Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

Perfecting Holiness - 3

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-01-22

Synopsis: In this third part of the series on perfecting holiness from 2 Corinthians 7:1, John Weaver emphasizes that Christians are called to actively cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh, not through sinless perfection but by daily dying to sin and walking in the Spirit. He clarifies that while believers are freed from sin's dominion, they still possess a sinful nature and must fight against fleshly lusts. The sermon focuses on the purging described in the verse, explaining that cleansing is a personal responsibility empowered by God's grace, and that filthiness of the flesh includes not only gross sins but also attitudes like covetousness and pride. The promises of God as Father motivate this pursuit of holiness.

[John Weaver] We're going to have at least several more messages on this passage. 2 Corinthians 7, beginning there with verse 1. You remember this will be the third part of perfecting holiness. Notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. The Apostle writes, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Now, you remember just by way of review very quickly when the Apostle said, having therefore these promises, he's referring back to the promises that are mentioned in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6, especially verses 16 through 18. where God promised, first of all, if we would separate ourselves from sin and wickedness, He would not only be our God, but we would be His people.

[John Weaver] And then more specifically, where He would be our Father and we would be sons and daughters unto Him. And so we began to look at those promises and we saw, first of all, that the promise involved a very intimate relationship in the sense that if God is our Father, He is the one that begat us. And I quoted James 1 and verse 18 of his own will, begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. And then, of course, we also saw further in the second message that if God is our father, that means he is our provider. He is our protector.

[John Weaver] He is our portion in this life. which means he is the one that sustains us and nourishes us, protects us. He is the one that gives us victory in time and history as well. And of course, our Lord told us exactly what eternal life really was. He said in John 17, verse three, and this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true and living God in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. So eternal life, then, as defined by our Lord, is a personal, intimate knowledge and a relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I hope you're beginning to see that there is a connection between these promises and the precept and using this as an encouragement to holiness in our personal lives. So if God is going to be our God and He dwells among us, and He dwells with us, then very obviously, since He is holy, we are to be holy and we are to have everything around us holy as well. It means also, in light of these promises, that we are to abstain from any and everything that is offensive in His sight. If we want God to be our Father, we should want to be His sons. If we want God to be everything to us that He can be, and wants to be as father, then we should want to be everything to him that we can be as sons and daughters.

[John Weaver] Now, the Apostle said this, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So I do not want you to be alarmed by the word perfecting. I'm going to deal with that word when I get to it in the text. But let me tell you what I am not teaching. I am not teaching sinless perfection.

[John Weaver] There is a theory, and that's all it is, is a theory that some man or some woman could be sinlessly perfect in this life. It's absolutely contrary to Scripture. Harry A. Ironsides used to believe in the doctrine of sinless perfection, and he thought everybody else was sinlessly perfect but himself. And literally, it drove him insane. He spent months in a sanatorium. And therefore, he began to study the scripture, and he found out that sinless perfection was not true. And Harry Ironsides went on to become a very great preacher. But he had to get over this concept of sinless perfection. Being sinlessly perfect in this life is not attainable.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, whole 2 Corinthians, but turn to 1 John 1. Years ago, I went into an establishment that was a cleaning establishment. And I knew the owner was a professing Christian. And I was carrying some suits to be cleaned. And as I walked in, I said to him, Isn't it wonderful to be forgiven of your sins? And his reply was, I don't know, I haven't sinned in years.

[John Weaver] And when I picked my jaw up off the floor and regained my composure, I looked at him and I said, well, you just did. He said, what? And then I quoted these verses. So if you look in 1 John 1 and verse 8, the scripture says, if we say that we have no sin, We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So anytime you try to deny the sin nature, anytime you try to deny sinful acts, God says you're lying and the truth is not in you. And what you're doing is trying to make God a liar. It is unbiblical, impractical, and a downright lie to deny the fact that we are sinners and that we have sinned and that we have a sinful nature. We cannot escape the reality that we are sinners. So I'm not trying to teach sinless perfection. Now listen very carefully.

[John Weaver] We're still in 1 John. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is, Then the opposite is also a heresy. That is that we have to sin. We do not have to sin. I want you to hold 1 John 2. I'm coming right back there. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. Some time ago, some years ago, I preached an entire series through Romans chapter 6, and I would encourage you to go back and listen to that series.

[John Weaver] I forget, 10 or 18 messages, something like that. But look in Romans chapter 6, because Romans chapter 6 deals with the fact that we as Christians have been delivered from the dominion and the lordship of sin. Now watch carefully. Look at Romans 6, beginning there with verse 11. The Apostle writes, likewise, reckon or count or impute yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, But yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you. Why?

[John Weaver] For we are not under the law that is a means of justification, but we are under grace. Now listen to what he said. Look if you would in verse 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. He did not say, let not sin therefore be in your mortal body. It is there. But he said, you are not to let sin reign in your mortal body. Sin is not Lord for the Christian. So when sin speaks and says, do this, you can say, I don't have to obey you.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to do that. That's wicked. That's wrong. That's contrary to God. I'm not going to do that. Look at what he said in verse 12. Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lust thereof. We owe no obedience to sin. Then he gives you an illustration, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members, your body, as instruments of righteousness unto God. So what he's teaching is this, that in Jesus Christ we have been freed from the dominion of sin. It is not to reign in our bodies. We owe it no obedience. We do not have to obey it.

[John Weaver] The truth is we do at times, but we do not have to. Now look back in 1 John 2, verse 1. Here's what he said. 1 John 2, verse 1. My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not. What was the purpose of John's writing this epistle? That we not sin.

[John Weaver] Now he went on to say, if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So sin then is not to reign in our mortal bodies. It is not to hold sway. It is not our Lord. We're no longer obligated to obey sin because we are not under its dominion. You remember the passage In Colossians 1, 12 and 13, where the Bible says, giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us meet or suitable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. So we have been taken out of the kingdom of sin and we've been placed into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies. These things I wrote unto you that you sin not. Now, you say, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] We are sinners by nature. We have a sinful inclination, a sinful propensity. So therefore, what is to keep me from sinning? Well, David answered that for us. Let me quote it. I'll quote it again before I finish today. David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11, now listen, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? Now, David said a young man, but it's true of a middle-aged man. It's also true of an old man. Old men have sins just like middle-aged men and young men. Listen to what he said. Wherefore shall a young man cleanse his way?

[John Weaver] by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." What is David saying? David is saying we are to be so absorbed in the word of God That it is in our heart and when sinful temptations occur, the word comes up and says, no, you you're not going to do that if you please God. If you please God, you're going to do the opposite of that. So we cleanse ourselves by taking heed to his word. Now. All of this.

[John Weaver] We have seen in the last two messages, the promises declared. I want to start my second point today, and that is the purging described. This message will continue next week as well. But I want you to look back in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Since we are not under the lordship of sin, and since the Bible was written, especially 1 John, that we not sin against God, because we know His law, we know His word, we know what He demands, OK, I want you to see the purging described. He said, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved.

[John Weaver] Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Now, here is the important thing right now. I want you to note what the Apostle Paul said as he started this passage. He said, having therefore these promises, what are the next two words? Dearly beloved. So Paul is writing Christians. Christians are dearly beloved because Christ gave his life for us. And we have a commandment that we should love one another. And therefore. Our brothers and sisters should be dearly beloved by us, so the apostle is saying, having therefore these promises dearly beloved.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. Let us. Cleanse ourselves. So here is the agency. That the word of God declares that we are to use in cleansing ourselves, and that is us. Let us cleanse ourselves. Now the word cleanse literally means to purge, to purify or to make clean. There is a parallel passage, and I want you to turn there, if you would, to Second Timothy, chapter two, whole Second Corinthians seven. But look in Second Timothy, chapter two, if you would, please.

[John Weaver] And let's read verses 20 and 21. Because the apostle Paul, who wrote Second Corinthians, also wrote first and Second Timothy, I want you to see what he tells Timothy in Second Timothy, chapter two, beginning there with verse 20. 2 Timothy 2, verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes, But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor.

[John Weaver] If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified in meat for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. So he's telling us in every great house there are Vessels of gold and silver, some of wood and earth, some to honor, some to dishonor.

[John Weaver] Now, just so you can understand what the Apostle Paul is saying, there are vessels that you have that sit on your mantle or sit around on some shelf that are gold-plated, gold-painted. You know, they're beautiful. You don't use them for anything, but just sit there and look pretty. They're expensive. You have vessels that you cook with. That you use every day. And you have other cooking items that you might not use every day. Those vessels may be a little more expensive.

[John Weaver] And not so much today, but in latter years. Most every family had a honeypot. You know what a honeypot is, don't you? No, she is not a honeypot. A honeypot was what you kept in the house that you would go to the bathroom when it was cold. And then you would take it out the next morning. The point I'm trying to make is, listen carefully, there are some vessels to honor and there are some vessels to dishonor. Nobody displays their honeypot on their mantle.

[John Weaver] They hide it under the bed. Ron, you will not eat for the next several days. Alright. So here's what our Lord is saying. If we would purge ourselves from those dishonorable things, we would be a vessel fit for the Master's use. By the way, the word purge in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and the word cleanse in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 are identically the same Greek word.

[John Weaver] So cleansing and purging are synonymous. So here's what the Apostle Paul is saying, that we are to cleanse, we're to wash away, we're to purge our sinfulness, our iniquity, our uncleanness, and the compromise in our lives. In other words, he's saying these things are not to be found with us. in us, around us, or before us. We're to be separate from all of these things. That's why He said, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto Myself, and I will be a father unto you, and you shall be My sons and My daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. So, what then are we to cleanse ourselves from? What is it that we're to purge out of our lives? What is it that we are to How, what kind of vessels are we to throw away? Okay, here we go.

[John Weaver] First of all, if you'll look in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, this is the only thought I'm going to cover today. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. The very first thing that we're to cleanse ourselves from is the filthiness of the flesh.

[John Weaver] Now, I've got to tell you that the word flesh is used in a number of different ways in the Bible. For instance, the word flesh can refer to mankind in general. You'll find that in Matthew 16 and verse 17, Matthew 24, 22, 1 Peter 1, 24, all flesh is as grass. So he's talking about mankind in general. It can also refer to marriage. You remember there in Matthew 19, God made the man and the woman one flesh, so it can refer to marriage. It can also refer to the frailty of human nature, because we do all fade as the flowers of the field, etc. It can refer to the frailty of human nature. It can refer to the human body. John 3 in verse 6, John 6 verse 52, and there are a number of other meanings in scripture. In fact, the word flesh can just simply refer to our mortal life. You remember that passage in Galatians 2 and verse 20, where the Apostle Paul said, I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.

[John Weaver] I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." So there the word flesh refers just to our mortal life. In Philippians 1 verse 24 Paul said, nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. So he's referring there to the mortal life. So when you look at the word flesh you've got to understand there are many different meanings and you have to depend upon the context to tell you what the meaning is. Here the word flesh in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 refers to our sinful nature, our sinful inclinations, our sinful propensities. For instance, if I just came up and opened my hand and slapped you upside the head, what would be the first response that you would do to me?

[John Weaver] You would either knock me out or cuss me out. Or you would want to if you did. That's just a normal, natural response. Most of us would never consider turning the other cheek. Because we've been insulted, we haven't really been hurt. Our life is not in danger. So, he's talking about, then, this propensity, and when you look at the word filthiness, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, the word filthiness here is used to demonstrate anything that is defiling, filthy, unclean, and it is to be purged out of our lives. of the word filthiness literally means the stain to defile and pollute. And it is used as polluting a garment. So when you spill your hot chocolate on your nice shirt or your nice dress, that garment is stained. It's polluted. It's going to have to be purged. It's going to have to be cleaned. So this is what he's saying. Let us cleanse ourselves or let us purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Now, when we talk about filthiness of the flesh, There is more than what you and I would call the gross and corrupt appetites of the body.

[John Weaver] I have been in places, New Orleans for one, New York for the second, where I literally had to step over drunks who were lying on the sidewalks, one in a parking lot, who was sleeping in his own vomit. And they weren't dead, they were just passed dead out drunk.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is you and I would say that is gross, that is filthy, you know, that is so wicked, that is so wrong. Well, sure it is. But when God talks about the filthiness of the flesh, he's not just talking about the passed out drunk. He's not just talking about the adulterer and the whoremonger. He's not just talking about the murderer and the thief. There are other bodily appetites that are just as wicked and just as wrong.

[John Weaver] Let me show you how the Apostle Paul used this. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 7. Romans, chapter 7. And first of all, look at verse 5. Look what he said. Romans 7, verse 5. And then we'll go down to verse 18. Look in Romans 7, verse 5. Paul says, for when we were in the flesh. Wow. Well, are we not in the flesh now? Well, yes, by the way, when he says when we were in the flesh here, he's using the word flesh to refer to our unconverted state, our unsaved state.

[John Weaver] OK, I told you the context has to depend Our interpretation has to depend upon the context. So watch. He says, for when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. So when you were unsaved, the motions of sin, that is, your inclinations, your propensities, whatever you did, they worked in your members to bring forth death.

[John Weaver] That's all there is to it. Skip down to verse 18. Here's what he says. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. That is, he does not find it in himself. In other words, our flesh, in our flesh, in our mortal life, in that flesh there is no good thing, period.

[John Weaver] And sometimes there may be the will to do better, but you don't have the power or the ability. That's just like dieting. I'm going to go on a diet and you will for a day, two days till you get hungry or till your body starts craving that ice cream and then you go right back. That's what he said. I know that in me that in my flesh dwelleth no good things.

