Text :2 Cor.6:14-2 Cor.7:1 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?(vs15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (vs16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.(vs17)Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.(vs18) And will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.(2Cor.7:1)Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.14,Pages,184-185,A Comment On 2 Cor.7:1 “ 1. THE PROMISES OF GOD AN INCENTIVE TO HOLY LIVING.1. How numerous they are. Some are specified in preceding verses. Divine promise is , however, found in all parts of the Scripture. The crown of revelation is thickly studded with the pearls of promise. God encourages his people by multiplying promises to them. 2. How varied. There are promises suited to every condition--- for joy, sorrow, sickness, health, poverty, prosperity, weakness, strength. We change greatly in experience, but in every new condition we find a promise appropriate to it. The manna of promise covers the path of pilgrimage. 3. How needful to us. For our support, guidance, comfort, encouragement, happiness, advance. God’s promises are our rods and staffs. Were it not for such upholdings, we should soon sink in the mire. 4.How precious. What promises are like unto these? How can we compute the value of that which is invaluable? Divine promises are things by themselves. Nothing could compensate for their loss. Of such value are they that only God is rich enough to bestow them. 5.How faithful. What reliance may be placed upon them!  They are all “yea” and “amen” in Christ ( 2Cor.1:20). Promises, indeed, are easily obtained from men, but what men fail in is fulfillment. But the word of Jehovah cannot be broken. His promises are precious, but they are not more precious than sure. God’s engagement to dwell in us; God’s continuous adoption of us, whereby we are ever his sons and daughters. If these be ours, then all things are ours.

Subtopic: Keep Looking Up

Psa. 61:1-3 "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. (vs2) From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (vs3) For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy".

Col.3:1-2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (vs2) Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.8, Page18, a comment on Psa.61:1-2 “The power of prayer in trouble. “My cry”. Every one has his own needs. Think how it is this day. In how many lands, by what various voices, with what manifold emotions, the cries of men are uttered! What signs of pain, what plaints of desire, what passionate prayers for help, go up to heaven! Who but God could “attend” to them all? Moses groaned under “the burden of all the people” (Num.11:11). Paul was oppressed with “the care of all the Churches” (2 Cor.11:28). But increase the “burden,” and multiply the “cares” ten thousand times, and what is it all compared with what falls upon God? What mind but the eternal mind of God could attend to all? What love but the infinite and unchanging love of God would not grow weary by the continual comings and the countless importunities of such multitudes of supplicants? But God bends his ear to all. Not one, not the humblest or the poorest, is neglected. Wherever we are,  however great and sore may be our troubles , though weak and sinful and unworthy of the least of God’s mercies, yet if we will call upon him he will hear us; if we commit our cause to him, he will bring us deliverance.

Like an exile, we may be far off from friends, solitary, and sad. But God is always near. Through all help from man should fail, God is with us to deliver us. The enemy may be coming in like a flood. There may seem to be no way to escape. But God will, when we cry to him, stretch forth his mighty arm from above, and lead us to “the Rock” where we shall find safety and peace.”

Matthew Henry's Commentary, Page 1873, on Col.3:2 says " Upon the wings of affection the heart soars upwards. Things on earth are here set in opposition to things above. Heaven and earth are contrary one to the other and the prevalence of our affection to one will proportionally weaken our affection to the other".

Subtopic: The Power Behind Our Faith

Text: Jeremiah 32:26-27 “Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,(vs27) Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything to hard for me?

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.(vs12) Both of riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all.”

St. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”


Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.11, Pages 52-53, A comment on Jeremiah 32:27. “We are not called to worship mere power. To do so would be to renounce the rights of conscience. We worship God, not because he is almighty, but because he is supremely good and morally great. But starting from this position, we have to take account also of the omnipotence of God. This omnipotence of God shows: 1.The utter vanity of all resistance to the will of God. In view of this obvious inference, the more strange, then, that it is so little acted upon. We need to feel it as well as to believe it. 2. This should lead us to trust that God will overcome difficulties which to us appear insurmountable. The restoration of Israel appeared impossible; the salvation of the world seems too great and difficult to be realized. But if  “with  God all things are possible”(St.Matt.19:26), how can we fix any limit to the ultimate triumphs of redemption? “The mercy of the Lord endureth forever;” then God will always seek the recovery of his lost children. “Is there anything to hard for me?” Then, in spite of present unbelief, impenitence, wild wanderings that leads us further astray, may we not believe that he will find his children at last? 3. These considerations should lead us to seek the help of God’s strength in our weakness. How foolish for the sailors to weary themselves toiling in vain at their oars against the tide, when if they would spread their sails the strong wind would carry them swiftly on! How foolish of us to toil on only in our natural power and with mere earthly means, when there are heavenly influences of omnipotence ready to help us if we will seek them!