The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 7:1,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"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."
Here in this passage Paul speaks of perfecting holiness "out of reverence for God" in light of "these promises". What are these promises? Just before this verse Paul has enumerated some wonderful things of the Lord! "We are the temple of the living God." God has chosen to make his dwelling right within all who embrace Jesus Christ in faith! "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people" says the Lord as Paul quotes Moses, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Paul also quotes 2 Samuel 7, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
This is the same Lord who has revealed to us the end of things, when we are called to account for the choices we have made in our lives as Paul has said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, "we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
I find much ground for both a reverence for the Lord and a healthy fear of the Lord. I don't really know if I find a difference between the two. What I do find, however, is plenty of motivation for "perfecting holiness out of reverence for God"! Surely our God is worthy of us offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—as our spiritual act of worship!
Here in this passage Paul speaks of perfecting holiness "out of reverence for God" in light of "these promises". What are these promises? Just before this verse Paul has enumerated some wonderful things of the Lord! "We are the temple of the living God." God has chosen to make his dwelling right within all who embrace Jesus Christ in faith! "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people" says the Lord as Paul quotes Moses, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Paul also quotes 2 Samuel 7, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
This is the same Lord who has revealed to us the end of things, when we are called to account for the choices we have made in our lives as Paul has said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, "we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
I find much ground for both a reverence for the Lord and a healthy fear of the Lord. I don't really know if I find a difference between the two. What I do find, however, is plenty of motivation for "perfecting holiness out of reverence for God"! Surely our God is worthy of us offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—as our spiritual act of worship!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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