[John Weaver] Now, admittedly, we are sinners and we must confess with the Apostle Paul that by nature no good thing dwells within us. We may be saved, but our flesh is still flesh. What did our Lord say? Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. That's why you're going to get a resurrected body. That's why you will have a new body. Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians 5 and verse 17. Galatians chapter 5, look in verse 17. Look what the Bible says. I'm going to deal with this passage more in another short series that I'm going to do in the near future. But in Galatians 5 and verse 17, God says this, For the flesh lusted against the Spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." What? Now look at that. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit. You know what the word lusteth means? It means to fight against.

[John Weaver] So the flesh fights against the spirit. And the spirit fights against the flesh. Look what he says. These are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. When you were unsaved, if you were short of money, stealing was an option. Defrauding was an option. Corruption was an option. Now that you're saved, stealing is not an option because God says, Thou shalt not steal. Fraud is not an option. Corruption is not an option. You can't do those things. Your flesh will say, here's the easy way. Go take it. And the Spirit says, no, you can't do that.

[John Weaver] That's a violation of God's law. So here you have the flesh and the spirit, and he says they're fighting one against the other. So the inclinations and the desires of our flesh are contrary to the inclinations and desires of the Holy Spirit. They draw us in opposite directions. While the Spirit of God would lead us into the obedience of the Word of God, our flesh draws us away into disobedience and to fulfill the nature of our flesh. In our regenerate state, we want to please our Heavenly Father, yet we are in the flesh, and we have to understand that there are things in our flesh that are contrary to God. We should know what the fulfilling of the flesh is. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Galatians, Ephesians, just turn over to Ephesians 2, and look if you would at verse 3. And he's talking, in fact, let's read verse 2 and verse 3, because he's talking about the fact and the time when we were unconverted. He says, wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation, that is, our conduct, in times past, in the lust of our flesh, watch, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and whereby nature the children of wrath, even as others. Now what in the world did he just say?

[John Weaver] When we were unsaved, what did we do? What we wanted to do. What our flesh wanted to do. We thought nothing of it. It's natural. That's what we did. That's what we wanted to do. That's what pleased us. That's what satisfied us. That's what we did.

[John Weaver] Now, God is saying, look, you cannot fulfill the lusts of the flesh. They are contrary to me. Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 verse 16 where God said this? For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of The father.

[John Weaver] The truth of the matter is this. When we were unsaved. We probably knew that the lust of the flesh was sinful. We probably knew that the lust of eyes were sent with simple. We probably knew the private life was sent. It doesn't matter. That's what we wanted and that's what we did. Look in your Bibles, the second Peter Chapter two. Let me show you a danger. Second Peter Chapter two. 2 Peter 2. And by the way, I just want you to see that Peter is writing to Christians as well. Look in 2 Peter 2, begin there with verse 1.

[John Weaver] He says, Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings. 2 Peter, I'm sorry, it's 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, when Alice starts looking at me and staring in that quizzical manner, I know I've given the wrong verse. You've caught me. I'm not perfect. Here we go, 1 Peter 2, verse 1,"...wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I'm just reading these verses just to show you he's warning Christians. Now skip down to verse 18. Now I won't. 2 Peter. Thank you. 2 Peter. He's still writing Christians, by the way. So look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 18. He says this.

[John Weaver] For when they, he's talking about the wicked and the false prophets, when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh Through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." Now look at what he said, for when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh. Through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. So he's talking here about alluring through the lust of the flesh. Alluring.

[John Weaver] You know what that means? It means to draw someone to something. You can put out lures when you're hunting or when you're fishing. And that lure is supposed to draw the animal or the fish to where you are. A lot of people may not do themselves certain acts, but they enjoy watching others do those acts. You say, what are you talking about? Soap operas, for one. Most people, when they watch TV and all these soap operas and all this stuff, it's a vicarious experience for them. They're not going to do it, but they're going to watch somebody else in adultery or fornication They don't want somebody else do this or somebody else do that. And it's allurement.

[John Weaver] You just stop and think of the state fairs. What do you think all those bright lights and blinking lights and beautiful things, they're to allure you. They're to draw you there so they can get your money. It's just that simple. So, he's talking very clearly then about being lured through our flesh. And unhappily, even as Christians, some have indulged our desires, indulged our wants, indulged our lusts, even though sometimes we knew we were violating the word of God.

[John Weaver] And we got chastised, we got whipped from it. Do you remember how Abraham took Isaac? God had told Abraham to slay his only son. And as they were walking to the place of sacrifice, Isaac said, Father, here is the wood for the burnt offering. And Abraham himself had the fire. But he said. Where's the lamb for the sacrifice? And Abraham took his son and bound him to that altar.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. Our flesh will not lie as silently and as obediently on the altar as did Isaac. Our flesh will cry and scream for fulfillment. It wants what it wants. And oftentimes we are lured. You know what the Bible says in Galatians 5 and verse 24? Now listen. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. They that are Christ's.

[John Weaver] That's what he meant when he said reckon or count yourself dead indeed unto sin. So when you are tempted, and by the way, it's not a sin to be tempted. Our Lord was tempted. It's not a sin to be tempted. The sin comes when we yield to that temptation. So he's telling us that we are to reckon or count ourselves dead indeed in sin, and we're not to be lured through our flesh.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you up front. If you're going to live a holy, godly life, It's going to be a fight. It's going to be a struggle because your flesh is going to want this and the spirit is going to want this and their opposite. Let me show you. I want you to turn to first Corinthians chapter nine. And as you turn to first Corinthians chapter nine. Let me quote what the Apostle Paul said in first Corinthians 15. Returning to 1 Corinthians 9, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul said in verse 31, I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die. What's the next word? Daily. I die daily. What's Paul talking about? He was talking about reckoning himself dead, indeed, unto sin. He said, I die daily. Now, look in 1 Corinthians 9 and what the Apostle Paul says, beginning there in verse 24.

[John Weaver] He gives you an illustration and he says this, Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth a prize? So run that you may obtain. Now, I said, if you're going to be in the race, you need to run to win. Now, look what he says. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible look what he says, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly so fight, I not as one that beat the air.

[John Weaver] But I keep under my body and bring it in as objection, lest that by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away. Now, look what he said. If you're going to run in a race, you ought to run to win. If you're going to run to win, you have to learn to be temperate in all things. If. If. There was going to be a foot race. Between Joe and myself, looking at Joe's lean and mean body and looking at my pleasingly, pleasantly plump body, who do you think would win that foot race? Joe. He's probably more temperate in some things than I am, you know.

[John Weaver] I like the second helping every now and then. This is what he's saying. If you're going to win this incorruptible crown, you've got to learn to be temperate in all things. Now watch. He said in verse 26, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one to beateth the air. You know what a shadow boxer is? The shadow boxer is the man who gets and he's boxing against himself with a shadow on the wall. He can't win anything. He's just beating the air.

[John Weaver] He may be getting a little practice, a little training, but there's no contest. So here's what he's saying. I'm not I'm not running as somebody fighting the air. No, no, no. He says verse 27, but I keep under my body and I bring it into subjection. Lest, by any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away." What is he saying? I have to die daily. I have to reckon myself dead and deep into sin. I have to purge myself. I have to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh.

[John Weaver] Now, whatever pleases our flesh is usually contrary to God. 90, 99, 10 percent of the time, probably 100 percent. It's contrary to God. Have you ever noticed that a lot of these foods that are really good for you don't taste good? And all those things that are bad for you. Oh, they're wonderful. They're delicious. Same same principle, you know. So it's the flesh, you know, you think, oh, man, this is good. This is great.

[John Weaver] But it ends in death. And when you're being led by the Spirit, you say, man, I got to deny this. I can't do that. I'm not going to do that. But it leads to life.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look, if you would, in Galatians 5 and verse 13. And I have taught in times past on Christian liberty, but I want to emphasize this when we're talking about Christian liberty in light of purging ourself from all filthiness of the flesh. In Galatians 5 and verse 13, the Word of God says, For brethren, you've been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. Now, I may have liberty to do certain things. But I never have liberty to violate the law of God. There are a lot of people who will sin against God, violate His law, and then claim they are exercising their Christian liberty. No. Christian liberty is not licentiousness. Christian liberty means we are free to obey God and do that which is right. It does not mean that we are free to fulfill the lust of our flesh. So if God tells us then that we're not to fulfill the lust of our flesh, how do we avoid doing that?

[John Weaver] Well, look in Galatians 5 and verse 16. Galatians 5 verse 16. I'll teach on this more later, but look in Galatians 5 verse 16. This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now, if you're fulfilling the lust of the flesh, you're not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you're walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, you're not going to be fulfilling the lust of the flesh. You know what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13 in verse 14? Let me quote it. He said, but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Make no provision. So if I know something is going to tempt me or entice me, I need to stay away from that. I don't even need to go near it. Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. It is impossible to walk in the flesh if you're walking in the Spirit.

[John Weaver] It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. It's impossible to walk in the flesh if you've put on The righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have to hourly sometimes, not just daily. Sometimes hourly, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment. Fight. Against our flesh. You remember that passage I quoted earlier? Let me quote it again. Psalm 119 verses 9 through 11.

[John Weaver] Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

[John Weaver] Now, since you're in Galatians 5, I want you to look at verses 19-21, because we have been told that we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Many of us do not even know what the filthiness of the flesh really is. Well, God gives us the answer, and he tells us what our flesh really, really enjoys. Look in Galatians 5, beginning there, verse 19. He says, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these. What's the work of the flesh?

[John Weaver] Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variation, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, and as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. One of our problems is this. We have a tendency to blame many of our sins and our lusts upon the devil. You remember Flip Wilson, the black comedian, used to make that very common, the devil made me do it. Or the devil tempted me.

[John Weaver] Let me give you two observations. The first one is this. I would observe first and foremost that most Christians are not powerful enough, not godly enough, or important enough for the devil to even concentrate upon them. If you study the scriptures, he only attacked three individuals directly. He attacked Job, he attacked Peter, and he attacked Christ. It is true that he is our adversary. It is true that he walks around as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.

[John Weaver] But the point I'm trying to make is this. Most of us are not important enough, not powerful enough, not godly enough for him to try to deal with us. His minions are sufficient to take care of most Christians. OK.

[John Weaver] Secondly, I would observe this. The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself. What does the flesh enjoy? Well, the flesh enjoys what? Adultery. Fornication, uncleanness, nakedness, lasciviousness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife. I know people who live to fuss and fight. I know people who are not happy unless they're fighting with someone and mad at someone. As flesh, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like. All these things are the works of the flesh. If we're going to cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh, we have to understand the implication of each work of the lusts of the flesh. He mentions idolatry.

[John Weaver] Now, you're going to sit here and tell me, now, Brother Weaver, I am not an idolater. I'm not bound down to any image. I'm not bound down to any idol. I am not an idolater. Oh, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Then we'll go back to Ephesians 5. Look in Colossians chapter 3 if you would please.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would verse 5. Because we have a very limited view of idolatry. We tend to think it's bowing down to an idol somewhere, but the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter, I'm sorry, in Colossians three and verse five says this mortify that is make dead. That's where we get the word mortician from mortify. Therefore, your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry. What? Covetousness is idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry.

[John Weaver] So that means if I say, man. I sure would like to have Lacey's car. I want that car. I'm coveting it. That's idolatry. Look in Ephesians chapter five in verse three, he says it like this. But fornication. and all uncleanness or covetousness. Remember, that is idolatry. Let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. Wow. Let me just explain idolatry like this. Do you realize any time we set our will, our wants, our desires above God, that's idolatry? Covetousness is idolatry. When you know what God's Word says, and you disobey it, that's idolatry. You're denying God as the chief good, and you're denying God as the sovereign, and you're setting yourself up above God, and you're saying, I know what I want, and I know what's best for me. Idolatry is a work of the flesh. I want you to understand, and I'll get into this a little more next week, the work of the flesh can be a work of the flesh without the flesh actually doing anything. You say, what are you talking about?

[John Weaver] Well, you remember what our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 28, he said, barely, barely, I say unto you. That whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already, where? Somebody tell me. In his heart. Doesn't mean you've committed the actual physical act. But if you've lusted after a woman, then God says you've committed it in your heart. So, the point I'm trying to make is this.

[John Weaver] When we're cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, it's not just those outward grosser sins. I don't know anybody here that's a drunkard. I don't know anybody here that's an adulterer or a murderer. I don't. And if you are such, you've hidden it from me very well, but you understand what I'm saying. I don't know anybody like that in here. And I'm sure that you don't do that. I understand that. But that doesn't mean that you don't have sins of the flesh. That doesn't mean you don't have evil thoughts and wicked desires and wrong motives and pride and arrogancy. See what I'm saying? It is not just the physical act that God condemns, but it is the attitude and the disposition that leads to those acts. Let me say it like this. When God forbids any act. At the same time, he forbids any and everything, any and every thought, any and every attitude that would lead up to that act. So if God is forbidding adultery. It forbids me lusting in my heart.

[John Weaver] It would also forbid me looking intently, which would create a lust in my heart. You see what I'm saying? When God forbids any act at the same time, he forbids anything and everything, every attitude that would lead up to that act. So he says, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Perfecting holiness and the fear of God. If we want God as our Father, and we want Him to be our protector and our provider and our portion, then at the same time, we should want to be the sons and daughters that He would have us to be. As obedient children, Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust of your ignorance. But, as obedient children, be holy in all manner of conversation, as I am holy, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand the Apostle Paul said, Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our selves. Let us cleanse ourselves. We have a responsibility to cleanse ourselves. I want to give you a quote. Listen to what Albert Barnes says. Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves in the work of salvation or sanctification. He therefore says, let us purify ourselves as if Christians had much to do, as if their own agency was to be employed, and as if their purifying was dependent upon their own efforts. While it is true that all purifying influences and holiness proceed from God, it is also true that the effect of all the influences of the Holy Spirit is to excite us, to diligence, to purify our own hearts, to urge us to make strenuous efforts to overcome our own sins, He who expects to

[John Weaver] be made pure without any effort of his own will never become pure. And he who ever becomes holy will become so in consequence of strenuous efforts to resist evil of his own heart and become like God. The argument, he says here, goes further that we have the promises of God to aid us. And that is true. Which brings me to this, folks. The responsibility is ours. Let us cleanse ourselves, but the ability is God's. We have a responsibility, but we do not have the ability.

