Charles Simeon Commentary - 2 Corinthians 7:1 - 7:1

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Charles Simeon Commentary - 2 Corinthians 7:1 - 7:1


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SANCTIFICATION WROUGHT BY THE PROMISES

2Co_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.

CHRISTIANITY, if viewed aright, is a remedy suited to the necessities of fallen man. Man has lost both the favour and the image of God: and the Gospel restores him to both: to his favour first, and afterwards to his image. The promise made to Adam in Paradise, that “the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head,” was given without any preparation of heart on Adam’s part, yea, altogether unsolicited and unsought. It was, in fact, not given to Adam personally; but was rather a part of the judgment denounced against the serpent that had beguiled him [Note: Gen_3:14-15.]. Thus, in the passage before us, the promises in the close of the preceding chapter are given freely to the sons of men: and the sanctification that follows it, is to be the fruit and effect of the promises apprehended by them, and applied to their souls.

To put this matter in a clear light, we shall shew,

I.       The nature and extent of the sanctification required of us—

Sanctification is not a mere removal of evil from the soul, but a positive renovation of the whole man. It is set forth in our text as,

1.       The mortification of all sin—

[As man consists of two parts, flesh and spirit, so sin resides in both, and defiles both: and is therefore distinguished into fleshly and spiritual filthiness; the former assimilating us to the beasts, and the latter to that great enemy of God and man, the devil: as our Lord has said, “Ye are of your father the devil; and the lusts of your father ye will do [Note: Joh_8:44.].” By “the filthiness of the flesh,” we understand, all those sins which take their rise from, and are acted by, the body; as uncleanness, intemperance, sloth. By “the filthiness of the spirit,” we understand, those sins which are more independent of the body, and have their proper residence in the mind; as pride, envy, malice, wrath, revenge; discontent, covetousness, deceit; impenitence, unbelief, and numberless other evils. But from all of these we are to be cleansed. If one be retained willingly, deliberately, habitually, it will so defile, as utterly to destroy, the soul: as God has said, “If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy [Note: 1Co_3:17.].” It is to no purpose for any to plead, that God has given them passions, and that they are not able to restrain them; for God will enable us to restrain them, if we cry to him for help: He has declared, that “his grace shall be sufficient for us.” Neither, on the other hand, must any one think well of himself, merely because he does not indulge any gross corporeal lusts: for he may be “fulfilling the desires of the mind to a vast extent,” even whilst he restrains “those of the flesh [Note: Eph_2:3.];” and the indulgence of spiritual lusts is no less hateful in the sight of God, than the gratifications which are more disgraceful in our eyes. A proud Christian, a passionate Christian, a discontented Christian, or an unbelieving Christian, is as palpable a contradiction in terms, as a drunken or a lewd Christian. Evil tempers and dispositions of whatever kind must be subdued and mortified; if but one reign in the soul, we are Christians in name only, and not in deed and in truth: for “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts [Note: Gal_5:24.].” Would to God that professing Christians would more attentively consider this! It is a grievous mistake to imagine, that any notions however scriptural, or any virtues however specious, will be of any avail, as long as one evil temper remains in us unmortified and unsubdued. “If we regard iniquity in our hearts (of whatever kind it be), the Lord will not hear us.”]

2.       The cultivation of universal holiness—

[Not contented with “putting off the old man,” we are to be continually “putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness:” we are to be “renewed in the spirit of our mind [Note: Eph_4:23-24.].” This is an expression that deserves to be deeply considered: for it contains the very essence of real sanctification. We must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ [Note: Rom_13:14. Gal_3:27.],” and have in ourselves the very “mind that was in him [Note: Php_2:5.].” Mark his every disposition; his delight in God’s presence, dependence on his care, and zeal for his glory; his self-denying habits of every kind, and, at the same time, his patience and meekness, his compassion and love towards the children of men, even towards his most inveterate enemies: these are to be the dispositions which we are to cultivate, and in which we are to grow up even to perfection [Note: 1Th_5:23.]. Whatever we have attained, we are to “forget it all, and press forward for more [Note: Php_3:13-14.],” and to “grow up into him in all things as our living Head [Note: Eph_4:15.].” All this we are to do “in the fear of God.” This expression must be particularly marked: for in “the fear of God” the perfection of holiness consists. By “the fear of God,” I understand that tenderness of conscience, and watchfulness of mind, that guards against even a thought which would be displeasing to God. There is a susceptibility of impression (such as exists in the apple of the eye when touched by the smallest mote in the air), which we should keep alive in our hearts in reference to sin, and have in uninterrupted exercise. In this the Lord Jesus Christ himself pre-eminently excelled, being “of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord [Note: Isa_11:2-3.]:” and it is by this that God has engaged to perfect his work within us, “causing us to fear him for ever,” and “putting his fear into our hearts that we may not depart from him [Note: Jer_32:38-40 and Isa_11:2-3. These passages should be carefully noticed and compared in this view.].”

