Contaminates

 DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

CONTAMINATES

 

2 Cor 7:1

7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

NIV

These promises refer to the preceding two verses regarding God being our father, protector and we are being his sons and daughters. Because if these promises we need to do some of the work in the purification of ourselves. Of course, it is God and Him alone who can purify us, as we have no ability to make us pure. It is through our faith in Jesus Christ and having the Spirit dwell within us that causes us to be pure and to be declared holy and blameless in his sight. Yet, Paul makes it clear there is something which we can participate in which adds that process belonging to God. We can make every effort to avoid those things which contaminate our body and spirit. The beginning of contamination belongs to the eyes, in some sense. We could say that the eyes are the window to the soul. What we look at leads to what we think about and what we think about brings it into a desire and if it is of the nature opposite to God, it is a contaminate. The problem is that we live in this body with all of its senses.  But we can turn our eyes from that which can lead to contamination with the help of the Spirit. If left alone, without the Spirit, we would have no chance, or if we fail to yield to the urging of the Spirit, and listen to own our voice, our eyes will seek out that which would fulfill the desires of the flesh. This is not about those lists of do’s and Don’ts that are so easily used. That type of thinking is simply putting ourselves back in a type of bondage as did the Law, trying to keep rules is impossible for if we break just one, we break them all, and those are not God's rules, but belong to man. However, sin is still sin, and we should avoid willfully seeking out any type of sin by looking at that which would lead to sin. In this day and age, it is almost impossible to avoid looking at all that would lead to sin. The world is full of images and things that are always attempting to draw our attention. It might be better to be blind than to expose ourselves to all that is available to feast our eyes upon. Yet, that is our quest, to use our will to submit to the will of God and allow Him to purify our minds and spirit. We have the choice as to what we view, what we look at. We can turn our eyes, but that does not turn our desires or stems their power. We are so glad the Spirit is at work in us and helps us. It is a process, a continual transformation within us. We have not attained that perfection yet, and it is most likely we will never attain it while we are in this temporary tent, but perfection is coming when we will finally be transformed from this corruptible to the incorruptible, from perishable to the imperishable, the day we lay this body to rest and step into the presence of our Lord. Then and only then will we be completely pure. We are also glad our salvation does not depend on our purifying ourselves, but on the gracious act of God. Yet, there is work for us in the here and now. Let us live in a manner that pleases God, trying our best with the help of the Spirit to keep from those contaminates.