Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1
KINDLING with strong emotion, constrained by the love of Christ, and animated by the fellowship of all spiritual blessings, the apostle here strikes out an exhortation. He appeals to the noblest passions of the children of God, to their possession of divine lineage, a present endowment, and their expectation of an exalted destiny. These he uses as incentives to holiness of life.
To stir up in us this godly ambition, he sets before us the Christian in various lights—
I. AS POSSESSED Of MOST GLORIOUS PRIVILEGES. "Having these promises." Not promises in reversion merely, but in actual possession, received, embraced, enjoyed.
The promises referred to are mentioned in the previous chapter. 1. Divine indwelling: "I will dwell in them" (2 Cor. 6:16).Has the Lord entered into covenant with us that we should be his people? Does not this involve a call upon us to live as becometh godliness?
Are we his children? Let us not grieve our Father, but imitate him as dear children.
III. AS AIMING AT A MOST EXALTED POSITION. "Perfecting holiness." 1. We must set before us perfect holiness as a thing to be reached."Cleanse ourselves." It is the Lord that is the sanctifier of his people; he purges away their dross and tin. He pours clean water, according to his promises, yet doth he call us to cleanse ourselves; having such promises, let us cleanse ourselves. He puts a new life into us and causes us to act, and excites us to excite it, and call it up to act in the progress of sanctification. Men are strangely inclined to a perverse construction of things Tell them that we are to act and work and give diligence; then they would fancy a doing in their own strength and be their own saviors. Again, tell them that God works all our works in us and for us, then they would take the ease of doing nothing. If they cannot have the praise of doing all, they will sit still with folded hands and use no diligence at all. But this is the corrupt logic of the flesh, its base sophistry. The apostle reasons just contrary, Philippians 2:13: "It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do." Therefore, would a carnal heart say, we need not work, or at least, may work very carelessly. But he infers, "Therefore, let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling," i.e., in the more humble obedience to God and dependence on him, not obstructing the influences of his grace, and, by sloth and negligence, provoking him to withdraw or abate it. Certainly, many in whom there is truth of grace are kept low in the growth of it by their own slothfulness, sitting still, and not bestirring themselves and exercising the proper actions of that spiritual life by which it is entertained and advanced. — Archbishop Leighton
"Let us go on to perfection" (Heb. 6:1) should rather be rendered, "Let us be carried on."... If we are unable to go on, we are surely able to be carried on to perfection. — Charles Stanford
The promises, as they have a quickening, so they have a purging power; and that upon sound reasoning. Doth God promise that he will be my Father and I shall be his son? and doth he promise me life everlasting? and doth that estate require purity? and no unclean thing shall come there? Certainly, these promises being apprehended by faith, as they have a quickening power to comfort, so they purge with holiness. We may not think to carry our filthiness to heaven. Doth the swearer think to carry his blasphemies thither? Filthy persons and liars are banished thence; there is "no unclean thing." He that hath these promises purgeth himself and "perfecteth holiness in the fear of God." "He that hath this hope purifieth himself, as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). — Richard Sibbes
A spiritual mind has something of the nature of the sensitive plant: a holy shrinking from the touch of evil. — Richard Cecil