This is the crown of all Christian graces and attainments: without which nothing is of any value. It is the lowered tint which marks the ripeness and maturity of our choicest fruit: it is that by which the man of God is perfected, and the image of God is completed in the soul.]

The mention of the promises in connexion with this, leads me to shew,

II.      The use of the promises in the production of it—

St. Peter tells us, that “by the promises we are made partakers of the Divine nature [Note: 2Pe_1:4.]:” and to the same effect does St. Paul speak in the words before us. It is by the promises that we are to accomplish the task assigned us in the text. For this blessed work they are well fitted: for they operate,

1.       In a way of motive—

[Who can contemplate the promises in the preceding context, and not feel his obligations to Almighty God so great as to outweigh every other consideration under heaven? Does God promise to “dwell and walk in us” as in his temple? Does he engage to “be our God,” as much as if there were no other creature in the universe besides ourselves that had any interest in him? Does he declare that he will both “receive us,” and act towards us, as the most indulgent Father towards his own beloved “sons and daughters?” Is all this promised to us freely, even to all who will separate themselves from an ungodly world, and seek his face? Who can contemplate this, and not instantly inquire, “What shall I render to the Lord for all these benefits?” Who can have such a hope in him, and not endeavour to “purify himself, even as God is pure [Note: 1Jn_3:3.]?” It is thus that Paul felt his obligations to the Lord; and it is from the consideration of them that he urges us to an unreserved devotedness of ourselves to God, assuring us that the mercies conferred upon us render an entire consecration of ourselves to him “a reasonable service [Note: Rom_12:1.].”]

2.       In a way of encouragement—

[Any one who should merely contemplate the greatness of the work assigned him, would sit down in despair: “How shall I hope so to cleanse myself from all sin, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God?” But in the promises, he finds ample ground of confidence and joy. “What! has God freely given to me his only dear Son, and will he not with him also freely give me all things?” Would an earthly father not refuse bread to his famished child, and will my Heavenly Father not give his Holy Spirit to me in the measure that I need his influences? To what purpose are all these promises which he has given me, if he will not work in me that measure of sanctification which is necessary to the complete enjoyment of them? But I find holiness amongst the most distinguished of his promises. He has said, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you [Note: Eze_36:25-27.]:” &c. I will not fear then to engage in the work of “cleansing myself,” since God has promised to perform it in me [Note: Php_2:12-13.]: for “if he work, who shall let it?” My weakness, so far from being an obstacle to him, shall rather be an occasion for him to glorify himself the more [Note: 2Co_12:9.]: and, “through him strengthening me, I can do all things [Note: Php_4:13.].”]

3.       In a way of actual efficiency—

[The promises, as contained in the word, effect nothing: it is only as dwelling in the heart, and relied upon in the soul, that they produce any saving operation. Then they are of necessity accompanied by the Holy Spirit, who works in and by them; and who, on that very account, is called “The Holy Spirit of promise [Note: Eph_1:13.].” When applied to the soul by him, they have, if I may so speak, a buoyancy, bearing up the soul to high and heavenly things. We know that we, by filling a capacious vessel with air of a lighter species, can cause it to rise by its own buoyancy, and to soar above the clouds: how much more then shall we, when “filled with the Spirit,” and borne up upon the wings of promise, rise in our hearts and minds to the highest heavens! We are aware that this illustration is not to be pressed too far; but neither is it to be discarded altogether as fanciful, since our blessed Lord himself has said, that “his Holy Spirit in us shall be within us a well of water springing up unto everlasting life [Note: Joh_4:14.].” Here the heavenly tendency of the principle within us is plainly asserted: and, whatever be the word which first begets us to the heavenly life, it is the word of promise which brings the soul to its full maturity of Christian perfection [Note: Jam_1:18. 1Pe_1:23. Eph_5:26-27.]. It was the abundant indwelling of the promises in the Apostle’s soul that filled him with “the love of Christ, and constrained him” to live unto his God and Saviour in a way that no other man ever did, and caused his “conversation to be continually in heaven [Note: 2Co_5:14. Php_3:20.].” And in proportion as they are realized in our souls, will be the sanctifying effects produced by them.]

