2 Corinthians 7:1 MSG, “With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. More Passionate, More Responsible.”
Look back at Chapter 6: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIRV, “Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? How can Christ and Satan agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said, I will live with them. I will walk among them. I will be their God. And they will be my people. So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch anything that is not pure and clean. Then I will receive you. I will be your Father. You will be my sons and daughters,says the Lord who rules over all.”
The kind of promises that can pull us on are the ones that remind us that separating ourselves from the world will bring blessing and favor into our lives. Because, we will be called the sons and daughters of God Almighty! He rules over all. All power in heaven and earth belongs to Him. And, with Him, nothing shall be impossible.
So, remembering that, it should give us that extra boost we need to make a clean break from the things that defile and distract us within and without. Just what does it means within and without? It means to make a clean break from the things that will defile or distract our hearts and minds (within) and also from the things that defile or distract us to be immodest and inappropriate in our outward appearance (without). We need to come out from among those that are ungodly and who distract us from following that ways of God. Sometimes that means you have to make a few choices on who you hang out with and who you get close to from day to day. We need to surround ourselves with godly people; so that we can be strong enough to reach out to those that are not following the will of God for their lives.
We need to strive to make our lives a fit and holy place for the Spirit of God to dwell. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” How do we glorify God in our body and spirit? As it says in 1 Peter 1:15 KJV, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” That is how we do it. We strive to be holy inside and out, just as our example, Jesus, was holy.
We need to strive to be more passionate. I don’t want the following verse to be said of me. Revelation 3:15-16 KJV, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” The Message translation puts it very bluntly, “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot - far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit.” When some one is passionate, they are fiery and on-fire about what they believe in. We need to strive to be on-fire and passionate about the things of God.
We need to strive to be more responsible. What does it take to be more responsible? I think that 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) sums it up, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” When someone is responsible they are reliable, steady and trustworthy. And, when we remain steadfast and unmovable in our walk with God, always striving to to the extra mile for Him, we will responsible.
Help us, Jesus, to make that clean break and strive consistently each day to be all that require for us to be. ♥
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