2 Corinthians 7

2 Corinthians 7:1 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.

We should never leave these good nuggets of gold out of our sermons and bible studies. It's good to hear sermons on how God blesses, how to get along with our family, how to make a marriage work, how to be find our calling and to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit and many other good things. There is still an important subject that we must never avoid and that is true biblical holiness. These scriptures are in the bible too. This doesn't mean that some of the other things are to be neglected. On the contrary they are very important too. If we actually study the scriptures thoroughly, we get a more in depth teaching of how to conduct ourselves and be an example of those that follow Christ. All things fit together so we can be fruitful and abound in all areas of our lives and the lives of those we influence.

We will see that the true blessings are spiritual rather than material. We see that sometimes division comes because the name of Jesus and the gospel brings offense. Some have trouble because of the gospel instead of the good life here and now. We need to tell the truth. God will heal marriages but sometimes it doesn't work out the way the bible teaches because God works with our free will to choose good from evil.

We must encourage people to trust and live for God even when things do not work out the way we desire. Living holy and trusting completely in God whether we prosper or suffer loss would be the way to go. Real faith is trusting God no matter what, always looking for His return when we receive the good life in the kingdom to come. Faith is not just demanding and commanding. Faith is contending for the truth and desiring to win souls for Christ. True faith is believing when the miracles stop and the good times cease. True faith is also staying holy and true to God's word when times are great and we do prosper financially. If we just tell people the good things, we are lying. Some will suffer persecution, hardship and loss of family because of the gospel. Yet it is worth it in the long run.

We are to be clean of filthiness of flesh and spirit. We are to be perfecting holiness and walking in the fear of God. I use to hear this all the time, every week in church. Some have become so afraid of legalism that they might be tempted to avoid preaching holy living. Fornication, sexual immorality, lying, stealing, drunkenness, foolish jesting, and such are not to be part of us any longer. If we don't know how to walk in holiness the Holy Spirit will lead us.

First let's make sure that we have been saved or born again by God's Holy Spirit. If Christ hasn't saved us from sin, then we can't possibly be holy by any righteousness we obtain on our own. He has to cleanse us from sin when we believe in Him and realize that He died for our sins and was raised for our justification. We are justified and free from sin because of the cleansing that comes by faith in Christ. We are then given the Holy Spirit as a teacher to guide us into all truth. Part of that truth is to seek for holiness and no longer be a slave to sin.

2Corinthians 7:2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
4 Great 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.
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And 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.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that he and his co-laborers in the gospel, purposely lived without blame and did nothing to offend or harm the cause of the gospel even though they suffered much trouble because of the gospel.

2Corinthians 7:8 For 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.

He is referring to the letter he wrote to cause them to reprove the one among them that had sinned and was bringing reproach upon the gospel. He was glad they made things right and brought this person to repentance. The church at first neglected this and allowed sin to go unchecked among them. In other words, holiness was missing in their teaching.

2Corinthians 7:9 Now 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.

There is a difference between being sorry one is caught and being sorrow because one has offended God.

2Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The right kind of sorrow works repentance which brings salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

2Corinthians 7:11 For 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.
12 Wherefore, 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.
13 Therefore 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.
14 For 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.
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

This is a good example for all of us to follow. That is caring one for another. If we see a brother sin, we begin to pray for his restoration and do all we can to see him or her restored to a right relationship with God. Sin must be reproved and dealt with. We cannot forsake the teaching of holiness and truth. God's word must remain the top priority in our work. Yes we can have dinners, fellowship, gospel sings and such but the word must be the top priority. There is no substitute for the teaching of the word. God has given us the best, how can we improve upon the best? The best is the written word and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

One thing to remember. The Corinthians first neglected the sin in one of their members but later did as Paul suggested and corrected it. That was good. Then is was important that once he was restored and got back into fellowship with the Lord, they were to forgive also and no longer hold it against him. When God cleanses and forgives, we must too. Their past is gone. -DC

11 Corinthians 8