2 Cor 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.
If you have not done so, read this verse 10-15 times. If you can say it out loud word perfectly, say it another 15 times. It only takes 3 seconds to ‘review’ it. It is a rich verse, full of spiritual truths that have direct implications for purity.
“…make holiness perfect in the fear of God.” This phrase speaks to the human responsibilities of walking with God. There is a partnership between God and us. God does the heavy lifting. He destined and appointed us to walk with him in Holiness forever. He became man, Jesus, and took our penalty upon himself. He speaks the word and we are ‘clean’ and he declares us to be holy. John 15:3 says, “You are already made clean by the word that I have spoken to you”.
Yet this verse commands us to ‘cleanse ourselves’. This verse says to ‘make holiness perfect in the fear of God.’ These are things that are in ‘our court’ to do. God does not leave us to our own strength. We must appropriate the grace of God, the very energy of God from his indwelling Holy Spirit to accomplish these things. Phil 2 says, “God is at work in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.”
God gives us strength and energy. God gives us a mind, a sound mind. God gives us the ability to make choices. God gives us the commands and tells us which way to choose. God will also judge us when we blow it. He will hold us accountable for our choices. Here God is saying, ‘cleanse yourself’. God is saying in this verse, ‘make your holiness perfect’. God has already declared us to be holy. Our destiny is holiness. Yet in Heb 12, we are commanded to ‘strive after holiness.’ God expects us to exercise our wills and strength and to make the hundreds of choices to grow in our holiness, making it as perfect as humanly possible.
Jerry Bridges, a fellow NavStaff, wrote two books on this topic called “The Pursuit of Holiness” and “The Practice of Godliness.” I highly recommend them both.
How can you be more HOLY? As you look at Jesus and commune with Him, as you honestly seek Him and seek to obey every prompting of the Holy Spirit; He will reveal things to you that need to change. He will reveal attitudes that are ungodly. He will reveal speech that is unedifying. He will reveal actions and motives that are less than pure. These are the things that you need to focus on to ‘make holiness perfect’.
We do all this in the ‘fear of God’. We do these things, striving for perfection, because we will be blameless one day. It is our destiny. We are only growing into that which we will be. We will stand before the judgment seat of God one day and give account. We do this because God lives in us. We do these things ‘for a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord and he watches all his paths. Psa 111:10 says, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding has all those who PRACTICE it…’
I pray that you would walk in the ‘fear of God’. I pray that you would practice Godliness. I pray that you would make holiness perfect and that you would cleanse yourself of all defilements. Please pray this for me also.
Related posts:
Amen! FYI, Jerry Bridges has another more recent book out called the “Discipline of Grace..”. This is the culminating piece of work that ties all three books together. I highly recommend it to you. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’ve read 300 pages (the first 100 three times because it has blown my mind away every time thru). It’s basic premise: The gospel of grace is the foundation and path to a life of discipline and the pursuit of holiness.
Grace and peace and love, aj
- Keep smiling… We’re almost home!