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Text:  II Corinthians 7:1

A Timeless Task!

Introduction

The apostle Paul had his hands full with the church at Corinth. He also had his heart full for them! This God-wrought concern resulted in two epistles and twenty-nine chapters of practical instruction in nearly every area of Christian doctrine and discipline. Perhaps the most graphic expression of Paul’s compassion for this church is found in II Corinthians 6:11 when he said, "Our heart is enlarged." Full hands must always be backed up by a full heart!

Observations

I.  The Exhortation to Holiness

Out of Paul’s enlarged heart came this exhortation--"Let us cleanse ourselves." Brethren, this is a timeless task! The verb is the aorist of katharizo, meaning "to cleanse, purify, or purge". It is also first person plural. The force of the aorist is, "Get going with neglected business!" The use of the first person plural signifies Paul’s identification with this struggling church. In like manner did Daniel pray, "We have sinned, we have done wickedly...because of our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us." Daniel was head and shoulders above his fellow countrymen. But in the presence of a Holy God he could only identify with their frailty. And so Paul affirms that it is "We" who need cleansing, not just "You"!

II.  The Extent of Holiness

We are to cleanse ourselves "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." The word "filthiness" is the word molusmos, meaning "a soiling, a defilement, a muddying or besmearing of that which was clean". It is never used in the NT in a ceremonial sense, but in a real sense. In John 13:10 Jesus taught this same truth to the disciples, saying, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Paul is talking about dirty feet--moral and spiritual defilement in the lives of those who had been washed in the blood of Christ. It was time for a foot washing! Brethren, the defilement of flesh and spirit which is rampant in our day has contaminated both pulpit and pew. Israel’s greatest King prayed, "Cleanse thou me from secret faults" (Psalm 19:12). Secret faults in the pulpits of our nation are largely responsible for the lack of spiritual power and glory in God’s churches! How can there be deliverance in the pew with defilement in the pulpit?

III.  The Expectation of Holiness

Lastly, Paul makes it clear that this timeless task of cleansing has its reward. The pursuit of holiness puts the believer in the position of experiencing the Fathering ministry of God in a personal, experiential, and intimate way! It is a promise worth the pursuit! It is the experience of one who is in the midst of personal revival. It is what separates the joyful from the sorrowful! It is the difference between the fullness of God and failure! It is what separates the God-anointed preacher from the filler of a pulpit!

Conclusion

The great expositor Alexander Maclaren had this to say about this timeless task: "The nearer we get to Jesus Christ, the more will our consciences be enlightened as to the particulars in which we are still distant from Him. A speck on a polished shield will show plain that which would never have been seen on a rusty one. The saint who is nearest God will think more of his sins than the man who is furthest from Him. So new work of purifying will open before us as we grow more pure, and this will last as long as life itself."

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