My Days with Christ Jesus

Day 228

August 16

"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." -2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV

'...perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' Cleansing ourselves of all the sins in our lives thus perfecting holiness... and the reason for doing so is the most important here not the fact that we are cleansing or making ourselves holy rather the reason why we do it, and in this case Apostle Paul said why we are doing it because of our deep respect to God. The word fear here doesn't suggest that we should be scared of God rather we should have a deep respect, which means because of our great admiration to the beauty of God, who is love.

People act in a certain way and in doing so they have reasons or motives to back it up. We don't do things without reasons. Having reasons or motives sets us apart from the animals or any creatures in this earth. Even if we don't do anything or even if we choose to do nothing, we have are reasons not to, maybe we are tired or we just don't feel like it.

What motivates us to do things is what is important to God that is what Apostle Paul is stressing here. If you are cleansing yourself for the wrong reason that is of course for the reason that doesn't involve God, then you are not clean at all... because it is only by God's grace that we are saved not by our own works.

The only way to perfect holiness is not just the means of cleansing one's self but rather the aim, the goal, the reason why you are striving to perfect holiness because you appreciate God's beauty and Jesus' glorious image on the cross, seeing it as a wonderful things and a confession of love and that reason is backed up by a faith that enables you to see God in everything and you marvel at that truth that Jesus died for you to live, you see that as a beautiful manifestation of God's love to man. Thus fearing Him, having a deep respect, admiration to God... in who He is and what He has done and what He has prepared for to those who will endure to the end with Him, His promises to His beloved Church, our salvation.

In short, God is not after on the things we do rather on the reasons why we do what we do, and it should be because of our deep respect, deep admiration, deep love for Him and nothing else. And once we fear Him then actions will follow... good works are inevitable for those who fear the Lord, in this case perfecting holiness, cleansing ourselves from all our sins.

To God be the glory!