April 5, 2022
Promises
2 Corinthians 7
Toria Ates
Central Truth
God is a promise keeper. How we choose to live as believers is a testament of whether we trust His promises.
Key Verse | 2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7
1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body 1 7:1 Greek flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Paul's Joy
2 Make room in your hearts 2 7:2 Greek lacks in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted.
And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | 2 Corinthians 7
In my opinion, nothing breaks trust and causes people to throw up walls quicker than a broken promise. For me growing up, the word promise was used and abused over and over by people in my life. Broken promises broke trust. I remember in high school promising to myself that I'd never use that word as lightly as others did. There is probably no other word in the English language that I take more seriously than the word promise. I've kept that promise to myself.
So, when it comes to God promising something, I take note! So many of God's words are a promise. The Bible is a book of promises. He is the ultimate promise keeper. Second Corinthians 6:16-18 are promises from the mouth of God. When God says, "I will," you'd better believe He will!
The thing is, we don't just hear these promises and the story ends. We don't just receive God's promises and sit passively soaking it all in. No. Paul tells us that there is a response that evokes action. In light of knowing that God's promises are guaranteed, our initial response should be to let go of the temporary and flee from the things that are of and in this world that pull us away from God.
Knowing we can freely walk in certainty that His promises will come to pass, we prepare ourselves in confidence through cleansing. Do not be mistaken, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, but the cleansing Paul speaks to in 2 Corinthians 7:1 is more about choosing repentance and the fear of the LORD over anything. It's choosing holiness and goodness over evil. Second Timothy 2:21 states that through cleansing ourselves, we make ourselves available to be "a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."
He is faithful and able. Let us live in a way that reflects that truth so that the lost may know.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some of God's promises that you cling to daily? If you have specific passages or verses, share in the comments section so that others may be encouraged.
2. Does your life reflect your belief in these promises and, more importantly, in the One who makes these promises?
3. What would it take for you to become the vessel mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:21? What do you need to cleanse yourself of?