[John Weaver] Therefore, we must seek Him for His grace, His mercy, and His power. You remember what our Lord told the disciples? The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is what? Weak. Weak. And therefore, we need divine help. We need His grace and His mercy. For our Lord Himself said, without me, you can do nothing. Nothing. So ours is responsibility. And just like the Apostle Paul said, we have to die daily.

[John Weaver] We have to fight hourly to bring our body into subjection. No, I will not do that. No, I will not think that. No, that will not be in my mind. And yes, it is a daily fight. And what would be advantageous for each of us is if we would look in Galatians 5 and take each of the works of the flesh and run them down through scripture and just see the implications of all of these things in our lives. So that we may turn from them and purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Let me just close with this statement. I prefer. To cleanse myself from all filth into the flesh and spirit and have God as my father. Then not to do so and have God as my adversary.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, coming up from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto myself, and I will be a father unto you. And you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. And we ask you to enable us, to empower us, to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh.

[John Weaver] Not just the grosser, viler acts, but Lord, even the attitudes, the dispositions, the thoughts, the pride, the arrogancy in everything that's contrary to thy word. And make us holy and enable us to live as thy sons and thy daughters. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R, C-O-R-N, Street, Suite 705, P-M-B, 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-833-7000.

[John Weaver] You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

Perfecting Holiness - 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	216121045152
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-22
Dictation Name
Book	Book 068: Perfecting Holiness — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Review of the Promises

Recap of the promises from 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 that God will be our Father and we His children, which serve as motivation for holiness.

We're going to have at least several more messages on this passage. 2 Corinthians 7, beginning there with verse 1. You remember this will be the third part of perfecting holiness. Notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. The Apostle writes,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Now, you remember just by way of review very quickly when the Apostle said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"having therefore these promises,"

he's referring back to the promises that are mentioned in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, especially verses 16 through 18, where God promised, first of all, if we would separate ourselves from sin and wickedness, He would not only be our God, but we would be His people. And then more specifically, where He would be our Father and we would be sons and daughters unto Him. And so we began to look at those promises and we saw, first of all, that the promise involved a very intimate relationship in the sense that if God is our Father, He is the one that begat us. And I quoted James 1 and verse 18, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." And then, of course, we also saw further in the second message that if God is our Father, that means He is our provider. He is our protector.

He is our portion in this life, which means He is the one that sustains us and nourishes us, protects us. He is the one that gives us victory in time and history as well. And of course, our Lord told us exactly what eternal life really was. He said in John 17, verse 3,

Scripture Reading — John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

So eternal life, then, as defined by our Lord, is a personal, intimate knowledge and a relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Connection Between Promises and Holiness

Because God is holy and dwells among us, we are to be holy and abstain from anything offensive to Him, desiring to be everything we can be as His children.

Now, I hope you're beginning to see that there is a connection between these promises and the precept and using this as an encouragement to holiness in our personal lives. So if God is going to be our God and He dwells among us, and He dwells with us, then very obviously, since He is holy, we are to be holy and we are to have everything around us holy as well. It means also, in light of these promises, that we are to abstain from any and everything that is offensive in His sight. If we want God to be our Father, we should want to be His sons. If we want God to be everything to us that He can be, and wants to be as Father, then we should want to be everything to Him that we can be as sons and daughters.

Now, the Apostle said this, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." So I do not want you to be alarmed by the word "perfecting." I'm going to deal with that word when I get to it in the text. But let me tell you what I am not teaching. I am not teaching sinless perfection.

Clarification on Sinless Perfection

Weaver rejects the heresy of sinless perfection, citing 1 John 1:8,10 and the example of Harry Ironsides, but also rejects the opposite heresy that we must sin.

There is a theory, and that's all it is, is a theory that some man or some woman could be sinlessly perfect in this life. It's absolutely contrary to Scripture. Harry A. Ironsides used to believe in the doctrine of sinless perfection, and he thought everybody else was sinlessly perfect but himself. And literally, it drove him insane. He spent months in a sanatorium. And therefore, he began to study the Scripture, and he found out that sinless perfection was not true. And Harry Ironsides went on to become a very great preacher. But he had to get over this concept of sinless perfection. Being sinlessly perfect in this life is not attainable.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold 2 Corinthians, but turn to 1 John 1. Years ago, I went into an establishment that was a cleaning establishment. And I knew the owner was a professing Christian. And I was carrying some suits to be cleaned. And as I walked in, I said to him, "Isn't it wonderful to be forgiven of your sins?" And his reply was, "I don't know, I haven't sinned in years." And when I picked my jaw up off the floor and regained my composure, I looked at him and I said, "Well, you just did." He said, "What?" And then I quoted these verses. So if you look in 1 John 1 and verse 8, the Scripture says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 10. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:8, 10

" So anytime you try to deny the sin nature, anytime you try to deny sinful acts, God says you're lying and the truth is not in you. And what you're doing is trying to make God a liar. It is unbiblical, impractical, and a downright lie to deny the fact that we are sinners and that we have sinned and that we have a sinful nature. We cannot escape the reality that we are sinners. So I'm not trying to teach sinless perfection. Now listen very carefully.

We're still in 1 John. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is, then the opposite is also a heresy. That is that we have to sin. We do not have to sin. I want you to hold 1 John 2. I'm coming right back there. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. Some time ago, some years ago, I preached an entire series through Romans chapter 6, and I would encourage you to go back and listen to that series.

Freedom from Sin's Dominion

Romans 6 teaches that sin shall not reign in our mortal bodies; we are not obligated to obey it, though we still have a sinful nature.

I forget, 10 or 18 messages, something like that. But look in Romans chapter 6, because Romans chapter 6 deals with the fact that we as Christians have been delivered from the dominion and the lordship of sin. Now watch carefully. Look at Romans 6, beginning there with verse 11. The Apostle writes, "Likewise, reckon" or count or impute

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-14

"yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you."

Why?

"For we are not under the law" that is a means of justification, "but we are under grace." Now listen to what he said. Look if you would in verse 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." He did not say, "Let not sin therefore be in your mortal body." It is there. But he said, you are not to let sin reign in your mortal body. Sin is not Lord for the Christian. So when sin speaks and says, "Do this," you can say, "I don't have to obey you." "I'm not going to do that. That's wicked. That's wrong. That's contrary to God. I'm not going to do that." Look at what he said in verse 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof." We owe no obedience to sin. Then he gives you an illustration, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members," your body, "as instruments of righteousness unto God." So what he's teaching is this, that in Jesus Christ we have been freed from the dominion of sin. It is not to reign in our bodies. We owe it no obedience. We do not have to obey it.

The truth is we do at times, but we do not have to. Now look back in 1 John 2, verse 1. Here's what he said. 1 John 2, verse 1. "My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not." What was the purpose of John's writing this epistle? That we not sin.

The Purpose of Scripture and Overcoming Sin

1 John 2:1 was written that we sin not; Psalm 119:9-11 shows we cleanse our way by hiding God's Word in our hearts to resist temptation.

Now he went on to say, "If any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." So sin then is not to reign in our mortal bodies. It is not to hold sway. It is not our Lord. We're no longer obligated to obey sin because we are not under its dominion. You remember the passage in Colossians 1, 12 and 13, where the Bible says, "Giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us meet" or suitable "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." So we have been taken out of the kingdom of sin and we've been placed into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies. These things I wrote unto you that you sin not." Now, you say, "Wait a minute."

We are sinners by nature. We have a sinful inclination, a sinful propensity. So therefore, what is to keep me from sinning? Well, David answered that for us. Let me quote it. I'll quote it again before I finish today. David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11, now listen, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" Now, David said a young man, but it's true of a middle-aged man. It's also true of an old man. Old men have sins just like middle-aged men and young men. Listen to what he said. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?

by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." What is David saying? David is saying we are to be so absorbed in the Word of God that it is in our heart and when sinful temptations occur, the Word comes up and says, "No, you're not going to do that if you please God. If you please God, you're going to do the opposite of that." So we cleanse ourselves by taking heed to His Word. Now, all of this. We have seen in the last two messages, the promises declared. I want to start my second point today, and that is the purging described. This message will continue next week as well. But I want you to look back in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Since we are not under the lordship of sin, and since the Bible was written, especially 1 John, that we not sin against God, because we know His law, we know His Word, we know what He demands, OK, I want you to see the purging described. He said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved."

The Purging Described: Agency and Meaning

Paul addresses 'dearly beloved' Christians to 'cleanse ourselves,' meaning to purge or purify, paralleling 2 Timothy 2:20-21 about vessels of honor.

"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." Now, here is the important thing right now. I want you to note what the Apostle Paul said as he started this passage. He said, "Having therefore these promises," what are the next two words? "Dearly beloved." So Paul is writing Christians. Christians are dearly beloved because Christ gave His life for us. And we have a commandment that we should love one another. And therefore, our brothers and sisters should be dearly beloved by us, so the Apostle is saying, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved."

Now look what he said. "Let us cleanse ourselves." So here is the agency that the Word of God declares that we are to use in cleansing ourselves, and that is us. "Let us cleanse ourselves." Now the word "cleanse" literally means to purge, to purify or to make clean. There is a parallel passage, and I want you to turn there, if you would, to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, hold 2 Corinthians 7. But look in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, if you would, please. And let's read verses 20 and 21. Because the Apostle Paul, who wrote 2 Corinthians, also wrote 1 and 2 Timothy, I want you to see what he tells Timothy in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, beginning there with verse 20. 2 Timothy 2, verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:20-21

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth,

some to honor and some to dishonor."

"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." So he's telling us in every great house there are vessels of gold and silver, some of wood and earth, some to honor, some to dishonor. Now, just so you can understand what the Apostle Paul is saying, there are vessels that you have that sit on your mantle or sit around on some shelf that are gold-plated, gold-painted. You know, they're beautiful. You don't use them for anything, but just sit there and look pretty. They're expensive. You have vessels that you cook with, that you use every day. And you have other cooking items that you might not use every day. Those vessels may be a little more expensive.

And not so much today, but in latter years, most every family had a honeypot. You know what a honeypot is, don't you? No, she is not a honeypot. A honeypot was what you kept in the house that you would go to the bathroom when it was cold. And then you would take it out the next morning. The point I'm trying to make is, listen carefully, there are some vessels to honor and there are some vessels to dishonor. Nobody displays their honeypot on their mantle.

They hide it under the bed. Ron, you will not eat for the next several days. Alright. So here's what our Lord is saying. If we would purge ourselves from those dishonorable things, we would be a vessel fit for the Master's use. By the way, the word "purge" in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and the word "cleanse" in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 are identically the same Greek word.

So cleansing and purging are synonymous. So here's what the Apostle Paul is saying, that we are to cleanse, we're to wash away, we're to purge our sinfulness, our iniquity, our uncleanness, and the compromise in our lives. In other words, he's saying these things are not to be found with us, in us, around us, or before us. We're to be separate from all of these things. That's why He said, "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto Myself, and I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and My daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." So, what then are we to cleanse ourselves from? What is it that we're to purge out of our lives? What is it that we are to—how, what kind of vessels are we to throw away? Okay, here we go.

Filthiness of the Flesh: Definition and Scope

The word 'flesh' here refers to our sinful nature; filthiness includes not only gross sins but also attitudes like covetousness (idolatry) and pride.

First of all, if you'll look in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, this is the only thought I'm going to cover today. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." The very first thing that we're to cleanse ourselves from is the filthiness of the flesh. Now, I've got to tell you that the word "flesh" is used in a number of different ways in the Bible. For instance, the word "flesh" can refer to mankind in general. You'll find that in Matthew 16 and verse 17, Matthew 24:22, 1 Peter 1:24, "All flesh is as grass." So he's talking about mankind in general. It can also refer to marriage. You remember there in Matthew 19, God made the man and the woman one flesh, so it can refer to marriage. It can also refer to the frailty of human nature, because we do all fade as the flowers of the field, etc. It can refer to the frailty of human nature. It can refer to the human body. John 3 and verse 6, John 6 verse 52, and there are a number of other meanings in Scripture. In fact, the word "flesh" can just simply refer to our mortal life. You remember that passage in Galatians 2 and verse 20, where the Apostle Paul said, "I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.

I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." So there the word "flesh" refers just to our mortal life. In Philippians 1 verse 24 Paul said, "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." So he's referring there to the mortal life. So when you look at the word "flesh" you've got to understand there are many different meanings and you have to depend upon the context to tell you what the meaning is. Here the word "flesh" in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 refers to our sinful nature, our sinful inclinations, our sinful propensities. For instance, if I just came up and opened my hand and slapped you upside the head, what would be the first response that you would do to me? You would either knock me out or cuss me out. Or you would want to if you did. That's just a normal, natural response. Most of us would never consider turning the other cheek. Because we've been insulted, we haven't really been hurt. Our life is not in danger. So, he's talking about, then, this propensity, and when you look at the word "filthiness," "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh," the word "filthiness" here is used to demonstrate anything that is defiling, filthy, unclean, and it is to be purged out of our lives. The word "filthiness" literally means the stain to defile and pollute. And it is used as polluting a garment. So when you spill your hot chocolate on your nice shirt or your nice dress, that garment is stained. It's polluted. It's going to have to be purged. It's going to have to be cleaned. So this is what he's saying. "Let us cleanse ourselves" or "let us purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." Now, when we talk about filthiness of the flesh, there is more than what you and I would call the gross and corrupt appetites of the body.

