Keep it simple

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! – 2 Corinthians 11.3-4

Why do we have to make everything so complicated? I am certainly no theologian so I have a really hard time figuring our where I stand on some of the great theological issues. I would not want to totally be critical of hard core theology, but I do think we can take things and complicate them far beyond what is necessary. We can, if we are not careful, be so caught up in our '-isms' that we get dragged away from the simplicity that is the gospel. It is that gospel that Jesus spoke of when we talked about becoming child like in our faith. 

Paul was worried about false teachers. He was afraid that the Corinthians would be confused and dissuaded from their simple faith. 

We need to understand what we know and why we know it. We need to be able to I defend our faith in the word of. God. 

But we need to make sure that we get don't get so caught up in arguing our petty differences and minor viewpoints that we forget the simplicity of the gospel that saved us. 

I think what Paul is saying here is that we need to make sure we are fully committed to the basic simple truths of the gospel. If we are not settled on that then it makes no difference how much fancy stuff we know, we will still pulled away from the truth and 'put up with' false teaching. 

We need to nail our colours to the simple gospel that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. Let's not be so preoccupied with all the extras that we are deceived away from the simple truth. 

Self praise is no praise

For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. - 2 Corinthians 10.18

I remember a silly little poem from when I was quite young. 

'I am so great and you are so small

I am really amazed I talk to you at all.'

That may be kind of funny and we might get a chuckle, but that sadly represents the attitude that Christians can far too easily develop. It is easy to think that we are doing pretty well. Pride is a terrible thing and yet we let pride spring up and dominate our thinking. We can easily 'think we stand' but when we do that we had better 'take heed lest we fall.' 

I have found that God has a way of keeping us humble. When we get too haughty and sure of ourselves God loves us enough to remind us just who we really are. 

There is certainly no commendation in self approval. Self praise is indeed no praise. 

Really, when we think about it, isn't self praise pretty childish? It's like the grandchildren telling us how fast or how strong or how smart they are. It makes them feel good, but what they are really looking for is for us to agree with them. 

But we ought to know better. Just because we praise ourselves doesn't make it true. 

Gloriers

But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17

I am not sure whether this term is popular around the world, but there is a term applied to athletes who always have to score the goal or be the star, or are not a team player. They are called gloriers. 

The world is full of gloriers. They are everywhere. Sadly the church is not immune to gloriers. 

And yet there is nothing for us to glory about. We are all that we are only by the grace of God. That is why He uses the weak and base and foolish things of this world to His work. Since God uses the useless things of the world and all of our best works, are, as Paul put it in the King James Version, as dung, there is nothing for us to glorify in. 

There is no room for gloriers in God's work and yet there is a lot of it going on. I find that the longer folks are saved and the closer the grow in Christ the more unfit they feel. 

Let him that glories glory in one thing and one thing alone. Let him, indeed let us, glory in the Lord. 

Jeremiah put it clearly: 

Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,

Let not the mighty man glory in his might,

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

 But let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

God delights when we glory Him. Why do we persist in trying to glorify us? 

Captive thoughts.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, - 2 Corinthians 10.4-5 

Our natural thinking is always going to get us into trouble – always. Just think about where our thinking comes from. Think about the cesspool of thoughts that we have to live and deal with. 

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am amazed at the thoughts I can produce sometimes. I find myself thinking about stuff, start dwelling on it, then am shocked and disgusted when I realise where my thoughts are. 

How does that happen? 

And I actually trust that mind to guide my thinking?  

The scriptures tell us here how we deal with that corrupted concept of thinking. We are, as a part of our struggle with this world, to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 

That mind battle is constantly ongoing. Our fleshly cries out 'PAY ATTENTION TO ME!! THINK ABOUT ME!!' All the while the still sweet voice of the Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit that we are the sons of God.

Every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 

Which line of  thinking are we going to heed? Where are we going to allow thoughts to dwell? Where will our thoughts be held captive? 

Not wise

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12

How do we set our standards of success or failure? How do we measure our spirituality? To what or whom do we compare ourselves? 

I know what my temptations are. I know I find myself constantly comparing myself to others when I try to measure success. I don't think I am not too bad when it comes to comparing my sin to others, I am  under no delusions there. I can't imagine a worse sinner than me. 

My problem comes in the area of being 'successful.' 

Like most people I want to be seen as a success. I want to feel like I have done something. My problem is that I tend to compare myself to others. 

Those who compare themselves to others are not wise. Whether we compare ourselves to how bad or how good we perceive someone else to be we are making a mistake. 

