Friday Sundown Worship

Continual Progress

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleans ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Corinthians 7:1

The life of a Christian should be a continual progress upward, but the path is never easy. As Dr. Luke in his Gospel states it, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” Luke 13:24.

With these promises ringing in our ears, dear friends, let us keep clear of anything that dirties the body and soul. Let us prove our reverence for God by consecrating ourselves to him completely” (Phillips Translation).

What are the promises “ringing in our ears”? The previous chapter rebounded with precious promises, that last one of which was, “And (I) will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:18). Just before that precious promise Paul had stated, “You are the temple of the living God.”

With such thoughts, such precious promises, as these ringing in his ears, what a light must have shone on the apostle’s face as he penned these inspiring chapters. Ever since he wrote his perfect poem of love in the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul has seemed to have gone “into orbit,” as we say today. Listen to his language in the sixth chapter of II Corinthians. “Indeed we want to prove ourselves genuine ministers of God whatever we have to go through – patient endurance of troubles or even disasters, being flogged or imprisoned; being mobbed, having to work like slaves, having to go without food or sleep. All this we want to meet with sincerity, with insight and patience; by sheer kindness and Holy Spirit; with genuine love, speaking the plain truth, and living by the power of God. Our sole defense, our only weapon, is a life of integrity, whether we meet honor or dishonor, praise or blame. Called “impostors’ we must be true, called “nobodies” we must be in the public eye. Never far from death, yet here we are alive, always “going through it” yet never “going under.” We know sorrow, yet our joy is inextinguishable. We have nothing to bless ourselves with, yet we bless many others with true riches. We are penniless, and yet in reality we have everything worth having.

Therefore with prayer and supplication, let us continue to walk upon the path that continually leads upward.