What do we mean when we say a thing is holy? Look at your Bible and it says, “Holy Bible.” What makes it holy? The land of Israel is called “The Holy Land,” and the city of Jerusalem is called “The Holy City.” Why? There is a quality about all three that they share in common. They all belong to God. The Bible is God’s book; Israel is God’s land; Jerusalem is God’s city. They are all God’s property! That is why they are holy; they belong to God.¹ The same applies to believers in Jesus. We are holy because of who we belong to. That’s a positional holiness which comes via the new birth. But, there’s another part to holiness. It’s the day to day stuff of living on a sin-stained planet. In today’s post, let’s take a look at the topic of holy living in an unholy world.

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Perfecting Holy Living

2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV): Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God

• The word ‘therefore’ in this verse connects you to the previous chapter which you should read in order to get a full sense of what Paul is endeavoring to communicate.

2 Corinthians 6:16–18 (ESV): 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

• The ‘promises’ the church needs to be mindful concern God’s very Presence in the midst of the body of Christ.
• The word ‘promises’ are plural and for a reason: there are four parts to it.
• The Lord said…
  • I will dwell among them.
  • I will walk among them.
  • I will be their God.
  • And, they shall be my people.
• This has been God’s very heart from the very beginning, to dwell with and among His people.
• The fulfillment of God’s big idea does not happen until the very end.
  • That is after the Tribulation after the Second Coming and the Millennial Reign of Jesus, Antichrist and his cohorts take the plunge into the Lake of Fire, after Armageddon, after the new heaven descends from God and the old earth is burned up and transformed into a new earth.
• You know, the very absolute positive end.

Revelation 21:2–4 (ESV): 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

• You can always tell what God’s plan was in Genesis by looking at how things end up in Revelation.
• So, what Paul, by the Spirit of God is saying to the Corinthian Church and consequently to you and I because we are part of that same church, is that because of these great and precious ‘God dwelling among us’ promises, we should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh.
• Reducing this thought to simplest terms: because God’s coming for dinner, get rid of the sin in your life.
• In other words, Blood washed children should get out of the pig sty.
• Peter has a word for us along similar lines.

2 Peter 1:4 (KJV): 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

• We must search our hearts, lifestyles, bookshelves, and video storage cabinets.
• It’s time to get the sin out.

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV): 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Call to Action:

Is the Lord dealing with your heart about some sin in your life? Is your conscience pricking your heart? It’s time to respond to your heart and repent and come clean before God.

Question of the Day: How has living a holy life profited you in your walk on planet earth? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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