2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1

2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”  “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Peter 3:11-14  What kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Since we are temples of the living God, we should purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.  Peter says, What kind of people ought you to be as you look forward to the day of God?  Paul states that we should make EVERY EFFORT to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God.  I think Christians sometimes treat their lives like septic tanks.  (Gross, but I got your attention.)  They willingly assimilate the contamination of the world by mimicking the world, partaking of the goodies and the experiences of the society around them.  They desire to live as the world does except they go to church.  In their spiritual lives, they desire God to be there every time they call on him.  When they are in church, they often recommit or rededicate their lives to please God, but many times their spiritual offerings result in few lasting changes, for they quickly go back into their old lifestyles and live precisely as they please.  It does us little good to empty our container of filth if our intentions are to allow our lives to be filled up again with the dross of the world.  OUR WORLDLY LIFESTYLES NEED TO CHANGE IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE VICTORY IN OUR LIVES.  

Well, what about the blood of the Lord?  Doesn't He make us clean, new?  Yes, but we must not allow our cleansed container, our new creature, to be contaminated by the world by aping the lifestyle and experiences of the world.  If we do so, we fill it up with this world.  OUR WITNESS DIMS.  WE FORFEIT OUR TRUE PURPOSE ON EARTH, OUR AMBASSADORSHIP.  As I listen to the media church with its emphasis on self-promotion, I realize our Christian lives have pretty much been filled up with worldly thoughts.  If anyone wants to sell a book on Christian television, he/she better have a book telling Christians they can be all that they have ever wanted to be here on earth.  Otherwise, what the book is really selling is that you can have all the goodies this world offers: wealth, security, love, material possessions, and a walk with God.  Of course, you must buy the book or send money if you are going to receive all these wonderful earthly blessings.  Christians purchase these books by the thousands and send millions of dollars to support that kind of television ministry.  This, of course, indicates their new containers, their spiritual tanks, have been contaminated by the garbage of the world: the desires of the world, the love of the world.  

In the above scriptures, Peter and Paul were not telling the Christians to live godly lives because of personal gain or self-aggrandizement.  In fact Peter talks directly against such an idea.  They are telling us to live godly lives for Christ's sake and the sake of his church.  By living as Jesus would want us to live, we are his valid witnesses.  We are his light to a dark world.  We testify of God's righteousness, his glory.  Christians should not be looking for streets of gold here on Earth.  Does God bless Christians?  Yes, He does, but the adversities and struggles you are going through right now might also be his blessings.  He might be emptying you of that dross and cleaning your container from the inside out, making you capable of receiving the glory of God, as HIS TRUE SERVANT, making you into a person who can exemplify Jesus Christ's spirit: Your ATTITUDE should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, BUT MADE HIMSELF NOTHING, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:5-8)  ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE TODAY TO YOUR WANTS, DESIRES AND LIFESTYLE?  ARE YOU WILLING TO BE HIS SERVANT?  If you are, you will find abundant life in him: a life of purpose, a life of fruitfulness, a life of joy.