2 Corinthians 7:1

Hi,
Chuck's at the doctor for his knee, then therapy, so I'm taking the opportunity to write now. He's been on the computer looking for a job quite a bit, so my getting time here has been splotchy. Anyway, I trust you are all well. I received emails of encouragement from the one I sent about Chuck and was SOOOO glad to hear from you. I'll get personal emails off soon.
For today's scripture I've chosen 2 Cor. 7:1. I've been reading through 2 Cor. and today was chapter 7. This verse fit so well with yesterday's in 5:15, so thought I'd expand.
"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." Don't you just love that verse?
First we have promises. What are they? Salvation through Christ. The Holy Spirit living in us. Freedom in Christ not to sin. His help for every second of every day, as we yield our will for His. The list goes on.
I like what is says about purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. That's repentance! Turn away, forsake ungodliness, etc. In other words: get rid of anything that hinders our walk with the Lord.
Then: perfect holiness. My Bible's side note says: Holiness, as implied in the preceding verses, calls us to recognize that the false must be abandoned for the true; the old covenant must be given up for the new. We must purify-eliminate-anything from our lives that belongs to our old way of life. The motivation and grace for this process stem from a reverence for God, who will simply not allow any halfway efforts, any mixing of old and new.
Because of my illnesses, I have been drinking purified water for years; reverse osmosis to be exact. Filtered water has the contaminates taken out, thereby keeping the bad stuff from adding to my damaged body and causing more trouble. My system doesn't have to work as hard if it's not trying to eliminate the bad stuff from the water, along with all the bad stuff that a body normally has to deal with.
There's that word again: eliminate. God wants us to eliminate anything that would contaminate our body, soul, mind and heart. What in your life are those things? For me, it's watching t.v. and something that I don't want/shouldn't watch come before me. I have the control to switch the channel or turn the t.v. off. It's my option not to contaminate, but to eliminate the bad.
We are so desensitized to the bad in our world that we don't often see the bad, but just accept it, because it's "normal" in our day and age. But, when it's aligned with the Word, it falls drastically short.
So, filter your life and eliminate the bad so that you can do what the Word says:( end of verse 1) "perfect holiness out of reverence for God." And isn't that what shows the Lord how grateful we are for Him and all He's done for us?

Filtering and eliminating daily,
Sandy