Promises Promote Purity

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Paul urges us to cleanse ourselves. The matter of growing in holiness, of cleansing the dirtiness and defilement in our conduct and in our hearts, of moving closer to purity, is not something we can just pray about and leave to God. There is a work to be done here that only we can do. God expects and requires us to take the initiative. Many a battle for purity has been lost because I failed to act decisively, waiting for Someone else to do something. If I fail to cleanse myself, no one else will step in to do it for me.

Paul names the scope of my concern as all personal defilement. I am not just targeting the big and obvious reprehensible sins, the ones that other people might gasp at if they knew. But I am aiming at every kind of sin and behavior that will defile my purity, even the little, hidden ones about which some may ask, “Why are you worried about that little thing?” The shirt is not clean if one small spot remains.

Paul focuses on defilement of the flesh and of the spirit. It’s not just about what you do, but it’s about what you think and what you want. God cares about what is hidden and invisible in my heart, not just what I do with my body. Jesus makes it clear that, contrary to our common conclusions, the source of our defilement is what comes out in our lives from our desires and thoughts. Keeping myself from engaging in visible and obvious sins does not make me “good”—purity is far more than that.

All our obedience is built on faith in God’s promises. God has taken the initiative. Seeing our weakness and helplessness, God moves near and commits to help us. God does not give us commands to obey without offering to us power to obey and incentives to obey Him. With God’s promises in hand, believing obedience to God becomes an entirely different thing.

In 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 Paul refers to some very specific promises of God, quoted from the Old Testament. Promises of what God will be—their God and a Father to them (relationship, not alienation or isolation). Promises of what God will do—He will dwell in them and walk among them (God is near, not far away). Promises of what God will do for us, if we will only separate ourselves from sin—He will welcome us, be a Father to us, make us His sons and daughters (identity, security, significance and purpose). God promises I am not alone and I am not on my own. Though the fight against impurity is harder than anyone will ever know, I have these promises from God. Based on these very promises, I tackle the challenge of purity daily.

—Bart Bryant