I have been in places, New Orleans for one, New York for the second, where I literally had to step over drunks who were lying on the sidewalks, one in a parking lot, who was sleeping in his own vomit. And they weren't dead, they were just passed dead out drunk. Now, the point I'm trying to make is you and I would say that is gross, that is filthy, you know, that is so wicked, that is so wrong. Well, sure it is. But when God talks about the filthiness of the flesh, he's not just talking about the passed out drunk. He's not just talking about the adulterer and the whoremonger. He's not just talking about the murderer and the thief. There are other bodily appetites that are just as wicked and just as wrong.

Let me show you how the Apostle Paul used this. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 7. Romans, chapter 7. And first of all, look at verse 5. Look what he said. Romans 7, verse 5. And then we'll go down to verse 18. Look in Romans 7, verse 5. Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:5, 18

"For when we were in the flesh."

Wow. Well, are we not in the flesh now? Well, yes, by the way, when he says

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:5, 18

"when we were in the flesh"

here, he's using the word "flesh" to refer to our unconverted state, our unsaved state.

OK, I told you the context has to depend—our interpretation has to depend upon the context. So watch. He says, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." So when you were unsaved, the motions of sin, that is, your inclinations, your propensities, whatever you did, they worked in your members to bring forth death. That's all there is to it. Skip down to verse 18. Here's what he says. "For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." That is, he does not find it in himself. In other words, our flesh, in our flesh, in our mortal life, in that flesh there is no good thing, period.

And sometimes there may be the will to do better, but you don't have the power or the ability. That's just like dieting. I'm going to go on a diet and you will for a day, two days till you get hungry or till your body starts craving that ice cream and then you go right back. That's what he said. "I know that in me, that in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing."

Now, admittedly, we are sinners and we must confess with the Apostle Paul that by nature no good thing dwells within us. We may be saved, but our flesh is still flesh. What did our Lord say? "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." That's why you're going to get a resurrected body. That's why you will have a new body. Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians 5 and verse 17. Galatians chapter 5, look in verse 17. Look what the Bible says. I'm going to deal with this passage more in another short series that I'm going to do in the near future. But in Galatians 5 and verse 17, God says this, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." What? Now look at that. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." You know what the word "lusteth" means? It means to fight against.

The Battle Between Flesh and Spirit

Galatians 5:17 describes the conflict; we must walk in the Spirit to not fulfill fleshly lusts, making no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14).

So the flesh fights against the Spirit. And the Spirit fights against the flesh. Look what he says. "These are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." When you were unsaved, if you were short of money, stealing was an option. Defrauding was an option. Corruption was an option. Now that you're saved, stealing is not an option because God says, "Thou shalt not steal." Fraud is not an option. Corruption is not an option. You can't do those things. Your flesh will say, "Here's the easy way. Go take it." And the Spirit says, "No, you can't do that."

That's a violation of God's law. So here you have the flesh and the Spirit, and he says they're fighting one against the other. So the inclinations and the desires of our flesh are contrary to the inclinations and desires of the Holy Spirit. They draw us in opposite directions. While the Spirit of God would lead us into the obedience of the Word of God, our flesh draws us away into disobedience and to fulfill the nature of our flesh. In our regenerate state, we want to please our Heavenly Father, yet we are in the flesh, and we have to understand that there are things in our flesh that are contrary to God. We should know what the fulfilling of the flesh is. Let me show you.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Galatians, Ephesians, just turn over to Ephesians 2, and look if you would at verse 3. And he's talking, in fact, let's read verse 2 and verse 3, because he's talking about the fact and the time when we were unconverted. He says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation,"

that is, our conduct,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"in times past, in the lusts of our flesh,"

watch,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

Now what in the world did he just say? When we were unsaved, what did we do? What we wanted to do. What our flesh wanted to do. We thought nothing of it. It's natural. That's what we did. That's what we wanted to do. That's what pleased us. That's what satisfied us. That's what we did.

Now, God is saying, look, you cannot fulfill the lusts of the flesh. They are contrary to me. Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 verse 16 where God said this?

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:16

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world."

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father. The truth of the matter is this. When we were unsaved, we probably knew that the lust of the flesh was sinful. We probably knew that the lust of the eyes was sinful. We probably knew the pride of life was sinful. It doesn't matter. That's what we wanted and that's what we did. Look in your Bibles, the second Peter chapter 2. Let me show you a danger. 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter 2. And by the way, I just want you to see that Peter is writing to Christians as well. Look in 2 Peter 2, begin there with verse 1.

He says, "Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings." 2 Peter, I'm sorry, it's 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, when Alice starts looking at me and staring in that quizzical manner, I know I've given the wrong verse. You've caught me. I'm not perfect. Here we go, 1 Peter 2, verse 1, "...wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I'm just reading these verses just to show you he's warning Christians. Now skip down to verse 18. Now I won't. 2 Peter. Thank you. 2 Peter. He's still writing Christians, by the way. So look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 18. He says this.

Allurement and the Need for Self-Discipline

2 Peter 2:18 warns of being allured through fleshly lusts; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 illustrates the need to keep the body under subjection and run to win.

The truth of the matter is this. When we were unsaved, we probably knew that the lust of the flesh was sinful. We probably knew that the lust of the eyes was sinful. We probably knew the pride of life was sinful. It doesn't matter. That's what we wanted and that's what we did. Look in your Bibles, the second Peter chapter 2. Let me show you a danger. 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter 2. And by the way, I just want you to see that Peter is writing to Christians as well. Look in 2 Peter 2, begin there with verse 1.

"For when they," he's talking about the wicked and the false prophets, "when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." Now look at what he said, "for when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh. Through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." So he's talking here about alluring through the lusts of the flesh. Alluring. You know what that means? It means to draw someone to something. You can put out lures when you're hunting or when you're fishing. And that lure is supposed to draw the animal or the fish to where you are. A lot of people may not do themselves certain acts, but they enjoy watching others do those acts. You say, what are you talking about? Soap operas, for one. Most people, when they watch TV and all these soap operas and all this stuff, it's a vicarious experience for them. They're not going to do it, but they're going to watch somebody else in adultery or fornication. They want to see somebody else do this or somebody else do that. And it's allurement.

You just stop and think of the state fairs. What do you think all those bright lights and blinking lights and beautiful things, they're to allure you. They're to draw you there so they can get your money. It's just that simple. So, he's talking very clearly then about being lured through our flesh. And unhappily, even as Christians, some have indulged our desires, indulged our wants, indulged our lusts, even though sometimes we knew we were violating the Word of God. And we got chastised, we got whipped from it. Do you remember how Abraham took Isaac? God had told Abraham to slay his only son. And as they were walking to the place of sacrifice, Isaac said, "Father, here is the wood for the burnt offering." And Abraham himself had the fire. But he said, "Where's the lamb for the sacrifice?" And Abraham took his son and bound him to that altar.

Let me tell you something. Our flesh will not lie as silently and as obediently on the altar as did Isaac. Our flesh will cry and scream for fulfillment. It wants what it wants. And oftentimes we are lured. You know what the Bible says in Galatians 5 and verse 24? Now listen. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." They that are Christ's.

That's what he meant when he said "reckon" or "count yourself dead indeed unto sin." So when you are tempted, and by the way, it's not a sin to be tempted. Our Lord was tempted. It's not a sin to be tempted. The sin comes when we yield to that temptation. So he's telling us that we are to reckon or count ourselves dead indeed unto sin, and we're not to be lured through our flesh.

Now, let me tell you up front. If you're going to live a holy, godly life, it's going to be a fight. It's going to be a struggle because your flesh is going to want this and the Spirit is going to want this and they're opposite. Let me show you. I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And as you turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, let me quote what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15. Returning to 1 Corinthians 9, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul said in verse 31, "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die." What's the next word? "Daily." "I die daily." What's Paul talking about? He was talking about reckoning himself dead, indeed, unto sin. He said, "I die daily." Now, look in 1 Corinthians 9 and what the Apostle Paul says, beginning there in verse 24.

He gives you an illustration and he says this, "Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth a prize? So run that you may obtain." Now, I said, if you're going to be in the race, you need to run to win. Now, look what he says. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible." Look what he says, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." "But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away." Now, look what he said. If you're going to run in a race, you ought to run to win. If you're going to run to win, you have to learn to be temperate in all things. If—if there was going to be a foot race between Joe and myself, looking at Joe's lean and mean body and looking at my pleasingly, pleasantly plump body, who do you think would win that foot race? Joe. He's probably more temperate in some things than I am, you know.

I like the second helping every now and then. This is what he's saying. If you're going to win this incorruptible crown, you've got to learn to be temperate in all things. Now watch. He said in verse 26, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." You know what a shadow boxer is? The shadow boxer is the man who gets and he's boxing against himself with a shadow on the wall. He can't win anything. He's just beating the air.

He may be getting a little practice, a little training, but there's no contest. So here's what he's saying. I'm not—I'm not running as somebody fighting the air. No, no, no. He says verse 27, "But I keep under my body and I bring it into subjection, lest, by any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away." What is he saying? I have to die daily. I have to reckon myself dead indeed unto sin. I have to purge myself. I have to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh.

Now, whatever pleases our flesh is usually contrary to God. 90, 99, 10 percent of the time, probably 100 percent. It's contrary to God. Have you ever noticed that a lot of these foods that are really good for you don't taste good? And all those things that are bad for you—oh, they're wonderful. They're delicious. Same principle, you know. So it's the flesh, you know, you think, "Oh, man, this is good. This is great."

Christian Liberty and the Works of the Flesh

Liberty is not license (Galatians 5:13); the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) include idolatry like covetousness (Colossians 3:5), and even heart sins (Matthew 5:28).

But it ends in death. And when you're being led by the Spirit, you say, "Man, I got to deny this. I can't do that. I'm not going to do that." But it leads to life.

Now, I want you to look, if you would, in Galatians 5 and verse 13. And I have taught in times past on Christian liberty, but I want to emphasize this when we're talking about Christian liberty in light of purging ourself from all filthiness of the flesh. In Galatians 5 and verse 13, the Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:13, 16

"For brethren, you've been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another."

Now, I may have liberty to do certain things. But I never have liberty to violate the law of God. There are a lot of people who will sin against God, violate His law, and then claim they are exercising their Christian liberty. No. Christian liberty is not licentiousness. Christian liberty means we are free to obey God and do that which is right. It does not mean that we are free to fulfill the lust of our flesh. So if God tells us then that we're not to fulfill the lust of our flesh, how do we avoid doing that? Well, look in Galatians 5 and verse 16. Galatians 5 verse 16. I'll teach on this more later, but look in Galatians 5 verse 16. "This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Now, if you're fulfilling the lust of the flesh, you're not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you're walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, you're not going to be fulfilling the lust of the flesh. You know what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13 and verse 14? Let me quote it. He said, "But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof." Make no provision. So if I know something is going to tempt me or entice me, I need to stay away from that. I don't even need to go near it. "Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof." It is impossible to walk in the flesh if you're walking in the Spirit.

It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. It's impossible to walk in the flesh if you've put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have to hourly sometimes, not just daily. Sometimes hourly, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment, fight against our flesh. You remember that passage I quoted earlier? Let me quote it again. Psalm 119 verses 9 through 11.

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." Now, since you're in Galatians 5, I want you to look at verses 19-21, because we have been told that we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Many of us do not even know what the filthiness of the flesh really is. Well, God gives us the answer, and he tells us what our flesh really, really enjoys. Look in Galatians 5, beginning there, verse 19. He says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these." What's the work of the flesh?

"Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, and as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." One of our problems is this. We have a tendency to blame many of our sins and our lusts upon the devil. You remember Flip Wilson, the black comedian, used to make that very common, "the devil made me do it." Or "the devil tempted me." Let me give you two observations. The first one is this. I would observe first and foremost that most Christians are not powerful enough, not godly enough, or important enough for the devil to even concentrate upon them. If you study the Scriptures, he only attacked three individuals directly. He attacked Job, he attacked Peter, and he attacked Christ. It is true that he is our adversary. It is true that he walks around as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.

But the point I'm trying to make is this. Most of us are not important enough, not powerful enough, not godly enough for him to try to deal with us. His minions are sufficient to take care of most Christians. OK. Secondly, I would observe this. The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself. What does the flesh enjoy? Well, the flesh enjoys what? Adultery. Fornication, uncleanness, nakedness, lasciviousness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife. I know people who live to fuss and fight. I know people who are not happy unless they're fighting with someone and mad at someone. As flesh, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like. All these things are the works of the flesh. If we're going to cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh, we have to understand the implication of each work of the lusts of the flesh. He mentions idolatry.

Now, you're going to sit here and tell me, "Now, Brother Weaver, I am not an idolater. I'm not bound down to any image. I'm not bound down to any idol. I am not an idolater." Oh, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Then we'll go back to Ephesians 5. Look in Colossians chapter 3 if you would please.

And notice if you would verse 5. Because we have a very limited view of idolatry. We tend to think it's bowing down to an idol somewhere, but the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter, I'm sorry, in Colossians 3 and verse 5 says this: "Mortify" that is make dead. That's where we get the word "mortician" from. "Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." What? Covetousness is idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry.

