Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life--a life set apart for God's purpose] in the fear of God. |
Bible Question:
I have a couple of questions that deal directly or indirectly with this verse. This "cleanse ourselves" and "perfecting holiness" is another description by Paul of sanctification right? Would you say that sanctification is a continous process in the life of a believer, while when the Bible speaks of regeneration it is speaking of a one time event in the life of a believer? Would it be accurate to say that someone is justified the moment they believe in Christ, but the "sanctification process" begins then and continues as long as we live here on the earth? Is regeneration a synonym for "born again" or "new birth," or is regeneration a continous process? I feel like I'm getting real technical here. Thank you for being patient! |
Bible Answer: Dear Friend: You seem to have a correct apprehension of the entire matter. Regeneration is a synonym for being "born again" or experiencing the "new birth". Regeneration is a not a continuous process, and being “born again” is not a continuous process. What does Scripture say about regeneration? Paul says that God saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5). There is a sense in which we die daily and are resurrected. In 1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul says, “ I die daily”. He says, “our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). We are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4:11). He who raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you (2 Corinthians 4:14). The term regeneration might have been used to describe this process of dying and being resurrected, but to the knowledge of this writer the term is not used that way. It is not used that way in Titus 3:5. Likewise, the term “renewing” might have used to describe this, but it is not so used in that passage. “God saved us” is a completed action, and it says we were regenerated and renewed at that time. In light of the fact that we have been “regenerated” and “renewed”, we should “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”. The command to do these things are in light of the fact God has made some special conditional promises to us. If we decline to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, if we come out from among them and be separate, if we refrain from touching the unclean thing, then God will do as he has promised: “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters”, says the Lord Almighty. Salvation (regeneration, as per Titus 1:5) is a one-time, instantaneous event in which God, through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new life in Christ. Sanctification is the process by which we "cleanse ourselves … perfecting holiness". We do this by putting off the old habits which we learned from the world, and putting on the new behaviors we learn from Christ. In saying that sanctification (and here we are referring to practical sanctification) we should not get the idea that God wants us to go very slowly on this. It says we should “bring [our] consecration to completeness”. Let no one get the idea I am saying we can be sinless. But it seems God is saying we should be holy (Romans 12:1) completely separated unto him. We should aim now for the situation where we can say that we know of nothing in our life that is offensive to God (1 Corinthians 4:4). We should exercise ourselves to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Acts 24:16). We will never be able to say that we are perfect. There may be sins in our lives that we are not aware of (Psalm 19:12). But we can confess and forsake the sins we are aware of (1 John 1:9). Also, we can pray that God would show us what he sees and lead us in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23,24). I realize that some believe salvation is a gradual process. This matter has been debated and I hope it is not revived here. I wrote in order to contribute to the idea of practical sanctification and to suggest that we should aim for a sense of completion in this. A sense, I say, because we can admit that the process is incomplete and yet have a clear conscience that we are not harboring any known sin. |
Up | Down View Branch | ID# 133141 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for 2 Cor 7:1 | Author | ||
|
eL c0Ko | ||
|
Charles_P | ||
|
Aixen7z4 | ||
|
Charles_P | ||
|
dolly beard | ||
|
DocTrinsograce | ||
|
Tammy Jones |