Our only wise comparison is to compare ourselves to the word of God and what Jesus expects out of us. Anything else is foolish. 

Warfare

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, - 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Paul changes tack a bit here. Here expands his instruction to the people a little bit as he addresses other issues they need to to deal with. 

But he don't want them to think that he is just being 'bossy' or abusing his apostolic authority. Paul clarifies the reason for his exhortation. Hera d to say these things because we are fighting a spiritual battle. While we live in and have to deal with a physical and material world, we are fighting a spiritual world. 

There are some who try to tell us that we don't have to fight. They say that if we just had the faith to accept victory by faith we wouldn't have to fight. We could just let go and Jesus would do it all for us. That sounds great, but I keep reading about this warfare that we are involved in. I read about battles warfare and about we are to endure hardness as good soldiers. 

So we fight. But I think we have a problem. 

We are in a war, but sometimes it seems that we think we have to fight this war the way the world fights a war. We think we can use the world's methods to fight. We think that if we could just change enough laws and impact the government and shout loudly enough and protest visibly enough and march in the streets and hate the politicians enough and own enough guns we are going to score some kind of victory. 

In other words we try to fight a spiritual war with carnal weapons. 

That's not how we are supposed to fight. We don't war according to the flesh. We war according to the mighty power of God which alone has the power to pull down the strongholds. 

In the book Holiness J.C. Ryle does an excellent job describing our warfare and the impact it should have. 

'The Christian's fight is a good fight, because it does good to the world. All other wars have a devastating, ravaging, and injurious effect. The march of an army through a land is an awful scourge to the inhabitants. Wherever it goes it impoverishes, wastes, and does harm. Injury to persons, property, feelings, and morals invariably accompanies it. Far different are the effects produced by Christian soldiers. Wherever they live they are a blessing.'

I wonder how the world sees us as a church and as individuals as we fight this war. What impact does the march of God's army have on the world today? How are we doing in pulling down strongholds using our current methods? 

The early church eventually defeated Rome, but they did it by loving and caring and blessing. What are we doing? 

How does our giving measure up?

For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! - 2 Corinthians 9.12-15

It all comes down to this. There is a reason why we can give the way we are supposed to give. There is a motivation. There is a point  that allows us to be cheerful givers. 

All of our giving has a basis. There is an example that every gift we give can be compared to. 

'Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.'

If we could ever stop to think about what He gave we could get a proper perspective on our own giving.  He gave it all for me. What am I willing to give to see His work done today. 

How does my gift compare to His indescribable gift? 

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Cheerful

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say:He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:5-7

It is amazing how much time Paul spends on the topic of Biblical giving and how wrongly we have gotten it (I realise 'gotten it' is not great English, but I like how it sounded here). However we put it, we need to sort out our attitude about giving. 

Paul deals with attitude. He reminds the Corinthians that they have promised a generous gift. He has already reminded them of how important it was to carry through on their promise. But then he teaches them about how they are supposed to give. 

'Give out of your generosity. Don't give grudgingly and just because you have to. If you give sparingly that is all you are going to receive. If you give bountifully that is how you are going to reap. Give what's in your heart. God loves a cheerful giver.' 

That doesn't mean what I once heard a preacher say. 'God loves a cheerful giver, but He'll take your money even if you are grumpy about it.' 

From what I have read so far I think the real principle is pretty simple. If you aren't going to give in abounding grace, if you are going to give grudgingly, if you can't give cheerfully, you might as well not give at all. 

It is obvious here that what really matters to God is the giving heart. Is it a drudgery, or is it a joy? Believe it or not. God doesn't need our money to do His work. He is not dependent on us to meet the needs of His children. But we don't give we miss out on the joy of having a part of God's giving. We miss out on the ultimate cheerfulness. 

For the believer 'give till hurts' is nonsense. For us, we should start giving cheerfully and keep giving with the joy that we are having a part in God's promise to care for His people! 

Honourable Titus

 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, avoiding this:that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. - 2 Corinthians 8.16-21

The Judean Chrisitans were in trouble. I am not certain, but I think I remember reading that there was a famine. They were suffering from a natural disaster. Whenever that happens and unaffected Christians find out about it we are supposed to give to meet their needs. I can't help but think of the desperate needs of the Filipino Christians at the moment. There is no way there should be a lack there when we have such an excess here. I hate to wander (well, I sorta hate to wander) but I don't understand how churches can have multi-million dollar (or pound, or euro) facilities with cafés and sports complexes and all the while the church in the Philippines is in such suffering. We, the church outside of the he Philippines should be giving to the point where they are saying 'stop, we have enough!'

