qt_purify

It might seem obvious to most people, myself included, but I wanted to answer this question using the verses surrounding it, and to really think about what that means.

Why? The short answer is out of reverence for God. What is reverence?

Reverence: profound awe and respect; to show reverence is an act of respect.
Doesn't it seem logical that I should revere the creator of the universe and the Provider of my eternal salvation?!

The beginning of the verse mentions that we should purify ourselves because "we have these promises." Well, what promises are these? There are many, but I'm only going to talk very briefly about the ones immediately preceeding this verse.

"I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 2 Corinthians 7:16b

"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." 2 Corinthians 7:17b, 18.

God has so many other promises to us as well, but even if He didn't, I think these are still quite incredible. God willingly gave up His place in Heaven, temporarily, to come to earth to bear the consequences of our sins. He gave up a PERFECT world to come be murdered in ours. I think that's a very selfless thing to do, and I can't say I can't say I would have made the same choice. That's what makes Him so awesome; he is exactly opposite of the fallenness of man! If we purify ourselves, He will receive us! Not as guests, but as family! He will call us sons and daughters! When He promises to be a father to you, it's not meant as our earthly fathers are. Some people have had horrendous fathers; fathers that leave; fathers that are mean to their children; fathers that mistreat their wives; fathers that aren't...well...perfect. God is perfect, and He's offering to be the father that no one one earth can be.

Remembering the many works of God on our behalf in the Bible and specifically in my life today, how can I turn my back on Him so quickly at times? How can I ever think I've got it enough under control that I can accomplish things apart from Him?
     ~does this imply a disbelief on my part about His Word and who He is? I didn't think so! Then shape up and show your love for Him through the way you live your life!

"let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." -1 John 3:18

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." -Romans 12:1

Love can be expressed with words, but this is not our primary call by the Lord. He calls us to love with our actions! (goes along with the saying that actions speak louder than words).

God told me He loved me, but then He showed me by sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for me!

"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

He called me His friend! Not his servant, not his slave, but His friend!
     "I have called you friends." -John 15:15
     ~I'm a friend of the creator of everything!

I should live my life to honor him; not wrong him; because WE are friends...and if that's not enough, He is the maker of all things, the true, holy God of all things.

Think about the way you treat Him sometimes...would you treat your friends here on earth that way?