So that means if I say, "Man, I sure would like to have Lacey's car. I want that car." I'm coveting it. That's idolatry. Look in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 3, he says it like this. "But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness," remember, that is idolatry, "let it not be once named among you as becometh saints." Wow. Let me just explain idolatry like this. Do you realize any time we set our will, our wants, our desires above God, that's idolatry? Covetousness is idolatry. When you know what God's Word says, and you disobey it, that's idolatry. You're denying God as the chief good, and you're denying God as the sovereign, and you're setting yourself up above God, and you're saying, "I know what I want, and I know what's best for me." Idolatry is a work of the flesh. I want you to understand, and I'll get into this a little more next week, the work of the flesh can be a work of the flesh without the flesh actually doing anything. You say, "What are you talking about?"

Well, you remember what our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 28, he said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already," where? Somebody tell me. "In his heart." Doesn't mean you've committed the actual physical act. But if you've lusted after a woman, then God says you've committed it in your heart. So, the point I'm trying to make is this.

Responsibility and Divine Enablement

We have the responsibility to cleanse ourselves, but the ability comes from God; we must seek His grace and power, dying daily and fighting hourly.

When we're cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, it's not just those outward grosser sins. I don't know anybody here that's a drunkard. I don't know anybody here that's an adulterer or a murderer. I don't. And if you are such, you've hidden it from me very well, but you understand what I'm saying. I don't know anybody like that in here. And I'm sure that you don't do that. I understand that. But that doesn't mean that you don't have sins of the flesh. That doesn't mean you don't have evil thoughts and wicked desires and wrong motives and pride and arrogancy. See what I'm saying? It is not just the physical act that God condemns, but it is the attitude and the disposition that leads to those acts. Let me say it like this. When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids any and everything, any and every thought, any and every attitude that would lead up to that act. So if God is forbidding adultery, it forbids me lusting in my heart.

It would also forbid me looking intently, which would create a lust in my heart. You see what I'm saying? When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids anything and everything, every attitude that would lead up to that act. So he says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." If we want God as our Father, and we want Him to be our protector and our provider and our portion, then at the same time, we should want to be the sons and daughters that He would have us to be. "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts of your ignorance. But, as obedient children, be holy in all manner of conversation, as I am holy, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord."

Now let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand the Apostle Paul said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves." Let us cleanse ourselves. We have a responsibility to cleanse ourselves. I want to give you a quote. Listen to what Albert Barnes says. "Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves in the work of salvation or sanctification. He therefore says, 'let us purify ourselves' as if Christians had much to do, as if their own agency was to be employed, and as if their purifying was dependent upon their own efforts. While it is true that all purifying influences and holiness proceed from God, it is also true that the effect of all the influences of the Holy Spirit is to excite us, to diligence, to purify our own hearts, to urge us to make strenuous efforts to overcome our own sins. He who expects to

be made pure without any effort of his own will never become pure. And he who ever becomes holy will become so in consequence of strenuous efforts to resist evil of his own heart and become like God." The argument, he says here, goes further that we have the promises of God to aid us. And that is true. Which brings me to this, folks. The responsibility is ours. "Let us cleanse ourselves," but the ability is God's. We have a responsibility, but we do not have the ability.

Therefore, we must seek Him for His grace, His mercy, and His power. You remember what our Lord told the disciples? "The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is" what? "Weak." Weak. And therefore, we need divine help. We need His grace and His mercy. For our Lord Himself said, "Without me, you can do nothing." Nothing. So ours is responsibility. And just like the Apostle Paul said, we have to die daily.

We have to fight hourly to bring our body into subjection. "No, I will not do that. No, I will not think that. No, that will not be in my mind." And yes, it is a daily fight. And what would be advantageous for each of us is if we would look in Galatians 5 and take each of the works of the flesh and run them down through Scripture and just see the implications of all of these things in our lives. So that we may turn from them and purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Let me just close with this statement. I prefer to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and have God as my Father, than not to do so and have God as my adversary.

Closing Exhortation

Weaver concludes by urging separation from uncleanness to have God as Father rather than adversary, and prays for enablement to live as holy children.

"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto myself, and I will be a Father unto you. And you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. And we ask you to enable us, to empower us, to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Not just the grosser, viler acts, but Lord, even the attitudes, the dispositions, the thoughts, the pride, the arrogancy in everything that's contrary to thy Word. And make us holy and enable us to live as thy sons and thy daughters. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Active Personal Cleansing

Summary: Christians are commanded to actively cleanse themselves from sin, emphasizing personal responsibility in sanctification.

Evidence: The Apostle Paul said, 'let us cleanse ourselves' as if Christians had much to do, as if their own agency was to be employed.

The Flesh as Sinful Nature

Summary: The 'flesh' refers to our sinful inclinations and propensities, which are contrary to the Spirit and must be mortified.

Evidence: In our flesh dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18); the flesh lusteth against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17).

Holiness Motivated by Divine Promises

Summary: The promises of God being our Father and we His children serve as the foundation and encouragement for pursuing holiness.

Evidence: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves... perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Rejection of Sinless Perfection and Antinomianism

Summary: Weaver refutes both the heresy of sinless perfection and the idea that Christians must sin, affirming ongoing struggle but not dominion of sin.

Evidence: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8); Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body (Romans 6:12).

The Internal Battle and Need for Self-Discipline

Summary: The Christian life involves a daily fight to bring the body into subjection, dying to sin and walking in the Spirit.

Evidence: I keep under my body and bring it into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27); I die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31).

Idolatry as Heart Sin

Summary: Idolatry extends beyond physical idols to include covetousness and any setting of our will above God's.

Evidence: Covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5); any time we set our will, our wants, our desires above God, that's idolatry.

Divine Enablement for Human Responsibility

Summary: While we have the responsibility to cleanse ourselves, the ability comes from God; we must depend on His grace and power.

Evidence: Without me, you can do nothing (John 15:5); Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability.

Key Arguments

The promises of God as Father motivate holiness

Summary: Because God promises to be our Father and dwell among us, we should want to be holy as He is holy and abstain from all that offends Him.

Evidence: If God is going to be our God and He dwells among us... since He is holy, we are to be holy.

Sinless perfection is unbiblical, but so is the necessity of sinning

Summary: 1 John 1:8,10 refutes sinless perfection, while Romans 6:12-14 shows sin shall not have dominion; Christians can and must resist sin.

Evidence: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves... Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.

Cleansing is a personal responsibility

Summary: The command 'let us cleanse ourselves' indicates that Christians must actively participate in their sanctification, not passively wait for God.

Evidence: Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves... 'let us purify ourselves' as if Christians had much to do.

Filthiness of the flesh includes internal attitudes, not just external acts

Summary: Sins like covetousness (idolatry) and lustful thoughts are works of the flesh, and God forbids the attitudes that lead to sinful acts.

Evidence: Covetousness, which is idolatry... whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart.

Walking in the Spirit is the antidote to fulfilling fleshly lusts

Summary: Galatians 5:16 promises that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh; the two are mutually exclusive.

Evidence: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Self-discipline is essential for holiness

Summary: Like an athlete, Christians must be temperate and keep their bodies under subjection, dying daily to sin and making no provision for the flesh.

Evidence: I keep under my body and bring it into subjection... make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

The flesh itself is sufficient to tempt us without Satan's direct involvement

Summary: Our own sinful nature is enough to lead us into sin; we don't need the devil to tempt us for fleshly lusts.

Evidence: The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself.

God's enablement is necessary for our cleansing efforts

Summary: While we have responsibility, we lack ability; we must seek God's grace and power, for without Christ we can do nothing.

Evidence: The responsibility is ours... but the ability is God's... Without me, you can do nothing.

Scripture References

2 Corinthians 7:1

Context: The main text: 'Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Context: The promises referred to: God will dwell among His people and be a Father to them if they separate from sin.

James 1:18

Context: God begat us by the word of truth, showing the intimate Father-child relationship.

John 17:3

Context: Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ, emphasizing personal relationship.

1 John 1:8, 10

Context: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and make God a liar, refuting sinless perfection.

Romans 6:11-14

Context: Reckon yourselves dead to sin; sin shall not have dominion over you because you are under grace.

1 John 2:1

Context: These things I write unto you that you sin not; but if any man sin, we have an advocate.

Colossians 1:12-13

Context: We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ.

Psalm 119:9-11

Context: A young man cleanses his way by taking heed to God's Word; hiding it in the heart to avoid sin.

2 Timothy 2:20-21

Context: If a man purge himself from dishonorable vessels, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use.

Romans 7:5, 18

Context: When we were in the flesh, sinful passions worked in our members; in our flesh dwells no good thing.

Galatians 5:17

Context: The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; they are contrary so you cannot do what you would.

Ephesians 2:2-3

Context: We once walked according to the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, by nature children of wrath.

1 John 2:16

Context: All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life—is not of the Father.

2 Peter 2:18

Context: False teachers allure through the lusts of the flesh, those who had escaped from error.

Galatians 5:24

Context: They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Context: Run to win; be temperate; I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest I be cast away.

Galatians 5:13, 16

Context: Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh; walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Romans 13:14

Context: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.

Galatians 5:19-21

Context: The works of the flesh: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, hatred, etc.; those who do such shall not inherit the kingdom.

Historical References

Harry A. Ironsides

Context: Ironsides once believed in sinless perfection, which drove him insane; after studying Scripture, he rejected it and became a great preacher.

Flip Wilson (comedian)

Context: Referenced for popularizing the phrase 'the devil made me do it,' which Weaver uses to illustrate blaming Satan for fleshly sins.

Albert Barnes (commentator)

Context: Quoted on the agency of Christians in sanctification: 'Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves.'

Important Quotes

I am not teaching sinless perfection.

Significance: Clarifies the sermon's stance against the heresy of sinless perfection, setting the doctrinal boundary for the discussion on holiness.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. He did not say, 'Let not sin therefore be in your mortal body.' It is there. But he said, you are not to let sin reign in your mortal body.

Significance: Distinguishes between the presence of sin and its dominion, affirming that Christians can resist sin's rule.

The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself.

Significance: Emphasizes the internal source of temptation, shifting focus from external Satanic attack to the sinful nature.

Covetousness, which is idolatry.

Significance: Highlights that idolatry is not just bowing to images but includes covetousness, expanding the understanding of fleshly sin.

When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids any and everything, any and every thought, any and every attitude that would lead up to that act.

Significance: Broadens the scope of sin to include internal dispositions, not just external actions, in the pursuit of holiness.

The responsibility is ours. 'Let us cleanse ourselves,' but the ability is God's.

Significance: Summarizes the balance between human effort and divine enablement in sanctification.

I prefer to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and have God as my Father, than not to do so and have God as my adversary.

Significance: Powerful concluding contrast between the blessings of obedience and the danger of disobedience.

Discussion Questions

How do the promises of God being our Father motivate us to pursue holiness in practical ways?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 are the foundation for the command to cleanse ourselves.

What is the difference between sinless perfection and the biblical teaching that sin shall not have dominion over us?

Context: Weaver rejects sinless perfection but affirms Romans 6:12-14 that we are not obligated to obey sin.

In what ways can we actively 'cleanse ourselves' from filthiness of the flesh, and what role does the Holy Spirit play?

Context: The command 'let us cleanse ourselves' implies personal agency, yet Weaver stresses dependence on God's ability.

How does the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 challenge our typical view of 'gross sins'?

Context: Weaver points out that the list includes attitudes like hatred, envy, and idolatry (covetousness), not just outward acts.

What does it mean to 'make no provision for the flesh' (Romans 13:14) in our daily lives?

Context: Weaver applies this verse to avoiding situations that tempt us, emphasizing proactive self-discipline.

How can we practically 'walk in the Spirit' so that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh?

Context: Galatians 5:16 is presented as the key to overcoming fleshly desires; Weaver suggests hiding God's Word in the heart.

Why is it dangerous to blame the devil for our fleshly temptations, according to Weaver?

Context: Weaver argues that our own flesh is sufficient to tempt us, and most Christians are not directly attacked by Satan.

How does the concept of idolatry as covetousness or setting our will above God's change our understanding of sin?

Context: Colossians 3:5 equates covetousness with idolatry; Weaver extends this to any disobedience as idolatry.

Applications

Take personal responsibility for cleansing from sin

Summary: Actively engage in purging sinful habits and attitudes, recognizing that sanctification requires our diligent effort.

Evidence: Let us cleanse ourselves... He who expects to be made pure without any effort of his own will never become pure.

Hide God's Word in your heart to resist temptation

Summary: Memorize and meditate on Scripture so that when tempted, the Word will guide you to obey God rather than sin.

Evidence: Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11).

Make no provision for the flesh

Summary: Avoid situations, places, or media that you know will tempt you to sin; be proactive in removing occasions for lust.

Evidence: Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14).

Examine heart attitudes, not just outward actions

Summary: Recognize that sins like covetousness, pride, and lustful thoughts are works of the flesh and must be mortified.

Evidence: Covetousness, which is idolatry... whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart.

Walk in the Spirit daily

Summary: Depend on the Holy Spirit's power to overcome fleshly desires, knowing that walking in the Spirit prevents fulfilling lusts.

Evidence: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

Practice self-discipline like an athlete

Summary: Be temperate in all things, keeping your body under subjection, and run the Christian race with the goal of winning the incorruptible crown.

Evidence: I keep under my body and bring it into subjection... So run that you may obtain (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Seek God's grace and power for holiness

Summary: Acknowledge your inability to cleanse yourself apart from Christ, and pray for divine enablement to live as a holy child of God.

