LET US PURIFY OURSELVES

Passage: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Key verse: 7:1

NIV

Warning Against Idolatry

14 Do not be yoked together(A) with unbelievers.(B) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?(C) 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]?(D) Or what does a believer(E) have in common with an unbeliever?(F) 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?(G) For we are the temple(H) of the living God.(I) As God has said:

“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”[b](J)

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them(K)
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.”[c](L)

18 And,

“I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,(M)
says the Lord Almighty.”[d](N)

7 Therefore, since we have these promises,(O) dear friends,(P) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness(Q) out of reverence for God.

Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Temple of the Living God

14 (A)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For (B)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or (C)what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 (D)What accord has Christ with Belial?[a] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For (E)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

(F)“I will make my dwelling among them and (G)walk among them,
    and (H)I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore (I)go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
18 (J)and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, (K)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body[b] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar
  2. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Greek flesh
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Paul strongly warns the Corinthian Christians against marrying unbelievers. (This is not the same as becoming a Christian after one is already married.) Paul says, how can the deep fellowship of marriage exist between those who have come back to God and those who still follow idols?

Paul uses this problem as an opportunity to remind us that we are called to be different from the world. In Christ, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we live a pure life, God can dwell among us, and we can see each other as brothers and sisters, children of one loving heavenly Father (18). Indulging in sinful desires contaminates both body and spirit. None of us is perfect yet. But when we love and fear God, we will set our sights on holiness. Then Jesus’ grace cleanses our conscience from past sins and gives us power for living a pure life.

Prayer: Father, thank you for calling us out of the world in Jesus to be your children. I want to purify myself for you.

One Word: Called out of the world to be God’s child