Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God

Jim Butler2 Corinthians 6:14

Second Corinthians 7:1 commands believers to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God — but that command rests entirely on three preceding gospel promises: God's communion with his people, God's reception of returning sinners, and God's fatherhood over the adopted. The sermon argues that any attempt to pursue holiness apart from these gospel foundations ends in either legalism or despair. The fear of God is defined as reverence before his infinite worth and dignity, and it is within that reverent awareness — never in self-reliance — that the pursuit of holiness must be conducted, affecting both the outward conduct and the inward disposition of the whole person.