by her. In amazement, she called to him, “Augustine, don’t you recognize who you just walked by? It’s me!” For a moment he stopped, turned to her and said, “Yes, but it’s no longer me!” Paul says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When I was young, many of those claiming to be holy seemed harsh to me. They looked like they were enduring, rather than enjoying, their religion. They were comfortable in church, miserable everywhere else. Deep inside I knew something was wrong. Peter says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3NIV). God will help you in both areas! He also says that through His Word “you might become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). You have His very nature within you, and that nature will cause you to grow up spiritually. You’ll know you’ve grown up—when you’re able to feed yourself! As you do, holiness will be a natural outgrowth of your relationship with God. (A Fresh Word for Today: 365 Insights for Daily Living) REMEMBER, YOU CAN’T BE HOLY IN A HURRY, BUT YOU CAN START TAKING STEPS IN THAT DIRECTION RIGHT AWAY. Perfecting Holiness Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. —2 Corinthians 7:1 Today's Scripture: Galatians 5:16-26 I had not worked in my yard for several weeks, and I was amazed at how quickly weeds had sprung up and taken over. Weeds don’t need tending; they seem to love to sprout up for anyone who just lets things go. A bed of beautiful flowers, however, takes watering, feeding, and of course, weeding. Flowers thrive under the care of one who is not afraid to get dirt under his fingernails. The Christian life takes work too. It requires the commitment of one’s whole being to Jesus—body, mind, emotions, and will—to have a life that is wholesome, attractive, uplifting to others, and fulfilling to oneself. Even then, weeds of selfishness and sinful attitudes can quickly spring up and overrun the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). That was the problem with many believers at Corinth. They had become overgrown with envy and divisiveness (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). So Paul told them to cleanse themselves from all “filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). By “holiness” he didn’t mean they could be sinless, but blameless. (ED: SINCE SINS ARE RESISTANT TO ERADICATION LIKE CRABGRASS SEE - The Expulsive Power of a New Affection) The Weeding Process 1. Identify sins of the flesh or the spirit (Gal. 5:17-21). 2. Call them sin and confess them (1 John 1:9). 3. Stand firm in your position in Christ (Gal. 2:20). If you yield to God, you won't give in to sin. A Matter Of Taste Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. —2 Corinthians 7:1 Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1 Two cockroaches decided to visit their favorite restaurant. While the larger of the two was enjoying his meal, the smaller one said,“You wouldn’t believe the house I just left. It was spotless. The lady had to be a cleanaholic. Everything was immaculate—the sink, the counter, the floors. You couldn’t find a crumb anywhere.”The other cockroach stopped his munching, looked with some annoyance at his companion, and said,“Do you have to talk like that while I’m eating?” This story about roaches can apply to human nature as well. The second letter to the Corinthians shows that Paul’s readers had much to learn about clean living. They needed to develop a stronger hunger and thirst for righteousness. So the apostle pleaded with them to turn away from all filthiness (7:1). He reminded them that God wants His people to separate themselves from spiritual garbage. If “cleanness”of heart sounds unappealing, perhaps we’ve been satisfied with the crumbs of our earthly desires. We need to learn to savor the flavor of godliness. If we desire to taste what’s good And lose our taste for sin, We must with ruthless honesty Expose the dirt within. —D. De Haan Sin cannot flourish where godliness is cultivated. The Last Sins To Go David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing." —1 Chronicles 21:8 Today's Scripture: 1 Chronicles 21:1-13 The apostle Paul said that we are to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Even though it may seem to people around us that we are living a clean, moral life, in our spirit we may be harboring an attitude that displeases the Lord. Because sins of the spirit are unseen, hidden in the heart, we tend to ignore them until they lead to some outward behavior that reveals their presence. King David’s life illustrates these two aspects of sin. His lust for Bathsheba led to adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11-12; Ps. 32:5), and brought great pain to his own life and reproach to the nation of Israel. Then, late in his life, he succumbed to Satan’s prompting to take a census (1 Chronicles 21:1-6). This seemingly innocent act displeased God (vv.7-8) because David was taking pride in his military might. There seems to have been a subtle shift from completely relying on God, who had often miraculously delivered him, to trusting in his own power and strength. We may confess our outward sins Because they're difficult to hide, But we must also guard against Our inner sins, like lust and pride. —Sper Pride is the stone over which many people stumble. F B