Evidence: Without me, you can do nothing... Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:56:28Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:39:18Z

Clean Transcript

Perfecting Holiness - 3

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

We're going to have at least several more messages on this passage. 2 Corinthians 7, beginning there with verse 1. You remember this will be the third part of perfecting holiness. Notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. The Apostle writes, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Now, you remember just by way of review very quickly when the Apostle said, "having therefore these promises," he's referring back to the promises that are mentioned in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, especially verses 16 through 18, where God promised, first of all, if we would separate ourselves from sin and wickedness, He would not only be our God, but we would be His people.
#1 | 0:01 to 0:59 | cleaned
And then more specifically, where He would be our Father and we would be sons and daughters unto Him. And so we began to look at those promises and we saw, first of all, that the promise involved a very intimate relationship in the sense that if God is our Father, He is the one that begat us. And I quoted James 1 and verse 18, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." And then, of course, we also saw further in the second message that if God is our Father, that means He is our provider. He is our protector.
#2 | 0:59 to 1:38 | cleaned
He is our portion in this life, which means He is the one that sustains us and nourishes us, protects us. He is the one that gives us victory in time and history as well. And of course, our Lord told us exactly what eternal life really was. He said in John 17, verse 3, "And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." So eternal life, then, as defined by our Lord, is a personal, intimate knowledge and a relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.
#3 | 1:39 to 2:17 | cleaned
Now, I hope you're beginning to see that there is a connection between these promises and the precept and using this as an encouragement to holiness in our personal lives. So if God is going to be our God and He dwells among us, and He dwells with us, then very obviously, since He is holy, we are to be holy and we are to have everything around us holy as well. It means also, in light of these promises, that we are to abstain from any and everything that is offensive in His sight. If we want God to be our Father, we should want to be His sons. If we want God to be everything to us that He can be, and wants to be as Father, then we should want to be everything to Him that we can be as sons and daughters.
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Now, the Apostle said this, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." So I do not want you to be alarmed by the word "perfecting." I'm going to deal with that word when I get to it in the text. But let me tell you what I am not teaching. I am not teaching sinless perfection.
#5 | 3:18 to 3:50 | cleaned
There is a theory, and that's all it is, is a theory that some man or some woman could be sinlessly perfect in this life. It's absolutely contrary to Scripture. Harry A. Ironsides used to believe in the doctrine of sinless perfection, and he thought everybody else was sinlessly perfect but himself. And literally, it drove him insane. He spent months in a sanatorium. And therefore, he began to study the Scripture, and he found out that sinless perfection was not true. And Harry Ironsides went on to become a very great preacher. But he had to get over this concept of sinless perfection. Being sinlessly perfect in this life is not attainable.
#6 | 3:52 to 4:42 | cleaned
Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold 2 Corinthians, but turn to 1 John 1. Years ago, I went into an establishment that was a cleaning establishment. And I knew the owner was a professing Christian. And I was carrying some suits to be cleaned. And as I walked in, I said to him, "Isn't it wonderful to be forgiven of your sins?" And his reply was, "I don't know, I haven't sinned in years."
#7 | 4:43 to 5:27 | cleaned
And when I picked my jaw up off the floor and regained my composure, I looked at him and I said, "Well, you just did." He said, "What?" And then I quoted these verses. So if you look in 1 John 1 and verse 8, the Scripture says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 10. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us." So anytime you try to deny the sin nature, anytime you try to deny sinful acts, God says you're lying and the truth is not in you. And what you're doing is trying to make God a liar. It is unbiblical, impractical, and a downright lie to deny the fact that we are sinners and that we have sinned and that we have a sinful nature. We cannot escape the reality that we are sinners. So I'm not trying to teach sinless perfection. Now listen very carefully.
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We're still in 1 John. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is, then the opposite is also a heresy. That is that we have to sin. We do not have to sin. I want you to hold 1 John 2. I'm coming right back there. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. Some time ago, some years ago, I preached an entire series through Romans chapter 6, and I would encourage you to go back and listen to that series.
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I forget, 10 or 18 messages, something like that. But look in Romans chapter 6, because Romans chapter 6 deals with the fact that we as Christians have been delivered from the dominion and the lordship of sin. Now watch carefully. Look at Romans 6, beginning there with verse 11. The Apostle writes, "Likewise, reckon" or count or impute "yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you." Why?
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"For we are not under the law" that is a means of justification, "but we are under grace." Now listen to what he said. Look if you would in verse 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." He did not say, "Let not sin therefore be in your mortal body." It is there. But he said, you are not to let sin reign in your mortal body. Sin is not Lord for the Christian. So when sin speaks and says, "Do this," you can say, "I don't have to obey you."
#11 | 8:21 to 8:51 | cleaned
"I'm not going to do that. That's wicked. That's wrong. That's contrary to God. I'm not going to do that." Look at what he said in verse 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof." We owe no obedience to sin. Then he gives you an illustration, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members," your body, "as instruments of righteousness unto God." So what he's teaching is this, that in Jesus Christ we have been freed from the dominion of sin. It is not to reign in our bodies. We owe it no obedience. We do not have to obey it.
#12 | 8:51 to 9:36 | cleaned
The truth is we do at times, but we do not have to. Now look back in 1 John 2, verse 1. Here's what he said. 1 John 2, verse 1. "My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not." What was the purpose of John's writing this epistle? That we not sin.
#13 | 9:36 to 9:57 | cleaned
Now he went on to say, "If any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." So sin then is not to reign in our mortal bodies. It is not to hold sway. It is not our Lord. We're no longer obligated to obey sin because we are not under its dominion. You remember the passage in Colossians 1, 12 and 13, where the Bible says, "Giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us meet" or suitable "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." So we have been taken out of the kingdom of sin and we've been placed into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies. These things I wrote unto you that you sin not." Now, you say, "Wait a minute."
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We are sinners by nature. We have a sinful inclination, a sinful propensity. So therefore, what is to keep me from sinning? Well, David answered that for us. Let me quote it. I'll quote it again before I finish today. David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11, now listen, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" Now, David said a young man, but it's true of a middle-aged man. It's also true of an old man. Old men have sins just like middle-aged men and young men. Listen to what he said. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
#15 | 11:01 to 11:46 | cleaned
by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." What is David saying? David is saying we are to be so absorbed in the Word of God that it is in our heart and when sinful temptations occur, the Word comes up and says, "No, you're not going to do that if you please God. If you please God, you're going to do the opposite of that." So we cleanse ourselves by taking heed to His Word. Now, all of this.
#16 | 11:47 to 12:32 | cleaned
We have seen in the last two messages, the promises declared. I want to start my second point today, and that is the purging described. This message will continue next week as well. But I want you to look back in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Since we are not under the lordship of sin, and since the Bible was written, especially 1 John, that we not sin against God, because we know His law, we know His Word, we know what He demands, OK, I want you to see the purging described. He said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved."
#17 | 12:34 to 13:16 | cleaned
"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." Now, here is the important thing right now. I want you to note what the Apostle Paul said as he started this passage. He said, "Having therefore these promises," what are the next two words? "Dearly beloved." So Paul is writing Christians. Christians are dearly beloved because Christ gave His life for us. And we have a commandment that we should love one another. And therefore, our brothers and sisters should be dearly beloved by us, so the Apostle is saying, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved."
#18 | 13:17 to 14:05 | cleaned
Now look what he said. "Let us cleanse ourselves." So here is the agency that the Word of God declares that we are to use in cleansing ourselves, and that is us. "Let us cleanse ourselves." Now the word "cleanse" literally means to purge, to purify or to make clean. There is a parallel passage, and I want you to turn there, if you would, to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, hold 2 Corinthians 7. But look in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, if you would, please.
#19 | 14:05 to 14:46 | cleaned
And let's read verses 20 and 21. Because the Apostle Paul, who wrote 2 Corinthians, also wrote 1 and 2 Timothy, I want you to see what he tells Timothy in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, beginning there with verse 20. 2 Timothy 2, verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes, "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor."
#20 | 14:47 to 15:19 | cleaned
"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." So he's telling us in every great house there are vessels of gold and silver, some of wood and earth, some to honor, some to dishonor.
#21 | 15:20 to 15:41 | cleaned
Now, just so you can understand what the Apostle Paul is saying, there are vessels that you have that sit on your mantle or sit around on some shelf that are gold-plated, gold-painted. You know, they're beautiful. You don't use them for anything, but just sit there and look pretty. They're expensive. You have vessels that you cook with, that you use every day. And you have other cooking items that you might not use every day. Those vessels may be a little more expensive.
#22 | 15:42 to 16:22 | cleaned
And not so much today, but in latter years, most every family had a honeypot. You know what a honeypot is, don't you? No, she is not a honeypot. A honeypot was what you kept in the house that you would go to the bathroom when it was cold. And then you would take it out the next morning. The point I'm trying to make is, listen carefully, there are some vessels to honor and there are some vessels to dishonor. Nobody displays their honeypot on their mantle.
#23 | 16:24 to 17:18 | cleaned
They hide it under the bed. Ron, you will not eat for the next several days. Alright. So here's what our Lord is saying. If we would purge ourselves from those dishonorable things, we would be a vessel fit for the Master's use. By the way, the word "purge" in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and the word "cleanse" in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 are identically the same Greek word.
#24 | 17:18 to 17:55 | cleaned
So cleansing and purging are synonymous. So here's what the Apostle Paul is saying, that we are to cleanse, we're to wash away, we're to purge our sinfulness, our iniquity, our uncleanness, and the compromise in our lives. In other words, he's saying these things are not to be found with us, in us, around us, or before us. We're to be separate from all of these things. That's why He said, "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto Myself, and I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and My daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." So, what then are we to cleanse ourselves from? What is it that we're to purge out of our lives? What is it that we are to—how, what kind of vessels are we to throw away? Okay, here we go.
#25 | 17:55 to 18:48 | cleaned
First of all, if you'll look in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, this is the only thought I'm going to cover today. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." The very first thing that we're to cleanse ourselves from is the filthiness of the flesh.
#26 | 18:49 to 19:07 | cleaned
Now, I've got to tell you that the word "flesh" is used in a number of different ways in the Bible. For instance, the word "flesh" can refer to mankind in general. You'll find that in Matthew 16 and verse 17, Matthew 24:22, 1 Peter 1:24, "All flesh is as grass." So he's talking about mankind in general. It can also refer to marriage. You remember there in Matthew 19, God made the man and the woman one flesh, so it can refer to marriage. It can also refer to the frailty of human nature, because we do all fade as the flowers of the field, etc. It can refer to the frailty of human nature. It can refer to the human body. John 3 and verse 6, John 6 verse 52, and there are a number of other meanings in Scripture. In fact, the word "flesh" can just simply refer to our mortal life. You remember that passage in Galatians 2 and verse 20, where the Apostle Paul said, "I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.
#27 | 19:08 to 20:25 | cleaned
I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." So there the word "flesh" refers just to our mortal life. In Philippians 1 verse 24 Paul said, "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." So he's referring there to the mortal life. So when you look at the word "flesh" you've got to understand there are many different meanings and you have to depend upon the context to tell you what the meaning is. Here the word "flesh" in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 refers to our sinful nature, our sinful inclinations, our sinful propensities. For instance, if I just came up and opened my hand and slapped you upside the head, what would be the first response that you would do to me?
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You would either knock me out or cuss me out. Or you would want to if you did. That's just a normal, natural response. Most of us would never consider turning the other cheek. Because we've been insulted, we haven't really been hurt. Our life is not in danger. So, he's talking about, then, this propensity, and when you look at the word "filthiness," "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh," the word "filthiness" here is used to demonstrate anything that is defiling, filthy, unclean, and it is to be purged out of our lives. The word "filthiness" literally means the stain to defile and pollute. And it is used as polluting a garment. So when you spill your hot chocolate on your nice shirt or your nice dress, that garment is stained. It's polluted. It's going to have to be purged. It's going to have to be cleaned. So this is what he's saying. "Let us cleanse ourselves" or "let us purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." Now, when we talk about filthiness of the flesh, there is more than what you and I would call the gross and corrupt appetites of the body.
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I have been in places, New Orleans for one, New York for the second, where I literally had to step over drunks who were lying on the sidewalks, one in a parking lot, who was sleeping in his own vomit. And they weren't dead, they were just passed dead out drunk.
#30 | 22:47 to 23:14 | cleaned
Now, the point I'm trying to make is you and I would say that is gross, that is filthy, you know, that is so wicked, that is so wrong. Well, sure it is. But when God talks about the filthiness of the flesh, he's not just talking about the passed out drunk. He's not just talking about the adulterer and the whoremonger. He's not just talking about the murderer and the thief. There are other bodily appetites that are just as wicked and just as wrong.
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Let me show you how the Apostle Paul used this. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 7. Romans, chapter 7. And first of all, look at verse 5. Look what he said. Romans 7, verse 5. And then we'll go down to verse 18. Look in Romans 7, verse 5. Paul says, "For when we were in the flesh." Wow. Well, are we not in the flesh now? Well, yes, by the way, when he says "when we were in the flesh" here, he's using the word "flesh" to refer to our unconverted state, our unsaved state.
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OK, I told you the context has to depend—our interpretation has to depend upon the context. So watch. He says, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." So when you were unsaved, the motions of sin, that is, your inclinations, your propensities, whatever you did, they worked in your members to bring forth death.
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That's all there is to it. Skip down to verse 18. Here's what he says. "For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." That is, he does not find it in himself. In other words, our flesh, in our flesh, in our mortal life, in that flesh there is no good thing, period.
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And sometimes there may be the will to do better, but you don't have the power or the ability. That's just like dieting. I'm going to go on a diet and you will for a day, two days till you get hungry or till your body starts craving that ice cream and then you go right back. That's what he said. "I know that in me, that in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing."
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Now, admittedly, we are sinners and we must confess with the Apostle Paul that by nature no good thing dwells within us. We may be saved, but our flesh is still flesh. What did our Lord say? "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." That's why you're going to get a resurrected body. That's why you will have a new body. Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians 5 and verse 17. Galatians chapter 5, look in verse 17. Look what the Bible says. I'm going to deal with this passage more in another short series that I'm going to do in the near future. But in Galatians 5 and verse 17, God says this, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." What? Now look at that. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." You know what the word "lusteth" means? It means to fight against.
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So the flesh fights against the Spirit. And the Spirit fights against the flesh. Look what he says. "These are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." When you were unsaved, if you were short of money, stealing was an option. Defrauding was an option. Corruption was an option. Now that you're saved, stealing is not an option because God says, "Thou shalt not steal." Fraud is not an option. Corruption is not an option. You can't do those things. Your flesh will say, "Here's the easy way. Go take it." And the Spirit says, "No, you can't do that."
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That's a violation of God's law. So here you have the flesh and the Spirit, and he says they're fighting one against the other. So the inclinations and the desires of our flesh are contrary to the inclinations and desires of the Holy Spirit. They draw us in opposite directions. While the Spirit of God would lead us into the obedience of the Word of God, our flesh draws us away into disobedience and to fulfill the nature of our flesh. In our regenerate state, we want to please our Heavenly Father, yet we are in the flesh, and we have to understand that there are things in our flesh that are contrary to God. We should know what the fulfilling of the flesh is. Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Galatians, Ephesians, just turn over to Ephesians 2, and look if you would at verse 3. And he's talking, in fact, let's read verse 2 and verse 3, because he's talking about the fact and the time when we were unconverted. He says, "Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation," that is, our conduct, "in times past, in the lusts of our flesh," watch, "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Now what in the world did he just say?