Address—

1.       Those who are seeking holiness as their end, without using the promises as the means—

[This is common both in those who are altogether ignorant of the Gospel, and in those whose views of it are yet dim and clouded: in the one, it springs from self-righteous pride; in the others, from mistaken and misplaced humility: but in both it is a fatal evil.

As for the self-righteous formalist, he would reverse the Apostle’s exhortation, and, instead of saying, “Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves,” they would say, Having cleansed ourselves, let us expect a fulfilment of all the promises. But no man shall ever attain salvation in such a way as that. No man can ever attain such holiness as God requires, but by the promises: nor, if he could, would such attainments ever purchase him an interest in the promises. They must be received as freely as they are given: they are given to us as sinners, as “ungodly,” as having no works whatever to bring to God [Note: Rom_4:4-6.]: and, if we will not embrace them under this character, renouncing all dependence on our own righteousness, and seeking to be saved by grace alone, we shall never have so much as one of them fulfilled to us [Note: Php_3:9. Rom_3:24. Eph_2:8-9.].

Nor is the legal Christian in reality building on any better foundation than the self-righteous formalist: for, though he does not profess to found his hopes on his own righteousness, yet he looks to his own attainments as his warrant for relying on the promises of his God. He thinks it would be pre-sumptuous in him to rely on the promises, because he cannot find in himself that measure of holiness which he considers as necessary to qualify him for an interest in them. But this is the very same error which the self-righteous formalist runs into: and the same answer, in a measure, must be given to it: only, whilst to the formalist I say, You must rely upon the promises; to the legal character I say, You may. They are all given as freely as the air you breathe: and precisely as the converts on the day of Pentecost apprehended them, so may you apprehend them freely, without money and without price: and as the jailor was justified by his faith the very instant he believed, so shall you be.

Nor need we be afraid of this doctrine as having a licentious tendency; for what was the effect of it in the apostolic age? the same shall it be in this and every age; the promises of God will always, when duly received, operate to the production of holiness; and every one who embraces them aright, will proceed to cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.]

2.       Those who rest in the promises without regarding the end to be produced by them—

[Such persons there are, and ever have been, in the Church of God; persons, who think it legal to exhort men to holiness, and who make no other use of the promises, than to cherish in themselves an assurance of their own acceptance with God. These persons would correct the Apostle as an ignorant and ill-instructed teacher. They would say, “Having these promises, let us be full of confidence and joy:” but they would never deign to say, “Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves:” this, forsooth, is legal. But whether they be right, or the Apostle, judge ye. Let such self-deceiving and conceited professors imagine as they will, God does not make so light of holiness: on the contrary, he tells us, that by our works we shall be judged in the last day, and by our works we are to be judged even now. Yes, by their fruits shall the followers of Christ be known: and if we slight them, we shall find all our pretended faith to be of no effect. “In vain shall we say, Lord, Lord, if we do not the things which he says.” I must entreat all then to shun this deadly heresy; and to search and try themselves, and see what effect the promises have produced upon them; for, as God is true, “without holiness shall no man see the Lord.”]

3.       Those who are seeking the end by the appointed means—

[Shall you fail of success? Assuredly you shall not: for “the word of promise will bring forth fruit in you, as it doth in all the world.” Treasure up in your minds all “the exceeding great and precious promises,” which “in Christ Jesus are yea and Amen;” dwell upon them: plead them before God in prayer: declare to him your affiance in them: expect their accomplishment: limit not the Holy One of Israel in any thing: bear in mind that with him all things are possible. Verily, if you will thus believe, you shall see the glory of God. Sin shall be weakened in you: Satan shall flee before you: all the principalities and powers of hell shall be bruised under your feet: in a word, Christ shall be formed in you, and “you shall be changed into his image from glory to glory by the Spirit of your God.” Strengthened by these, your consolations shall be rich, your progress rapid, your victories secure: and in due time you shall possess the full substance of all the promises in the complete attainment of God’s perfect image, and the everlasting fruition of his glory.]