4 - God's Team Must Stay in the League of Holiness
Teams in this world perform in a limited way. One team plays in one league, but not in every league. When you join a team, you are joining the league it plays in as well. And as some say, “He is out of my league” or “She is out of my league” or “This is out of my league,” likewise there are many relationships or activities that are out of our ballpark as Christians because they are unholy. Many things are out of our league. As you will see below, staying in the league of holiness primarily comes down to the kind of relationships we join, enter, or maintain in various stages or aspects of our lives.
PERFECT HOLINESS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
![Mature[Perfect] Separation[Holiness] in Your Relationships](Mature_Separation.jpg)
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. ‘Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE [be holy],’ says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ Says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
(2 Cor 6:14—7:1)
This section of Scripture is mostly about certain kinds of relationships that members of God’s team decide to avoid or get into, remove themselves from or stay in. So when it concludes by saying, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor 7:1),” it especially means in regards to our relationships. We are to perfect holiness in our relationships. As studied in Lesson 1, “holiness” means to be separate or set apart. But what does “perfecting” mean?
• A making fit • To bring to completion or an end • To mature or ripen something • It implies a process leading to consummationSo when it says that we are to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God”, it especially means that we are to be maturing [perfecting] separation [holiness] in our relationships. We must stay within or get within the league of holiness. This is to be done without fear of man, but in reverence for God. Disciples must more perfectly complete their separation from unholy relationships with the kingdom of darkness. We have commandment to: “... cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness... (2 Cor 7:1)”, meaning that we have the responsibility to wash ourselves from any and all defilements, corrupters, bad influences of both our (1) flesh, (2) and our spirit; both internal and external, inside and out; the outside of the cup and the inside of the cup. Now think about how to perfect holiness in your relationships. Think about how to stay within the league of holiness.