1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
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We must first cleanse ourselves.
I Peter 5:7-8 Casting all your care upon HIM; for HE careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Psalm 62:8 pour out your heart before HIM (before God)
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* perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Do we fear God, or man?
If we are concerned only about that which God thinks about that which we do, we fear God.
If we are trying to impress men with that which we do, we have taken on a very hard yoke.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear HIM which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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II Corinthians 7:2-4 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
(Most of us resent problems when problems come. But Paul was joyful because Paul could see God's victory in the problem. When we have a problem and work though that problem with prayer, doing what God shows us, we too are joyful in the problem for we know God is with us in the problem and shows us the way to overcome in the problem.)
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II Corinthians 7:5-10 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
(It is difficult to bring correction but I've seen it bring fruits of salvation many times.)
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II Corinthians 7:11-12 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
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In the early 1980's, I had a dream where I was travelling with a small group and we landed on an island. It was hot, dirty, pineapple type fields. There were a few children there. All of a sudden I realized it was their plan to leave me alone with those children on that island. I said, "I won't stay. I won't." Then I said, "Unless YOU want me to stay." God did want me to stay there and take care of those children. They left me there. There was a pastor and his wife on this island but they wouldn't come out of their house.
I've always thought this was an assignment given me to care for individuals in the church.
If you are a parent, you know what hard work it can be to care for children, especially when you see them go the wrong way. What grief and concern and pleading you have to do.
I sometimes think of how much more grief God feels over HIS children when we don't do as we should.
But I take great comfort in this:
I Corinthians 15:57-58 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
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II Corinthians 7:13-16 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.
And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
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