Rant over and back to the direct topic. Someone had to take the relief to the suffering believers. They needed someone they could trust. That is something else we need to consider. We need to be wise in our giving and make sure that it is going to be administered properly. 

Titus was the man they could trust. Also, to make it easier for Titus they sent another brother with him. That way no one could make a false accusation. It is important that, no matter who it is, there is accountability in dealing with financial matters. 

Paul also mentions what happens when this kind of giving takes place. Such gives are a part of the God's glorification. Giving is far more than just throwing a few bob in the offering. 

Anyway, Titus was chosen because of his character. He was known for doing the honourable thing. Titus was honourable before God and man. 

I wonder sometimes if we have lost that smile concept of honour. Is honour important to us or have we adopted the pragmatic world view of 'do what works?' 

It's like the old saying goes. It is as simple as 'do right till the stars fall.' 

Nothing in excess - nothing lacking

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”- 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

I thought about trying to was eloquent and show of my limited Bible knowledge or how much I am discovering about giving on this read through of 2 Corinthians. Instead I think I am just going to share what a friend posted on Facebook the other day. 

This really exemplifies the passage and the principle of 'nothing left over - nothing lacking' better than I could hope to. Enjoy and be challenged. 

Charles Wesley's example of giving. 

He was one of the great evangelists of the 18th Century, born in 1703. In 1731 he began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. In the first year his income was 30 pounds and he found he could live on 28 and so gave away two. 

In the second year his income doubled but he held his expenses even, and so he had 32 pounds to give away (a comfortable year's income). In the third year his income jumped to 90 pounds and gave away 62 pounds. In his long life Wesley's income advanced to as high as 1,400 pounds in a year. But he rarely let his expenses rise above 30 pounds. 

He said that he seldom had more than 100 pounds in his possession at a time. This so baffled the English Tax Commissioners that they investigated him in 1776 insisting that for a man of his income he must have silver dishes that he was not paying excise tax on. He wrote them, "I have two silver spoons at London and two at Bristol. This is all the plate I have at present, and I shall not buy any more while so many round me want bread." 

When he died in 1791 at the age of 87 the only money mentioned in his will was the coins to be found in his pockets and dresser. Most of the 30,000 pounds he had earned in his life had been given away. He wrote, I cannot help leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me hence; but in every other respect, my own hands will be my executors. In other words, I will put a control on my spending myself, and I will go beyond the tithe for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom."

Finish the job

Finish it

And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. – 2 Corinthians 8.10-11

It is a wonderful thing to plan on giving to meet someone's needs. It is easy to have our hearts stirred and think how nice it would be to give. It is good to be planning how we are going to do it and making preparations. But that is not enough - there must be a completion of the task.

The particular context here is for the folks at Corinth to carry through and give what they have promised to give. For a full year they had been planning on doing something. Now it was time to do it.

There is however a general principle here. In everything we do there needs to be a carrying through on what we start.

I think we need to ask ourselves if there are projects or tasks or anything else that we have been talking about and planning on doing for a long time but have never quite got around to it.

There is a song we used to sing with our kids that I haven’t thought about in years. I can’t even remember all of it, but part of it put this concept pretty simple – ‘When you have a job to do, stick with it until it's through. Finish the job, finish the job. get it done.’

Are there areas where we need to heed that charge? 

Christ our pattern

I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:8-9

Paul constantly tries to get away from the notion that giving is some kind of burdensome obligation. Here he tells a lesson about what giving really is. 

Christ is the ultimate pattern for giving. In case there is any doubt about giving Paul makes it clear what we have been given. 

Paul says he is testing how sincere the Corinthans are as givers. By the grace of God Jesus, who had all the riches and wealth of heaven and earth gave it all up to come to earht and die for us. He came to us in our spiritual poverty to make us spiritually rich. Jesus gave up all the splendour to lift us up to the gates of splendour. 

There then we have our pattern. We ought to give up what we have in order that others might be lifted up out of their poverty. 

How does my giving compare to Jesus' giving? 

Abound in the grace of giving

But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us— see that you abound in this grace also. - 2 Corinthians 8:7

Paul speaks of abundant living. He speaks of an abundance of faith and speech and diligence and love. He commends the Corinthians for all of that. 

But he goes on to say that they are missing a grace that they should not be missing. The context here is giving and he says 'see that you abound in this grace as well.' 

