Identifying the Godly
2Corinthians 6:16 - 7:7

The verse we started with is actually ending a section which tells us why we do not want to be yoked together with unbelievers.  While that is an important doctrine, the section which follows it, and which we are looking at, tells us about how to identify godly people.  With the two sections together we have the comparison so that separate the two and avoid the influence of the unbelievers while seeking the influence and guidance of the Godly.  But, we are going to skip what this epistle tells us about the unbelievers and skip the comparison and, instead, concentrate on understanding how to identify godly leaders.

• Our first verse says ye are the temple of the living God.  That is: each and every one of you personally are the temple of the living God  and you personally should be worshipping God within yourselves.  As you do so, you will be recognizing the traits of God which make Him so wonderful.  The first trait of a godly person is that they have personal worship of their God on a regular basis even when no one else is around.  If you are doing this then the God in you will help you the identify the same God in others and our first test is to be personally godly and then find others with the same spirit.
• Secondly, our verse emphasizes the word living  when it says ye are the temple of the living God.  You, and all godly people, have a personal relationship with a living  God and not just some religion.  You should pray Lord help  on a regular basis and expect to receive that help.  Other godly people will do the same.
• Thirdly, God says I will dwell in them, and walk in them.  The every-day life of the godly should show the guidance of God in the little things that they do and in how they chose to do the things which they do.
• Finally, our verse tells us that God promises I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Threats which bother most people should have little effect upon the godly because they know that their God will handle those things.  Their outlook on life should not be preparing for what the world does next but how they can represent their God in whatever circumstances of life that they should encounter.  That is: their primary focus is on God and not on this world.

After this description of godly people we find a conditional promise in the next two verses, which are a single sentence.  In the First Step we are given the conditional requirement to come out from among them, and be ye separate' and touch not the unclean thing  While we could go into details about that we will assume that people understand it with the note that our verse uses the phrase saith the Lord.  Our obedience or disobedience to this command will be judged.  While considering that, we also need to look at the Second Step which says and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  God does not tell us to get cleaned up first because He promises to receive us  as children and children go to their parents while they are durty and do it all of the time.  Thus, when we do the First Step we assure that God judges us as His children and not as criminals.  We also assure that God gives us loving correction so that we learn how to become godly ourselves.

Now, once we understand these things, we can look at 2Corinthians 7:1 which starts with Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved.  We will not be willing to do what we are commanded after this phrase unless we first understand the promises from God and, secondly, we understand that God's godly pastor considers us to be dearly beloved.  He is not telling us to avoid certain things out of meanness or spite in order to keep us from enjoying life but is trying to keep us from hidden dangers which Satan uses to destroy our life.  Also, he does not tell us to do certain things just to order us around but to help us grow up spiritually.  Further, we see that these things are true because the rest of our sentence says let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  Again, skipping the details, we should be able to see that the phrase let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit  is about getting our life spiritually cleaned up and avoiding the corruption of sin.  Further, the phrase perfecting holiness in the fear of God  is about our spiritual growth.  Thus, we see that the godly pastor loves us and points us to God's promises while helping us to change our sinful lives into lives that can receive the blessings of God.  His motivation is to lovingly help us become true sons and daughters (of) the Lord Almighty.

Now, once we understand the attitudes and actions of a godly pastor, and understand our motivation for following him, we run into a problem.  It's the same problem that this church had and that all churches which are trying to do right run into.  There are preachers and teachers who claim to be Godly, appear to be godly on the surface, quote Bible and say things which make them sound Godly, but are the ministers of Satan.  We see this within our current epistle.  2Corinthians 11:12-15 tell us about this fact.  (Read verses.) After those verses we read about Paul's testimony and what he suffered in order to bring the Gospel to us Gentiles.  And while we could go into what a godly pastor suffers for his people, we will leave that for another time.  The point is that there are true godly pastors and there are ministers of Satan  who appear to be the same, at least on the surface.  The child of God who doesn't know how to separate the two can end up deceived.  Therefore, it is important to understand the tests which we are to apply and our current section tells us those tests.

2Corinthians 7:2-3 says: Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.  A minister of Satan will do these things and then make excuses to convince you that you should ignore their failing this test.  The people who believe such lies prove themselves to be Biblical fools  and deserve the results of being a fool,  especially after they have been warned.  A truly godly man will be led by God to not do these specific sins.

First: Paul says we have wronged no man.  The New Testament definitionis: 'Not physically right; not fit or suitable'.  Paul is saying that he never physically hurt another, he never stole or destroyed something that belonged to another and that he never acted towards another in a way that others would agree was wrong.  A truly godly person has enough control over their emotions that they can not be provoked into acting wrong.

Secondly, Paul says we have corrupted no man.  The New Testament definitionof corrupt  is: 'To vitiate or deprave; to change from good to bad'.  Think of bread that has gone moldy or metal that rusts.  All sin is addictive.  Someone who does not do a sin but introduces another to it corrupts  the other person.  Also, the person who supplies the excuse used by a another to justify their ongoing sin is a corruptor.  This is doing the opposite of helping people to become Godly.

Thirdly, Paul says we have defrauded no man.  The New Testament definitionis: 'To deprive of right, either by obtaining something by deception or artifice, or by taking something wrongfully without the knowledge or consent of the owner; to cheat; to cozen'.

When we wrong  we do it openly.  When we defraud  we do wrong  behind the back where it is harder to fight.  When we corrupt  we do 'wrong' by indirect means.  A godly person NEVER does wrong.  1Corinthians 6:7-8 says Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.  A godly person even refuses to return the wrong done against them and, instead, leaves it to God to revenge.

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