“Sanctification is all that matters — with reference to 2 Corinthians 7:1″~ ✨
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; envy is the first step to murder; and impurity is the origin of disease. A corrupt government or society always begins with the impurity of people.
When King David of Israel sinned, he lived a life of terrible impurity. After being convicted by the Holy Spirit and realising the preciousness of purity, he prayed to God from the depths of his heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10). In other words, one cannot rely on oneself to have a clean heart; because people are unreliable and, often, self-deceptive. A clean heart is given by God and is also sustained by Him. If a believer follows God’s will, its “warranty” is permanent.
Hebrews 12:14 — “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” — reminds me that believers must maintain purity to build an intimate relationship with God. Following 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, the Apostle Paul reiterates in Chapter 7 that believers must remain pure. His words in 2 Corinthians 7:1: “Therefore, 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,” serve as a strong reminder: if a believer willfully defiles themselves again, carrying a contaminated body and spirit, they cannot draw near to God; if one cannot draw near to God, how can they possibly achieve sanctification?
So, what is “sanctification”? I would consider it from two aspects: first, the sanctification at the moment of salvation (Hebrews 10:10), and second, the complete sanctification at the future redemption (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; cf. Matthew 5:48).
Because of sin, people were separated from God, but God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son; in Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). By this will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10); this refers to the sanctification at salvation.
In pursuing complete sanctification, we are connected to God, developing an increasingly intimate relationship. This relationship is built through our practical daily living; meaning we must live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14). I believe the sanctification Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 7:1 is his teaching on this aspect.
Decades later, the Apostle John’s teaching on sanctification harmonises wonderfully with Paul’s. The senior John points out that if we claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth (1 John 1:6). “Walking in darkness” means a believer’s eyes, ears, hands, feet, and tongue are still indulging in things that should not be done or said. John continues, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This aligns with what Paul said decades earlier: “He (the Lord Jesus) has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).
By the time we reach 2 Corinthians chapter 7, we have already seen that there were various misunderstandings between the Corinthian church and Paul, even malicious accusations, including some questioning Paul’s authority as an apostle of Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:1-3). Paul points out that the accusations from the Corinthians were not based on mistaken information, but stemmed from their pride and narrow-mindedness (1 Corinthians 1:10-12, 4:18; 2 Corinthians 6:12). Envy breeds jealousy; jealousy breeds hatred; hatred breeds malice; malice gives the devil a foothold to corrupt the church.
Here, I continue to see the grievances Paul suffered; but at the same time, I also see how he revered God and deeply loved the Corinthian believers, whom he had begotten through the gospel (1 Corinthians 4:15). He not only begat them through the gospel, he also nurtured them, making multiple visits and writing numerous letters to strengthen their spiritual lives. The more sorrow and distress Paul experienced, the more empowered he became. This was not by might nor by power, but by relying on the Lord’s grace and might. Paul cooperated with God’s work with a spirit and strength of self-discipline and endurance.
The situation in the Corinthian church serves as a reminder to all who read these epistles that fellowship among believers must not be impure. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7). They must not engage themselves in impure acts, speak foolish or coarse joking talk, nor take advantage of others or plunder their kindness. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person, such a person is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:3-5).
By traditional moral standards, “A person cannot stand without integrity, a nation cannot prosper without integrity.” A government with integrity leads to a law-abiding society with integrity. With holy leadership in a local church, there will be a lampstand shining for God. The warning the Corinthian church leaves for future believers is that the corruption of a church stems from believers still being friends with the ruler of this world (Satan); 1 Corinthians 3:3-4.
Accepting the gospel for salvation is the beginning of faith in the Lord Jesus. Those believers who truly live in the truth are whom the Lord Jesus spoke of as having “life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). In the same Gospel, we read Jesus’ prayer to the Father: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:15, 17).
God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12); this Word is not merely spoken with the mouth, it must be lived out. Since it must be lived out, it means walking on this path for a lifetime, until we see the Lord face to face. On this point, the apostle John gives a more solemn reminder: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3).
In summary, sanctification is the manifestation of holiness, and holiness is the content of sanctification. In sanctification, God sets us apart from the world; now although we live in this world, we do not belong to it. If we hold fast to the way of truth and live holy lives, we can hope to be blameless and irreproachable when the Lord Christ comes!
Finally, I conclude this sharing with Paul’s blessing and encouragement: “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
✨✨💖 ~
en yan hua fang 