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When we were unsaved, what did we do? What we wanted to do. What our flesh wanted to do. We thought nothing of it. It's natural. That's what we did. That's what we wanted to do. That's what pleased us. That's what satisfied us. That's what we did.
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Now, God is saying, look, you cannot fulfill the lusts of the flesh. They are contrary to me. Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 verse 16 where God said this? "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world." The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father.
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The truth of the matter is this. When we were unsaved, we probably knew that the lust of the flesh was sinful. We probably knew that the lust of the eyes was sinful. We probably knew the pride of life was sinful. It doesn't matter. That's what we wanted and that's what we did. Look in your Bibles, the second Peter chapter 2. Let me show you a danger. 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter 2. And by the way, I just want you to see that Peter is writing to Christians as well. Look in 2 Peter 2, begin there with verse 1.
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He says, "Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings." 2 Peter, I'm sorry, it's 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, when Alice starts looking at me and staring in that quizzical manner, I know I've given the wrong verse. You've caught me. I'm not perfect. Here we go, 1 Peter 2, verse 1, "...wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I'm just reading these verses just to show you he's warning Christians. Now skip down to verse 18. Now I won't. 2 Peter. Thank you. 2 Peter. He's still writing Christians, by the way. So look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 18. He says this.
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"For when they," he's talking about the wicked and the false prophets, "when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." Now look at what he said, "for when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh. Through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." So he's talking here about alluring through the lusts of the flesh. Alluring.
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You know what that means? It means to draw someone to something. You can put out lures when you're hunting or when you're fishing. And that lure is supposed to draw the animal or the fish to where you are. A lot of people may not do themselves certain acts, but they enjoy watching others do those acts. You say, what are you talking about? Soap operas, for one. Most people, when they watch TV and all these soap operas and all this stuff, it's a vicarious experience for them. They're not going to do it, but they're going to watch somebody else in adultery or fornication. They want to see somebody else do this or somebody else do that. And it's allurement.
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You just stop and think of the state fairs. What do you think all those bright lights and blinking lights and beautiful things, they're to allure you. They're to draw you there so they can get your money. It's just that simple. So, he's talking very clearly then about being lured through our flesh. And unhappily, even as Christians, some have indulged our desires, indulged our wants, indulged our lusts, even though sometimes we knew we were violating the Word of God.
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And we got chastised, we got whipped from it. Do you remember how Abraham took Isaac? God had told Abraham to slay his only son. And as they were walking to the place of sacrifice, Isaac said, "Father, here is the wood for the burnt offering." And Abraham himself had the fire. But he said, "Where's the lamb for the sacrifice?" And Abraham took his son and bound him to that altar.
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Let me tell you something. Our flesh will not lie as silently and as obediently on the altar as did Isaac. Our flesh will cry and scream for fulfillment. It wants what it wants. And oftentimes we are lured. You know what the Bible says in Galatians 5 and verse 24? Now listen. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." They that are Christ's.
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That's what he meant when he said "reckon" or "count yourself dead indeed unto sin." So when you are tempted, and by the way, it's not a sin to be tempted. Our Lord was tempted. It's not a sin to be tempted. The sin comes when we yield to that temptation. So he's telling us that we are to reckon or count ourselves dead indeed unto sin, and we're not to be lured through our flesh.
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Now, let me tell you up front. If you're going to live a holy, godly life, it's going to be a fight. It's going to be a struggle because your flesh is going to want this and the Spirit is going to want this and they're opposite. Let me show you. I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And as you turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, let me quote what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15. Returning to 1 Corinthians 9, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul said in verse 31, "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die." What's the next word? "Daily." "I die daily." What's Paul talking about? He was talking about reckoning himself dead, indeed, unto sin. He said, "I die daily." Now, look in 1 Corinthians 9 and what the Apostle Paul says, beginning there in verse 24.
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He gives you an illustration and he says this, "Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth a prize? So run that you may obtain." Now, I said, if you're going to be in the race, you need to run to win. Now, look what he says. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible." Look what he says, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air."
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"But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away." Now, look what he said. If you're going to run in a race, you ought to run to win. If you're going to run to win, you have to learn to be temperate in all things. If—if there was going to be a foot race between Joe and myself, looking at Joe's lean and mean body and looking at my pleasingly, pleasantly plump body, who do you think would win that foot race? Joe. He's probably more temperate in some things than I am, you know.
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I like the second helping every now and then. This is what he's saying. If you're going to win this incorruptible crown, you've got to learn to be temperate in all things. Now watch. He said in verse 26, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." You know what a shadow boxer is? The shadow boxer is the man who gets and he's boxing against himself with a shadow on the wall. He can't win anything. He's just beating the air.
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He may be getting a little practice, a little training, but there's no contest. So here's what he's saying. I'm not—I'm not running as somebody fighting the air. No, no, no. He says verse 27, "But I keep under my body and I bring it into subjection, lest, by any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be cast away." What is he saying? I have to die daily. I have to reckon myself dead indeed unto sin. I have to purge myself. I have to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh.
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Now, whatever pleases our flesh is usually contrary to God. 90, 99, 10 percent of the time, probably 100 percent. It's contrary to God. Have you ever noticed that a lot of these foods that are really good for you don't taste good? And all those things that are bad for you—oh, they're wonderful. They're delicious. Same principle, you know. So it's the flesh, you know, you think, "Oh, man, this is good. This is great."
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But it ends in death. And when you're being led by the Spirit, you say, "Man, I got to deny this. I can't do that. I'm not going to do that." But it leads to life.
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Now, I want you to look, if you would, in Galatians 5 and verse 13. And I have taught in times past on Christian liberty, but I want to emphasize this when we're talking about Christian liberty in light of purging ourself from all filthiness of the flesh. In Galatians 5 and verse 13, the Word of God says, "For brethren, you've been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another." Now, I may have liberty to do certain things. But I never have liberty to violate the law of God. There are a lot of people who will sin against God, violate His law, and then claim they are exercising their Christian liberty. No. Christian liberty is not licentiousness. Christian liberty means we are free to obey God and do that which is right. It does not mean that we are free to fulfill the lust of our flesh. So if God tells us then that we're not to fulfill the lust of our flesh, how do we avoid doing that?
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Well, look in Galatians 5 and verse 16. Galatians 5 verse 16. I'll teach on this more later, but look in Galatians 5 verse 16. "This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Now, if you're fulfilling the lust of the flesh, you're not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you're walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, you're not going to be fulfilling the lust of the flesh. You know what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13 and verse 14? Let me quote it. He said, "But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof." Make no provision. So if I know something is going to tempt me or entice me, I need to stay away from that. I don't even need to go near it. "Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof." It is impossible to walk in the flesh if you're walking in the Spirit.
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It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. It's impossible to walk in the flesh if you've put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have to hourly sometimes, not just daily. Sometimes hourly, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment, fight against our flesh. You remember that passage I quoted earlier? Let me quote it again. Psalm 119 verses 9 through 11.
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"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."
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Now, since you're in Galatians 5, I want you to look at verses 19-21, because we have been told that we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Many of us do not even know what the filthiness of the flesh really is. Well, God gives us the answer, and he tells us what our flesh really, really enjoys. Look in Galatians 5, beginning there, verse 19. He says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these." What's the work of the flesh?
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"Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, and as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." One of our problems is this. We have a tendency to blame many of our sins and our lusts upon the devil. You remember Flip Wilson, the black comedian, used to make that very common, "the devil made me do it." Or "the devil tempted me."
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Let me give you two observations. The first one is this. I would observe first and foremost that most Christians are not powerful enough, not godly enough, or important enough for the devil to even concentrate upon them. If you study the Scriptures, he only attacked three individuals directly. He attacked Job, he attacked Peter, and he attacked Christ. It is true that he is our adversary. It is true that he walks around as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.
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But the point I'm trying to make is this. Most of us are not important enough, not powerful enough, not godly enough for him to try to deal with us. His minions are sufficient to take care of most Christians. OK.
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Secondly, I would observe this. The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself. What does the flesh enjoy? Well, the flesh enjoys what? Adultery. Fornication, uncleanness, nakedness, lasciviousness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife. I know people who live to fuss and fight. I know people who are not happy unless they're fighting with someone and mad at someone. As flesh, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like. All these things are the works of the flesh. If we're going to cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh, we have to understand the implication of each work of the lusts of the flesh. He mentions idolatry.
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Now, you're going to sit here and tell me, "Now, Brother Weaver, I am not an idolater. I'm not bound down to any image. I'm not bound down to any idol. I am not an idolater." Oh, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Then we'll go back to Ephesians 5. Look in Colossians chapter 3 if you would please.
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And notice if you would verse 5. Because we have a very limited view of idolatry. We tend to think it's bowing down to an idol somewhere, but the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter, I'm sorry, in Colossians 3 and verse 5 says this: "Mortify" that is make dead. That's where we get the word "mortician" from. "Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." What? Covetousness is idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry.
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So that means if I say, "Man, I sure would like to have Lacey's car. I want that car." I'm coveting it. That's idolatry. Look in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 3, he says it like this. "But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness," remember, that is idolatry, "let it not be once named among you as becometh saints." Wow. Let me just explain idolatry like this. Do you realize any time we set our will, our wants, our desires above God, that's idolatry? Covetousness is idolatry. When you know what God's Word says, and you disobey it, that's idolatry. You're denying God as the chief good, and you're denying God as the sovereign, and you're setting yourself up above God, and you're saying, "I know what I want, and I know what's best for me." Idolatry is a work of the flesh. I want you to understand, and I'll get into this a little more next week, the work of the flesh can be a work of the flesh without the flesh actually doing anything. You say, "What are you talking about?"
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Well, you remember what our Lord said in Matthew 5 and verse 28, he said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already," where? Somebody tell me. "In his heart." Doesn't mean you've committed the actual physical act. But if you've lusted after a woman, then God says you've committed it in your heart. So, the point I'm trying to make is this.
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When we're cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, it's not just those outward grosser sins. I don't know anybody here that's a drunkard. I don't know anybody here that's an adulterer or a murderer. I don't. And if you are such, you've hidden it from me very well, but you understand what I'm saying. I don't know anybody like that in here. And I'm sure that you don't do that. I understand that. But that doesn't mean that you don't have sins of the flesh. That doesn't mean you don't have evil thoughts and wicked desires and wrong motives and pride and arrogancy. See what I'm saying? It is not just the physical act that God condemns, but it is the attitude and the disposition that leads to those acts. Let me say it like this. When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids any and everything, any and every thought, any and every attitude that would lead up to that act. So if God is forbidding adultery, it forbids me lusting in my heart.
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It would also forbid me looking intently, which would create a lust in my heart. You see what I'm saying? When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids anything and everything, every attitude that would lead up to that act. So he says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." If we want God as our Father, and we want Him to be our protector and our provider and our portion, then at the same time, we should want to be the sons and daughters that He would have us to be. "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts of your ignorance. But, as obedient children, be holy in all manner of conversation, as I am holy, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord."
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Now let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand the Apostle Paul said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves." Let us cleanse ourselves. We have a responsibility to cleanse ourselves. I want to give you a quote. Listen to what Albert Barnes says. "Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves in the work of salvation or sanctification. He therefore says, 'let us purify ourselves' as if Christians had much to do, as if their own agency was to be employed, and as if their purifying was dependent upon their own efforts. While it is true that all purifying influences and holiness proceed from God, it is also true that the effect of all the influences of the Holy Spirit is to excite us, to diligence, to purify our own hearts, to urge us to make strenuous efforts to overcome our own sins. He who expects to
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be made pure without any effort of his own will never become pure. And he who ever becomes holy will become so in consequence of strenuous efforts to resist evil of his own heart and become like God." The argument, he says here, goes further that we have the promises of God to aid us. And that is true. Which brings me to this, folks. The responsibility is ours. "Let us cleanse ourselves," but the ability is God's. We have a responsibility, but we do not have the ability.
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Therefore, we must seek Him for His grace, His mercy, and His power. You remember what our Lord told the disciples? "The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is" what? "Weak." Weak. And therefore, we need divine help. We need His grace and His mercy. For our Lord Himself said, "Without me, you can do nothing." Nothing. So ours is responsibility. And just like the Apostle Paul said, we have to die daily.
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We have to fight hourly to bring our body into subjection. "No, I will not do that. No, I will not think that. No, that will not be in my mind." And yes, it is a daily fight. And what would be advantageous for each of us is if we would look in Galatians 5 and take each of the works of the flesh and run them down through Scripture and just see the implications of all of these things in our lives. So that we may turn from them and purge ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. Let me just close with this statement. I prefer to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and have God as my Father, than not to do so and have God as my adversary.
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"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you unto myself, and I will be a Father unto you. And you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." Ours is the responsibility. His is the ability. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. And we ask you to enable us, to empower us, to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh.
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Not just the grosser, viler acts, but Lord, even the attitudes, the dispositions, the thoughts, the pride, the arrogancy in everything that's contrary to thy Word. And make us holy and enable us to live as thy sons and thy daughters. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.
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You may contact Freedom Ministries by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N, Street, Suite 705, P-M-B, 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-833-7000.
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You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:56:28Z