Giving as a grace is not something we often talk about. Too often giving is presented as an obligation or a standard or a requirement. We preach about a tithe with the idea that if a believer tithes they have done their giving duty. Some Christians even give because they feel like they are put on a guilt trip. we talk about the importance of cheerful giving, but we impose it by guilt. 

Here though, Paul uses an entirely different approach. He talks about the grace of giving. 

How often do we look at giving as a grace instead of a burden? When we do give, especially when we give to meet a need, this grace is obvious. We see the joy of the results of our giving. 

I think we lose out on the grace of giving when we see our giving going to the wrong kinds of stuff. We lose that grace when we see it used to expand materialism in the church. When we give to benefit ourselves we are not really giving so it is not longer grace. 

Why don't we see giving as a grace like all the other things described above? I don't know. I guess it just takes a step of faith to see giving as a grace. Faith and grace go hand in hand. Let's exercise the faith to abound in the grace of giving. 

Gave themselves

And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. - 2 Corinthians 8:5-6

When we think or talk about giving the first thing that normally comes to mind is giving money or resources. We often preach or teach that giving is how many dollars or pounds or euro or yen we drop into the offering plate. 

Sure, that is a part of giving. It is an important part. It is a necessary part. 

But that is not where giving gets its start. 

They first gave themselves to the Lord. 

This is really pretty simple. It doesn't take a lot of exposition. Giving everything else doesn't mean a whole lot unless we give ourselves first. It's what. Paul wrote to the church in Rome when he said 'I beseech you brothers to submit your bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord.' 

I guess it's because of my age or background, but I miss the old hymns. It's nice to be in a church that still uses some them. In 1874 Frances Havergal wrote a beautiful hymn that fits the idea of 'gave themselves to the Lord.' If we could ever get this down we would have no problems giving our financial gifts. May God help me have a life that fits this spirit. 

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

*Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

Macedonian giving

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. - 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Giving. Yuck. The subject nobody really likes to talk about. Somehow giving, which should be one of the joys of being a Christian, has become a negative. People tend to think that giving is an option to avoid. We don't like it because it affects the one area most of us don't like touched - our pocketbooks. 

Sadly, we preachers don't really like to approach the issue of giving.  And that is a shame. It is part of what God has for us and it is part of true worship. Others have needs, and God has a way of meeting them, and we miss a blessing when we don't. 

Giving is based on the 'grace of God.' Paul talks anout how that grace was being bestowed on the churches of Macedonia was manifested I n their giving. 

These people were givers. In the middle of their troubles and poverty their joy abounded because they gave. Not only did the give out of their ability, they gave beyond their ability. These believes really knew how to give. They were excited to give. It looks like Paul tried to refuse their gift, perhaps be use he knew they had so little. But they 'implored them with much urgency' to receive the gift. 

Far too often it is like pulling teeth to get people to give. I would love to be a Macedonian giver who knew how to give with their spirit. 

May He give each of us a Macedonian spirit in our giving. 

We recently had a special blessing from a small church of Macedonian givers in West Virginia. This little church  with only a handful of members sent us a cheque for $1500 for our children's and youth works. Can you imagine what it would be like if all of us were Macedonian givers? 

Godly sorrow

For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. - 2 Corinthians 7.8-10

One of the things we always worked on with our children was the importance of saying 'I'm sorry' when they had hurt someone or done something wrong. That's the way we tend to do it. I was watching a rugby match a few years ago. The referee had a mic so you could hear his comments. At one point two opposing players had been going at each other for a while. The official had enough and called them aside. The image was great. There was a relatively short and small official standing between two giants. After his lecture he said to them, 'tell him you're sorry' then he repears it to the other player. Both of there  meekly said 'I'm sorry.' 

In retrospect I am not so sure that making someone say 'I'm sorry' without dealing with the issue is such a smart idea. I'm not too sure, but I think we might just be cheapening the meaning of 'I'm sorry.' It may be a case of being sorry that they are caught, instead of sorry for their action or words. 

Paul dealt with being sorry here. He tells the Corinthians that they were 'sorry for a while' for the things he had addressed in his first letter. It's that 'sorry for a while' bit that is the problem. Far too often we can be sorry, but only for a bit. There is no real change as a result of being sorry. 

But godly sorrow does a work. Real sorrow makes a difference. That is the kind of sorrow the Corinthians had had. It worked. Their sorrow did what real sorrow does. It produced repentance. And that is what godly sorrow always does. 

And the world's false sorrow? It only produces death. 

Titus the comforter

For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. - 

2 Corinthians 7:5

I really like it when we read about individual Christans and what they do to help each other. 

