LET US RID OURSELVES OF EVERYTHING THAT CONTAMINATES US

Proclamation:

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  The promises which Paul is referring to are: 1. that God will receive us if we obey Him, 2. that He will be a Father to us, and 3. we will be His sons and daughters. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)  Paul says that since we have these promises from God, we should purify our body and spirit of everything that contaminates us, out of reverence to Him.

Application:

We should encourage one another to engage in holiness of heart and life and not in the sinfulness of the flesh or evilness of spirit.  We need to lead a clean life if we want God to treat us as His children.  We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, but we contaminate our heart and mind daily with our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  That is why we need to pray, confess, and ask to be forgiven daily in order to be cleansed from our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  We also need to turn from our sinful ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We cannot clean ourselves up, our heart, mind, or spirit, only God can do that for us. (Psalm 51:10)

DO NOT BE YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS

Proclamation:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  … Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of The Living God.  As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.’”  2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion of all the hardships that he has had to endure. (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)  After he lists all of them, he makes it clear that he has opened his heart to them but they have not done to same to him. (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)  Then he tells them that they should not be unequally yoked to unbelievers.  This statement is not addressed to believers who are married to unbelievers, which he had addressed earlier. (1 Corinthians 7:14)  This message is addressed to those believers who are hanging out with, or in relationships with, or partnering with unbelievers.  He tells them that The Lord says, “Come out from them and be separate.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) 

Application:

Believers should not socialize with unbelievers.  If the believer is not trying to tell the unbelievers about The Lord Jesus, The Christ, then what are they conversing about, and why are they fellowshipping?  Any activity with unbelievers is probably sinful.  It is even worse if the believer is worshiping with the unbeliever or being pulled away from Christ.  If we cannot pull them out of sin, we should not let them pull us down into it.  We should separate ourselves from as much sinful activity as is possible.  We may have to work with unbelievers but we do not have to socialize with them.  We should not be courting them or partnering with them.  How can two people walk together unless they are in agreement? (Amos 3:3)  This text about being unequally yoked is not about believers who disagree on how something should be done.  This is about not having a relationship or an agreement with an unbeliever.  If what we are doing is not giving God glory, then we should not be doing it.

IN CHRIST WE BECOME A NEW CREATURE

Proclamation:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here.”  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)  The King James Version (KJV) of The Bible for this verse reads: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion of believers waiting for their new heavenly body. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) He says that while they are present in the body they are absent from The Lord, but he would rather be absent from the body and present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  He also tells them that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive that which is due us based upon what we did while we were in the body, whether what we did was good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)  Then he states that if any man has accepted Christ, he is a new creature; the old things he used to be and do have passed away, and all things are now new.  This is because God has reconciled us onto Himself through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)  He ends the chapter by saying that we are ambassadors for Christ, who had no sin but became sin for us, so that we might become righteous in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

Application:

We were totally sinful before we accepted Christ into our life.  We knew nothing but sin.  After we accepted Christ, we received The Holy Spirit of God which dwells within us, pushed our sinful nature aside, and changed our life.  When we became a new creation, we identified our self with Christ and not with the world.  However, we did not completely lose our sinful worldly nature, and from time to time we struggle with letting it regain control of us. (Romans 7:19-21)  We will not lose our salvation when we sin but we break the fellowship with Christ. (Psalm 51:12)  We have within us the capacity to do that which is right, but we have to choose to follow the right path because God gave us the ability to choose. (Joshua 24:15)  He said whosoever will, let him come. (Revelation 22:17)  We must choose to live by new principles, exhibit new behavior, and speak different words.  We have been given a new heart and there should be some outward display of this. (Ezekiel 36:26)  We should have new affections, new appetites, new behavior, new desires, new ideas, and a new outlook on life.  If you are still doing all of the same old things, you should question yourself and change.

WE GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT

Proclamation:

“We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."  2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter Paul discusses his present physical weakness as compared to his spiritual strength through Christ.  He begins by saying that he does not distort The Word of God.  He presents it plainly. (2 Corinthians 4:1-2)  He says that those who do not understand it are unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)  It is the light of God which shines on believers and brings them out of darkness into knowledge. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)  Then he tells them that believers are hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, and struck down but not destroyed because of The Christ within them.  He goes on to say that outwardly they may be wasting away but inwardly they are renewed each day, and that any momentary trouble they face is far outweighed by the eternal glory that awaits them. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Application:

Things may not be easy in this life for believers but if we hold on and keep the faith we will be rewarded in the end.  We may be beaten, abused, and mistreated, verbally or physically, but we will not be defeated.  In the end we will be victorious. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  The Christ within us is bigger, and stronger, and greater, and more powerful than anything that comes up against us. (1 John 4:4) 

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Now The Lord is The Spirit, and where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Here Paul makes a bold statement and implies that The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of The Lord Jesus, The Christ.  This should not be so hard to accept since we are taught that God, The Father, and God, The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit are one. (1 John 5:7)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)  Therefore, The Holy Spirit of God is The Spirit of Christ.  Where The Spirit is, there is freedom.

Application:

“God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)  Where ever The Holy Spirit of The Lord God is, there is freedom.  This is not freedom in the physical sense, even though that can also happen.  This is freedom in the spiritual sense.  Since The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers, we all get to enjoy freedom; the freedom from spiritual blindness and darkness, the freedom from the bondage of sin and the captivity of Satan, and the freedom from the fear of hell, God’s wrath, and eternal damnation.  The more time we spend in His Holy Word, and the more we exhibit the fruit of The Spirit, the more like Him we become.  As we do His will and are ruled by our spiritual nature, we are slowly being transformed into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)  However, the transformation will not be complete until He returns and we are changed from mortal to immortal. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)

WE ARE TO FORGIVE AND COMFORT OTHERS

Proclamation:

“If anyone has caused grief … not to put it too severely … you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”  2 Corinthians 2:5-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Here Paul addresses the forgiveness of an offender.  He said that if a brother offends them, they should forgive him and comfort him.  They should also reaffirm their love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:8)  Rejecting him could cause him to be overwhelmed and they should restore him to the fellowship.

Application:

Forgiveness is very important in the life of a believer.  Here Paul encourages us to forgive a brother who has caused us grief.  However, he also states that we should forgive a brother who has messed up in other ways. (Galatians 6:1)  Remember, we all have sinned in the past and were in need of forgiveness. (Romans 3:23)  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus The Christ, said that we are to forgive those who have done us wrong.  He said if we do not forgive others, then we will not be forgiven of our sins. (Mark 11:26)  Having an unforgiving spirit is not Christ-like. 

WE ARE COMFORTED IN ORDER FOR US TO COMFORT OTHERS

Proclamation:

“Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Most Bible scholars believe that this is the fourth of four letters which Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth.  After identifying himself and stating that Timothy was with him, Paul offers praise to The God of all comfort.  He states that they had received comfort during their troubles.  He said that God comforted them so that they would know how to comfort others during their troubles. 

Application:

God is The God of compassion and comfort.  He comforts us during our troubles so that we can learn how to comfort others in their troubles.  When we have experienced one kind of affliction or tribulation and been comforted, we are able to comfort others who experience similar trouble.  We have to learn how to be a comfort and a blessing to others.  Basically, after we receive comfort we can pass it along to others as we do with blessings.  We should praise God for what He has done for us, and for what He has allowed us to do for others.