April 16th, 2021
Real Life Devotional Series “Hunger” – Week 1 - Friday – Shirley Davis
Special Relationship with God
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)
"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God."
In this verse, Paul gives us some simple, straightforward advice about holiness; yet we certainly don't want to be trying to develop holiness just because we are afraid we won't make it to Heaven! It is something we should desire because of our love and reverence for God.
However, to understand this verse, we must read the preceding verses in chapter 6, where God is quoted giving us specific promises: 2 Corinthians 6:16b-18 “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people, therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." (NLT)
God wants a special relationship with us, and for that, we must be "separate" or even "stand out as different" from unbelievers. If we back up even further to the beginning of chapter 6, we read in the 1st verse: "As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it." Paul shares some of the trials and tribulations that come as a result of living in a way that is working toward holiness. I encourage you to read the whole of this short chapter as it indeed illustrates a hunger for holiness. He writes encouragingly that though it is far from easy, "our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing and yet we have everything." (v.10)
Special Relationship with God
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)
"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God."
In this verse, Paul gives us some simple, straightforward advice about holiness; yet we certainly don't want to be trying to develop holiness just because we are afraid we won't make it to Heaven! It is something we should desire because of our love and reverence for God.
However, to understand this verse, we must read the preceding verses in chapter 6, where God is quoted giving us specific promises: 2 Corinthians 6:16b-18 “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people, therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." (NLT)
God wants a special relationship with us, and for that, we must be "separate" or even "stand out as different" from unbelievers. If we back up even further to the beginning of chapter 6, we read in the 1st verse: "As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it." Paul shares some of the trials and tribulations that come as a result of living in a way that is working toward holiness. I encourage you to read the whole of this short chapter as it indeed illustrates a hunger for holiness. He writes encouragingly that though it is far from easy, "our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing and yet we have everything." (v.10)
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