Where we left off
Last post we were focused primarily on James 1:19-22 and Psalms 1. The question was can we, or why should we, be slow to speak, slow to anger, and put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness. You might call this the negative side of the key verses. I call it the admonition. For the positive side, or the exhortation, please see Day 6.0.
We left off asking the following question. How can we practically put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness in order to attain righteousness? To answer the question, as usual, I answered with more scripture. Now, I want to walk through that scripture. Here it is.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
2 Peter 1:3-10
You wanted practical?
Peter says Christians are equipped to put away filthiness and rampant wickedness through the knowledge of Christ. These are precious and very great promises. We partake of the divine nature which allows us escape from the corruption that comes through sinful desire.
Make every effort
Sorry, you can’t Let go and let God, or not exactly. We are not landed aristocrats with God as our holy butler. Work is hard! But, wait. Peter says we have been equipped! What does Paul say?
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
So both the will to put away filthiness and rampant wickedness, and the work to overcome it come from God working within us. So, let us glorify Him by working to follow Peter’s commands above. Maybe you should Lean in, and let God?
Supplement your faith with virtue
You have faith. Praise God! He gave it to you as a gift. Now, what do you do? Add virtue. How do you do that?
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
Virtue with knowledge
How is knowledge acquired?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Proverbs 1:7
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
his delight is in the law of the Lord,
Psalms 1:2
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Knowledge starts with the fear of the Lord. We admit we are finite, and He is infinite. Our station is lowly, He is high and lifted up. God is goodness itself, and we proclaim that while admitting we are sinful. We acknowledge we are creature, he is Creator and outside of creation. We fall on our faces, recognizing ourselves as wretched and unclean, and proclaim Him holy, holy, holy.
Knowledge with self-control
Self-control. Wow. That’s the whole reason I started this quest! But how can we gain self-control? I don’t want to re-quote it, but please see Philippians 2 above. God wills and works within us. That’s a beautiful thing.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
What about overcoming besetting sins? Remember, we are concentrating here on putting away all filthiness and rampant wickedness in an effort to gain righteousness. Where does one start?
The verse below might seem obvious, or simple. Yet, I’ve been in men’s groups where men believed the most erroneous things. There were men who were steeped in porn, minds constantly on sex, and desperate to be free. There were men who struggled with bitterness, their thoughts were constantly on grudges and slights. No relationship was so precious they couldn’t destroy it. They all believed if they prayed before an occasional meal and opened their Bible app once a week some sort of magic would change them. “I don’t understand why nothing is changing,” was a common refrain.
Self-Control and the mind
Take each thought captive! Make your thoughts kneel before the throne of Grace.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Regenerating faith is a gift from God. He takes our heart of stone and gives us a real beating heart. Next, we must rearrange the patterns of thought which conform our lives to this world and the flesh. That’s a real step toward putting away filthiness and rampant wickedness.
Where is my mind?
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6
Nourishment for the righteous
How do you set your mind on things of the spirit? James says, be quick to hear the word so that it becomes the implanted word! What does Psalm 1 say about the righteous?
3 He is like a tree
Psalms 1:3
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The righteous man soaks up the word of God. It nourishes him, producing fruit. What fruit?
Fruit of righteousness
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24
Aha! That’s what we’re looking for! So, self-control is a fruit. It is a product of the waters that nourish the mind. If our minds are soaking up the word of God, we will produce spiritual fruit, and we will crucify the flesh, doing away with the filthiness and rampant wickedness of our desires.
Self-control with steadfastness
While I am not in accord with Eugene Peterson on many, many things, I do like the title of a book of his which perfectly sums up steadfastness: Long Obedience in the Same Direction. First faith, followed by virtue, then knowledge through seeing the word. Self-control may seem the most difficult part. But, I think it is steadfastness. For me it has been easy, during certain phases, to be extremely self-controlled. But, steadfastness requires we increase in virtue, gaining knowledge of the word, and practicing self-control over long years. It is putting into practice daily the verses quoted above, and repeating day in and day out for the rest of your life.
Does that sound like a drag? Here’s what James says earlier in chapter 1:12. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. So steadfastness comes with a promise.
But, at what cost?
Paul, speaking of attaining eternal life through Christ says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. The effort is worth the cost.
Paul tells the churches of Galatia, 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
The writer of Hebrews (very possibly Paul) echoes the same sentiment: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
We have so many precious promises! Steadfastness, may be difficult in seasons, but if we keep our minds grounded in the word and our sights ahead on eternity, the process will become easier, though our burdens grow heavy.
Steadfastness with godliness
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1
Set apart
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
Micah 6:8
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Bought with a price
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Don’t be surprised if the verses above lend themselves as much to self-control as to godliness. Remember the list Peter wrote out for us. Godliness follows enduring self-control. These are exhortations to remember what we are, who we are, and to whom we belong.
They also tells us more than what not to do. They tell us what we ought to be doing: We were bought with a price. Therefore, we live sacrificially – not for ourselves but holy and acceptable for God. The process of sanctification sets apart, more and more, for His glory. Our conduct becomes just, loving, kind, as we humbly walk with the Lord. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We belong to God who purchased us with the price of His son’s death on the cross. We glorify God.
Godliness with brotherly affection
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:9-10
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
Psalm 133:1
when brothers dwell in unity!
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1-4
Brotherly affection with love.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
A new commandment
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31
What to wear?
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15
We got the list. What was all this about?
How can we practically put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness in order to attain righteousness? Well, I can’t give anyone faith. That is done as a gift, and done by God. But, if you have been given that gift, and still want to know the answer to the question above, the verses throughout this post should be a good starting point to meditate on. Now maybe someday I will get back to James 1:22.
