Rebound revisited, part 12. 1Jo 1:9; 2Co 7:1; Rom 6:12-14; Heb 12:1-4.Title: Rebound revisited, part 12. 1Jo 1:9; 2Co 7:1; Rom 6:12-14; Heb 12:1-4.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
“cleanse” – kathari,zw[katharizo; aorist active subjunctive] = to make clean, to cleanse.
2Co 7:1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit [recovery], perfecting holiness in the fear [awe and respect] of God.
Promises: The believer is the holy temple of God; God is his Father, he is God’s son/daughter, God indwells him, the Almighty is his God.
So why let the flesh and negative volition towards doctrine, which means positive volition towards God’s opposition, rule such a one as this?
The use of the word “beloved” makes it perfectly clear that this is being written to believers; hence believers can defile themselves, or stain themselves with God’s opposition. In God’s eyes they are sanctified and holy, but they have chosen fellowship with the world over fellowship with God, which is to make these promises remain as just that, promises, potentials with no fruit.
“cleanse” – kaqari,zw[katharizo; aorist active subjunctive] = to make clean, to cleanse. Same use as 1Jo 1:9 but here experiential cleansing from defilement of the flesh and false doctrine.
It is in the same tense, voice, and mood as 1Jo 1:9 except it is first person plural – “us.” 1Jo 1:9 is third person singular – “God.”
Recovery is clearly spelled out here. Our old friends the Corinthians were defiled by their flesh and by their souls. They were licentious and they rejected Paul’s ministry so they were defiled by flesh and spirit.
“defilement” – molusmo,j[molusmos] = a smear, spot, blemish, spoil or stain as with mud or filth. Defilement of flesh: licentiousness. Defilement of spirit: rejection of Paul’s teachings.
sarx [flesh] – has an ethical sense and denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. [Joseph Thayer]
Spirit is pneuma, which doesn’t refer to God the HS but a human spirit that is defiled by falsehood as they have rejected the teachings of Paul.
The change from this type of thinking to perfecting holiness in the fear of God is a vast change of thinking and self judgment and acknowledgement of any wrong must occur first.
The word of God and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit are given to lead the believer into the truth and beauty of God’s holiness and also to empower the believer to walk in that holiness.
But volition cannot be taken out of the equation. And the believer has to think for himself, from the privacy of his own priesthood, thinking with his own doctrine, answering his own questions and solving his own problems from that doctrine.
I think some believers get the mindset of liking procedures more than freedom. These types would rather go through a ritual that they believe makes things ok rather than struggle against the desires of the flesh and make good decisions from their position of freedom in Christ and filling of the Spirit.
I’ve chosen two passages to illustrate the principle of volition in fighting the good fight of faith, Rom 6:12-14; Heb 12:1-4.
Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign [present active imperative] in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,
“reign” – basileu,w[basileuo; present active imperative] = to reign as king, or to govern.
Turn to 1Co 4:8.
1Co 4:8 You are already filled, you have already become rich [sarcasm], you have become kings [basileuo; flesh is king] without us; and I would indeed that you had become kings [basileuo; Christ is king] so that we also might reign with you [sumbasileuo – to reign with].
The prefix sum with basileuo means to reign with. It doesn’t indicate co-kings as if both possess the same authority, but one who reigns with a sovereign but not to the rank of sovereign, as a duke might reign one part of the kingdom under the authority of the sovereign king.
The Corinthians had been judging Paul and had been regarding themselves as superior to Paul and so factions occurred in Corinth as some regarded Paul, some Peter, some Apollos, and some rejected all of them and said they learned directly from Christ. This is what false doctrine in the souls of fallen men does – every time and without exception.
He said in verse 7: 1 Cor 4:7 For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive?[this not only refers to materialism but also the substance of doctrine] But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
If you received the truth from God, through the agency of another man, then it follows that you are inferior to it!
1Co 4:8 You are already filled, you have already become rich [sarcasm], you have become kings [basileuo; flesh is king] without us; and I would indeed that you had become kings [basileuo; Christ is king] so that we also might reign with you [sumbasileuo – to reign with].
Sumbasileuo is used in another very interesting place; see if you recall it?
2Ti 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him [sumbasileuo]; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
We have seen recently that this denial is the denial of the reward of being announced to the Father under the new name given, and the word for reigning gives us even further insight into the nature of the new name – it is a title of authority as the courageous believer in time reigns with Christ in eternity. A title like duke or prince or commander, or general, colonel, etc. but I don’t think so plain as human titles have been.
Mat 10:32-33 "Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven." But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
Rev 2:17 To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna [privilege], and I will give him a white stone [vote of confidence], and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
Remember: 2Co 6:16 Or what agreement [joint deposit of votes: J. Thayer] has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
Promises: The believer is the holy temple of God; God is his Father, he is God’s son/daughter, God indwells him, the Almighty is his God.
In Rev 2:17 it states that Christ is going to vote yes or no concerning your realization of the fulfillment of all you were elected to. If Christ is in agreement with your life then He will put a white stone as a vote of yes, meaning, overcomer or nikao = victory.
Rev 3:5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments [uniform of reigning]; and I will not erase his name [new name] from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.
Again: 2Ti 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him [sumbasileuo]; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
So we get all that from one word in verse 12: Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign [basileuo; present active imperative] in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,
Rom 6:13 do not go on presenting [present active imperative] the members of your body to sin as instruments [tools of a shop or of war] of unrighteousness; but present [aorist active imperative] yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
“presenting” – pari,sthmi[paristemi] = to yield, or to present beside someone to receive orders. Present active imperative = stop current trend of yielding free will to OSN. Aorist active imperative = begin immediately to yield free will to God.
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