Perfecting Holiness - 3

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this third part of the series on perfecting holiness from 2 Corinthians 7:1, John Weaver emphasizes that Christians are called to actively cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh, not through sinless perfection but by daily dying to sin and walking in the Spirit. He clarifies that while believers are freed from sin's dominion, they still possess a sinful nature and must fight against fleshly lusts. The sermon focuses on the purging described in the verse, explaining that cleansing is a personal responsibility empowered by God's grace, and that filthiness of the flesh includes not only gross sins but also attitudes like covetousness and pride. The promises of God as Father motivate this pursuit of holiness.

Review of the Promises

Recap of the promises from 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 that God will be our Father and we His children, which serve as motivation for holiness.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Now, you remember just by way of review very quickly when the Apostle said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"having therefore these promises,"

Scripture Reading — John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

So eternal life, then, as defined by our Lord, is a personal, intimate knowledge and a relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Connection Between Promises and Holiness

Because God is holy and dwells among us, we are to be holy and abstain from anything offensive to Him, desiring to be everything we can be as His children.

Clarification on Sinless Perfection

Weaver rejects the heresy of sinless perfection, citing 1 John 1:8,10 and the example of Harry Ironsides, but also rejects the opposite heresy that we must sin.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:8, 10

" So anytime you try to deny the sin nature, anytime you try to deny sinful acts, God says you're lying and the truth is not in you. And what you're doing is trying to make God a liar. It is unbiblical, impractical, and a downright lie to deny the fact that we are sinners and that we have sinned and that we have a sinful nature. We cannot escape the reality that we are sinners. So I'm not trying to teach sinless perfection. Now listen very carefully.

Freedom from Sin's Dominion

Romans 6 teaches that sin shall not reign in our mortal bodies; we are not obligated to obey it, though we still have a sinful nature.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-14

"yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you."

Why?

The Purpose of Scripture and Overcoming Sin

1 John 2:1 was written that we sin not; Psalm 119:9-11 shows we cleanse our way by hiding God's Word in our hearts to resist temptation.

The Purging Described: Agency and Meaning

Paul addresses 'dearly beloved' Christians to 'cleanse ourselves,' meaning to purge or purify, paralleling 2 Timothy 2:20-21 about vessels of honor.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:20-21

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth,

some to honor and some to dishonor."

Filthiness of the Flesh: Definition and Scope

The word 'flesh' here refers to our sinful nature; filthiness includes not only gross sins but also attitudes like covetousness (idolatry) and pride.

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:5, 18

"For when we were in the flesh."

Wow. Well, are we not in the flesh now? Well, yes, by the way, when he says

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:5, 18

"when we were in the flesh"

here, he's using the word "flesh" to refer to our unconverted state, our unsaved state.

The Battle Between Flesh and Spirit

Galatians 5:17 describes the conflict; we must walk in the Spirit to not fulfill fleshly lusts, making no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14).

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation,"

that is, our conduct,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"in times past, in the lusts of our flesh,"

watch,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:2-3

"fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

Now, God is saying, look, you cannot fulfill the lusts of the flesh. They are contrary to me. Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 verse 16 where God said this?

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:16

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world."

Allurement and the Need for Self-Discipline

2 Peter 2:18 warns of being allured through fleshly lusts; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 illustrates the need to keep the body under subjection and run to win.

Christian Liberty and the Works of the Flesh

Liberty is not license (Galatians 5:13); the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) include idolatry like covetousness (Colossians 3:5), and even heart sins (Matthew 5:28).

But it ends in death. And when you're being led by the Spirit, you say, "Man, I got to deny this. I can't do that. I'm not going to do that." But it leads to life.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:13, 16

"For brethren, you've been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another."

Responsibility and Divine Enablement

We have the responsibility to cleanse ourselves, but the ability comes from God; we must seek His grace and power, dying daily and fighting hourly.

Closing Exhortation

Weaver concludes by urging separation from uncleanness to have God as Father rather than adversary, and prays for enablement to live as holy children.

Perfecting Holiness - 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	216121045152
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-22
Dictation Name
Book	Book 068: Perfecting Holiness — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of the Promises: Recap of the promises from 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 that God will be our Father and we His children, which serve as motivation for holiness.
Connection Between Promises and Holiness: Because God is holy and dwells among us, we are to be holy and abstain from anything offensive to Him, desiring to be everything we can be as His children.
Clarification on Sinless Perfection: Weaver rejects the heresy of sinless perfection, citing 1 John 1:8,10 and the example of Harry Ironsides, but also rejects the opposite heresy that we must sin.
Freedom from Sin's Dominion: Romans 6 teaches that sin shall not reign in our mortal bodies; we are not obligated to obey it, though we still have a sinful nature.
The Purpose of Scripture and Overcoming Sin: 1 John 2:1 was written that we sin not; Psalm 119:9-11 shows we cleanse our way by hiding God's Word in our hearts to resist temptation.
The Purging Described: Agency and Meaning: Paul addresses 'dearly beloved' Christians to 'cleanse ourselves,' meaning to purge or purify, paralleling 2 Timothy 2:20-21 about vessels of honor.
Filthiness of the Flesh: Definition and Scope: The word 'flesh' here refers to our sinful nature; filthiness includes not only gross sins but also attitudes like covetousness (idolatry) and pride.
The Battle Between Flesh and Spirit: Galatians 5:17 describes the conflict; we must walk in the Spirit to not fulfill fleshly lusts, making no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14).
Allurement and the Need for Self-Discipline: 2 Peter 2:18 warns of being allured through fleshly lusts; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 illustrates the need to keep the body under subjection and run to win.
Christian Liberty and the Works of the Flesh: Liberty is not license (Galatians 5:13); the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) include idolatry like covetousness (Colossians 3:5), and even heart sins (Matthew 5:28).
Responsibility and Divine Enablement: We have the responsibility to cleanse ourselves, but the ability comes from God; we must seek His grace and power, dying daily and fighting hourly.
Closing Exhortation: Weaver concludes by urging separation from uncleanness to have God as Father rather than adversary, and prays for enablement to live as holy children.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The promises of God as Father motivate holiness

Because God promises to be our Father and dwell among us, we should want to be holy as He is holy and abstain from all that offends Him.

If God is going to be our God and He dwells among us... since He is holy, we are to be holy.

Sinless perfection is unbiblical, but so is the necessity of sinning

1 John 1:8,10 refutes sinless perfection, while Romans 6:12-14 shows sin shall not have dominion; Christians can and must resist sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves... Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.

Cleansing is a personal responsibility

The command 'let us cleanse ourselves' indicates that Christians must actively participate in their sanctification, not passively wait for God.

Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves... 'let us purify ourselves' as if Christians had much to do.

Filthiness of the flesh includes internal attitudes, not just external acts

Sins like covetousness (idolatry) and lustful thoughts are works of the flesh, and God forbids the attitudes that lead to sinful acts.

Covetousness, which is idolatry... whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart.

Walking in the Spirit is the antidote to fulfilling fleshly lusts

Galatians 5:16 promises that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh; the two are mutually exclusive.

Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Self-discipline is essential for holiness

Like an athlete, Christians must be temperate and keep their bodies under subjection, dying daily to sin and making no provision for the flesh.

I keep under my body and bring it into subjection... make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

The flesh itself is sufficient to tempt us without Satan's direct involvement

Our own sinful nature is enough to lead us into sin; we don't need the devil to tempt us for fleshly lusts.

The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself.

God's enablement is necessary for our cleansing efforts

While we have responsibility, we lack ability; we must seek God's grace and power, for without Christ we can do nothing.

The responsibility is ours... but the ability is God's... Without me, you can do nothing.

Scripture References

2 Corinthians 7:1: The main text: 'Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'
2 Corinthians 6:16-18: The promises referred to: God will dwell among His people and be a Father to them if they separate from sin.
James 1:18: God begat us by the word of truth, showing the intimate Father-child relationship.
John 17:3: Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ, emphasizing personal relationship.
1 John 1:8, 10: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and make God a liar, refuting sinless perfection.
Romans 6:11-14: Reckon yourselves dead to sin; sin shall not have dominion over you because you are under grace.
1 John 2:1: These things I write unto you that you sin not; but if any man sin, we have an advocate.
Colossians 1:12-13: We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ.
Psalm 119:9-11: A young man cleanses his way by taking heed to God's Word; hiding it in the heart to avoid sin.
2 Timothy 2:20-21: If a man purge himself from dishonorable vessels, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use.
Romans 7:5, 18: When we were in the flesh, sinful passions worked in our members; in our flesh dwells no good thing.
Galatians 5:17: The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; they are contrary so you cannot do what you would.
Ephesians 2:2-3: We once walked according to the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, by nature children of wrath.
1 John 2:16: All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life—is not of the Father.
2 Peter 2:18: False teachers allure through the lusts of the flesh, those who had escaped from error.
Galatians 5:24: They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27: Run to win; be temperate; I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest I be cast away.
Galatians 5:13, 16: Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh; walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Romans 13:14: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.
Galatians 5:19-21: The works of the flesh: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, hatred, etc.; those who do such shall not inherit the kingdom.

Historical References

Harry A. Ironsides: Ironsides once believed in sinless perfection, which drove him insane; after studying Scripture, he rejected it and became a great preacher.
Flip Wilson (comedian): Referenced for popularizing the phrase 'the devil made me do it,' which Weaver uses to illustrate blaming Satan for fleshly sins.
Albert Barnes (commentator): Quoted on the agency of Christians in sanctification: 'Paul was not afraid to bring into view the agency of the Christians themselves.'

Important Quotes

I am not teaching sinless perfection.

Clarifies the sermon's stance against the heresy of sinless perfection, setting the doctrinal boundary for the discussion on holiness.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. He did not say, 'Let not sin therefore be in your mortal body.' It is there. But he said, you are not to let sin reign in your mortal body.

Distinguishes between the presence of sin and its dominion, affirming that Christians can resist sin's rule.

The devil does not have to tempt us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. Our flesh is sufficient to do the temptation in and of itself.

Emphasizes the internal source of temptation, shifting focus from external Satanic attack to the sinful nature.

Covetousness, which is idolatry.

Highlights that idolatry is not just bowing to images but includes covetousness, expanding the understanding of fleshly sin.

When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids any and everything, any and every thought, any and every attitude that would lead up to that act.

Broadens the scope of sin to include internal dispositions, not just external actions, in the pursuit of holiness.

The responsibility is ours. 'Let us cleanse ourselves,' but the ability is God's.

Summarizes the balance between human effort and divine enablement in sanctification.

I prefer to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and have God as my Father, than not to do so and have God as my adversary.

Powerful concluding contrast between the blessings of obedience and the danger of disobedience.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How do the promises of God being our Father motivate us to pursue holiness in practical ways?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 are the foundation for the command to cleanse ourselves.

[Question]

What is the difference between sinless perfection and the biblical teaching that sin shall not have dominion over us?

[Context]

Weaver rejects sinless perfection but affirms Romans 6:12-14 that we are not obligated to obey sin.

[Question]

In what ways can we actively 'cleanse ourselves' from filthiness of the flesh, and what role does the Holy Spirit play?

[Context]

The command 'let us cleanse ourselves' implies personal agency, yet Weaver stresses dependence on God's ability.

[Question]

How does the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 challenge our typical view of 'gross sins'?

[Context]

Weaver points out that the list includes attitudes like hatred, envy, and idolatry (covetousness), not just outward acts.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'make no provision for the flesh' (Romans 13:14) in our daily lives?

[Context]

Weaver applies this verse to avoiding situations that tempt us, emphasizing proactive self-discipline.

[Question]

How can we practically 'walk in the Spirit' so that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh?

[Context]

Galatians 5:16 is presented as the key to overcoming fleshly desires; Weaver suggests hiding God's Word in the heart.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to blame the devil for our fleshly temptations, according to Weaver?

[Context]

Weaver argues that our own flesh is sufficient to tempt us, and most Christians are not directly attacked by Satan.

[Question]

How does the concept of idolatry as covetousness or setting our will above God's change our understanding of sin?

[Context]

Colossians 3:5 equates covetousness with idolatry; Weaver extends this to any disobedience as idolatry.

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