Here Paul speaks of  a man named Titus. As far as I know, or can find our quickly, this is the same Titus who went to Crete to plant a church and to whom Paul wrote a letter. Titus had just come to pay a visit. He is mentioned a few times in the next little bit, but here is a summary of the blessing he was. 

Paul and his team were tired and troubled. There were conflicts on the outside and they were afraid. I am glad he admitted that they were afraid.  That is  a comfort to me because sometimes I am afraid. 

Then along came Titus. His very coming comforted them. Paul was also comforted by the way the church had treated Titus. He was also comforted by their concern for him. 

I would love to be a comforter like Titus and Barnabas. I would love it if people could say that my coming was a comfort to them. 

May God remind me daily and strengthen me to be a comfort to others. 

Joy in trials

Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. - 2 Corinthians 7.2-4

A theme of 2 Corinthians is the trouble that Paul and his missionary team were experiencing. Paul makes it clear they the struggles were earlier and how at times had driven them almost to the point of giving up, but they kept going. 

What keeps people like that going? How do people keep on keeping on no matter what comes up? 

For Paul it was pretty simple. He was doing the work God wanted Him to do and he was faithful in doing it. 

Paul's opening words on this verse touch my heart 'open your hearts to us.' Paul wanted them to hear and apply what God had for them. 

'I have been faithful in my preaching. I have been bragging about you. I am full of comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in our trials.'

Paul knew what James wrote about when he said, 'my brethren count it as all joy when you experience all kind of trials.' He knew that trials were a step on the road to maturity. Trials are a part of life. The sooner we can learn to accept that and rejoice to see what God is doing the better off we will be. 

Growing in holiness

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. – 2 Corinthians 7.1

It is interesting how often holiness comes up in Paul's letters to the churches. In Corinth, much like in our world today, the Christians were surrounded by all kinds of filth and ugliness. They needed to know about holiness as much as we do. 

Victor Hugo gives a great example of what is means to be really and truly surrounded by filth when he describes Jean Valjean’s rescue of Marius though the sewers of Paris. As they make their way through the filth the readers gets a real sense of what is is like to be really, really dirty. 

Sometimes I feel that way in this world. Even worse, there are times when I feel that way about my own behaviour. Sometimes I feel dirty because I have been walking in the sewers of this world. 

Considering all that Paul has been talking about in the previous verses there is something we should be doing about this. 

Cleanse yourselves from all the filth of the flesh and the spirit. 

Perfect holiness in the fear of God. 

Our cleansing from filth must be both inward and outward. We can't just clean up on the outside. That is never enough and that is where we can too often put our focus. We must also clean up the filth on the inside. We really can't live for Christ while covered with the filth of the world. 

And all the time we are are to be in the constant process of 'perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' 

This perfecting is a life-long process. It doesn't happen overnight. Tyndale puts it this way: “and grow up to full holiness in the fear, of God.” As we put off the filth we must be constantly growing up to full holiness. 

As I look over the last few years I need to ask myself if I am closer to practical everyday holiness now than I was then. 

Am I cleaning myself from the the filth? Am I growing toward holiness? 

What a challenge for this Sunday morning. 

Unequally yoked

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

 Therefore

“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

 “I will be a Father to you,

And you shall be My sons and daughters,

Says the Lord Almighty.”  - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The doctrine of separation is one of those doctrines that is easy to abuse. It cannot be the be all and end all of associations. It can become the primary principle for some people and we can talk about primary, secondary, and tertiary separation. We can get to the point where we separate over every fine detail or preference. When separation rises that level we have gone too far.

On the other hand separation can become almost an optional thing where we drop all the barriers and think that the best way to reach the world is to become like the world. We can forget all about the importance to distance ourselves from the way of the world.

Paul lays the principle out clearly - do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. First notice that here at least, he is talking about unbelievers. That is the simple balance between the two extremes. This passage is most often used to explain why a believer should not marry an unbeliever, but that is just an example example of higher dangers of being yoked unequally. The Jewish readers here would have understood. The law said that you can't yoke an oxen with an ass. It's pretty simple. When you do that you couldn't plough is a straight line.

Many parts of the church seem think that acting like the world is the best was to God's work. Some churches and individuals think that the world's way is the best way. They actively get involved with the world and their activities and methods in order to try to reach out.

But we are not the world. We are the temple of God. The world is the temple of idols. We can't work as part of the world and its ways. We have to live in this world. There is no option about that.

But we need to live separate from the world. We can't withdraw completely. If we did that we would never reach them. But we need not take part in their ways while we are there.