Purifying Ourselves

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.

Greetings, My Beloved!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day! I praise God for the beauty of His creation - the singing birds outside my window, the bright and shining sun providing daylight, the bright blue skies with fluffy white clouds, the verdant green grass, trees, and plants. God certainly has an eye for beauty, and he created us! When He created us humans, He said it was good. That means God was pleased with the creation of each and every one of us. We were created in His image, and were fearfully and wonderfully made. However, as beautifully made as we are, sin enters our lives, and stains us as filthy rags. Yet God remains faithful, and will clean us up when we ask - but the key is to ask.

Last week I wrote about the beauty of repentance. How often do we fall into the trap of perfection, and don't see the blemishes all over us? I love this verse in 2 Corinthians 7:1, and have been pondering on it all week - purify[ing] ourselves from everything that contaminates [our] body and spirit, perfecting holiness [for the sake] out of reverence for [our] God. Doesn't God deserve so much more than filth?

I went shopping this weekend for the perfect dress to wear to the Crisis Pregnancy Banquet, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. I went to the second hand shop - I have no shame shopping there, but I wanted to find the perfect dress, one without spot or blemish, and would fit me nicely. I didn't find one, and ended up getting a new dress. But when we are shopping for clothes, are we quick to buy the one with the big rip or stain down the front of it? No, but God purchased us with the greatest sacrifice, His son, when we were still blemished. He saw the beauty in what we could be. Why? Because He was the one that created us. He knew our value once we were cleaned up, so why don't we long to remain holy, spotless, and pure? The verse says "perfecting holiness out of reverence from God." The word reverence here actually is the Greek word for fear: "phobos." This is a reverent fear. The definition includes "reverence for one's husband." It is a form of love - loving God so much, as your husband, that you want nothing more than to please Him. Not because you are afraid of Him, but because you respect Him, you revere Him. I think a lot of times we forget that, we live our daily lives caught up in the chaos of our day, that we forget that the God that created the universe wants nothing more than to spend time with us. It is falling in love so deeply with God, that it becomes more than a word or a song. It becomes a devotion, an action.

When I first met my husband in person, I was so nervous. I wanted to look my best. I chose my favorite outfit to wear, fixed my hair, and put on my makeup, presenting the best of myself to him. Isn't that what we should do for God, cleaning ourselves up so that way when our Bridegroom comes we are ready to present the best of ourselves before Him?

So, I encourage you to seek deep inside yourself for the deepest, darkest, most hidden spot of sin to present before our savior to cleanse out of us. I want to be that bride that is spotless and blameless for the day of Christ!

 

- Christina

 

The Beauty of Repentance

Romans 3:21-31But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.


Greetings My Beloved!

I trust you are having a fantastic week. I have been spending most of my week in prayer and fasting, seeking God for complete purification. I have seen in the past where I have been disillusioned by the spirit of perfection, and now I seem to be at the other end of the spectrum. I feel so filthy and unworthy compared to the holiness of God, and yet He chose me. Not when I was cleaned, but when I was as filthy rags. However, I did not see myself as filthy, I was blinded by the spirit of perfection. Oh, how quickly that perfection sneaks up on us. Oh, how holy we are, oh how perfect we are - when in reality we are not. Our righteousness, our holiness only comes from God. It was only because Christ suffered the death on the cross that we are even considered holy enough to enter into His presence. The priests had to go through all sorts of rituals before entering the most holy place, the holy of holies, and were only allowed to enter into once a year. When Christ died for us, the curtain was torn, and we are able to enter in; however, we must be cleansed by the blood of the lamb - the ultimate sacrifice and redemption for our sins.

Hebrews 10:19-22Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Have you sought the Lord your God with all of your heart? Have you been able to see where you have dissatisfied God? Have you seen where you were the filthy rag? The awesome part is there is no condemnation through Christ Jesus, as He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Can we as Christians still sin? I think so, maybe not intentionally, but we are to constantly strive to gain the perfection of our faith. Seeking God's righteousness, not our own, and certainly not man. We are to strive to be Holy, as God is Holy. The only way to get that, is through purification.

2 Corinthians 7:1Therefore, 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.


There was a time, when I was suffering from the spirit of perfectionism, when God was asking for me to repent of the sins in my life, and I said, "I have not sinned, I am perfect." Oh, what a dangerous place to be when you think you have nothing to confess, especially when God is asking you for repentance. It is actually a beautiful thing, repentance, so why are we so quick to think that admittance to sin is so bad?

2 Corinthians 7:10-13Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.


Scientists spend time testing their hypothesis to answer their problem; however, often have a difficult time publishing when their experiments prove their hypothesis is wrong. Why are we so quick to boast about all of the great things in our lives, yet so quick to cower in silence rather than admit when we mess up? Is it because we live in an intellectual society that promotes perfection, but disregards those that make mistakes? Are we less than human if we mess up? Of course not, we are all human, we all make mistakes, all have sinned and come short to the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, but we have to first confess: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Let us take the time to seek our hearts during this time, where have we messed up? Where have we placed our families, our jobs, our things above God? Where have we spoken lies to promote ourselves? Where have glorified ourselves above God? Are we guilty of sin? Let us repent, let us confess our sins, so that we can remain pure, holy, and blameless to the day of Christ's return!

Blessings -
Christina

The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Greetings my Beloved!

I hope you are having a wonderful week. This is the week of love, and what is more beautiful than the Father's love for us. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This scripture never gets old. It is so true; it is only through the Father's love that we can have salvation. Last night at the pregnancy center, my client told me her mother was Christian and her father, Catholic. Because of this she wished to stay away from religion altogether. This saddened me. I explained to her that religion is not based on your parents. Would you want a surgeon's son to operate on you? Not because he's a surgeon, but because his father's a surgeon, using only his father's credentials? We need to seek our own hearts to seek what are we basing our Christianity on - our parents, pastors, other people? People will only let you down. How sad it is that we quickly turn to others, and put other things in front of God. God wants nothing more than for us to be fully devoted to Him.

So, what is the greatest commandment? God sacrificed His son for us, and all He asks in return is for our love. What are we willing to sacrifice for God? Our home? Our jobs? What about our family? It reminds me of the rich man who wants to enter into the kingdom of heaven:

Mark 10:18-22

Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

I ask you again, what are you willing to sacrifice for God? How will you show God how much you love Him? What does it mean to you to love the Lord your God with all of your heart? I challenge you to seek in your heart to see if it is fully devoted to God, or are there other things pulling you away from loving the Lord your God with all of your heart? I don't normally participate in lent, since we left the Methodist church, but I am feeling a tug at my heart to go into a season of fasting and prayer. During this season, I am going to seek for the Lord to purify my heart. I want nothing more than to reflect God's holiness, and I know this can only be achieved through purification.