Clear yourselves of all obstacles in
the Relationship with God
In 2 Corintians 7:5, Paul was in
Macedonia but he heard some bad things from the Corinthians and they were very
upset “we were troubled on every side”. Then Paul wrote a furious letter to
them (2 Corinthians 7:8) in which he reprimanded them with no kind words. “For
though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent”. When they received his shocking
letter, they repented. The list of their bad deeds are given in 2 Corinthians
7:11: (1) indignation; (2) fear (3) vehement desire (4) zeal (5) revenge. Since
the last one is bad, one can assume all the others were also in a negative
context and not a positive one. It is not zeal for the truth for example, but
zeal for infighting. There was the absence of Godly love or
agape love. But, after repentance which was kicked
in by the letter of Paul, they cleared themselves of all problems “clearing
yourselves” (2 Corinthians 7:11). It is a humble thing to clear
yourself. It is not always easy. But it can be done and should be done. That is
Paul’s message: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). People of God who cleanse themselves this way, is “perfecting
holiness in the fear of God”. Perfection and holiness is possible in
this life for Paul demands it. So the Corinthians changed. They
obeyed. Titus went from them to Paul remembering this obedience (2 Corinthians
7:15) “while he remembers the obedience of you all”. All of them became obedient to God.
Not to Paul or to Titus. It is about God. It is not a case of neglect of church
authority. It is about following God the way God demands it in the Bible. It is care for them that Paul had
write originally in his first letter (2 Corinthians 7:12) “but that our care
for you in the sight of God might appear unto you”. Now Titus came with the good report of
obedience and repentance from them to Paul (2 Corinthians 7:7). He told Paul of
their earnest desire, their mourning and fervent mind toward Paul. It is not a matter of narcistic desires
of Paul for recognition and happiness to hear it. It is about habits, and wrong
ones too that had to be cleansed. “So I rejoiced the more” (2
Corinthians 7:7). Their clearing themselves, repenting,
be obedient to God made Paul conclude: “you have approved yourselves to be
clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:12). Therefore, Paul wrote in a second
letter to them, “we were comforted in your comfort”. They had exceeding joy
between them, Paul and Titus about the repented Corinthian congregation. Paul was boasting of them, so did
Titus (2 Corinthians 7:14). Titus changed also and his inward affection towards
the Corinthians congregation became “more abundant” (2 Corinthians 7:15). The endresult is that Paul is
rejoicing that he has now confidence in them all (2 Corinthians 7:16). In Africa, a farmer had problems with
Baboons on his cornfield. He took a drum, made a hole, and put some corns in
it. The Baboons came and put their hand in the hole and that is how they were
caught. They simply needed to leave the corn and be free. But they did not want
to leave the corn. They want their hand out with the corn in the hand. Self-trapped
and self-agony. That is how sin works. It has to be left in order to escape.
Dear God How vivid and clear is Paul solving a
problem with a congregation here. We experience the same situations in our own
day. Help the members and all, as Paul hopes, to clean themselves and become
clear and perfect in holiness. In Jesus Name. Amen.