Paul’s big challenge to believers …

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Have you ever been completely consumed with achieving a particular goal for yourself?

A fellow by the name of Cline became obsessed with maximizing his fuel mileage, as reported by Michelle Basch for WTOP:

    Cline is a hypermiler, which means he tries to squeeze as many miles as he can out of every gallon of gas during his commute between Calvert County and the District.

    The homemade plastic roof extension in back, called a kammback, looks a bit like a cape and is meant to reduce drag.

    Cline, originally from Pennsylvania, also installed smaller-than-normal side mirrors for the same reason. And to reduce the weight of the car, he’s taken out the back seats.

    Cline overinflates his tires, although that’s something AAA Mid-Atlantic advises against.

    “The factory recommends 33 pounds at each corner, and I do 40,” he said.

    Cline says the way you drive makes a difference too. For instance, speeding doesn’t help: “The higher you go, the more gas it takes to keep your vehicle at speed. Certain cars like certain ranges of miles per hour,” Cline said.

    “My particular car does really well at 60. If I go 65, I start to reduce my miles per gallon, but if I go 55 I’m actually reducing too.”

    If there’s a red light ahead, Cline slows down far in advance. “It actually makes more sense to slow down before you approach the light, so that when you get to the light it turns green and you’re already still rolling,” he said.

When you have a clear goal and you’re committed to it, you become very mindful of all the little things that must be done to reach that goal. Like Cline doing everything he can to save some gasoline, the Apostle Paul issues an all-consuming challenge to believers. We find it in 2 Corinthians 7, but first let’s gain some context before we unveil the big challenge Paul exhorts us to. In the last part of 2 Corinthians 6, the apostle tells us we are the temple of the living God:

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty,'” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

We need that context because Paul begins 2 Corinthians 7 with these words, “Because we have these promises, dear friends …” (2 Cor. 7:1a). So with the right context in place, Paul then issues that all-consuming goal for Christians:

“Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” – 2 Corinthians 7:1.

Paul challenges us by first reminding us that we are the living temple of God; He is our father, and we are His sons and daughters. If that is really going to be OUR reality, then it only follows that we do exactly what Paul challenges us to do:

    • Cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit.
    • And work toward complete holiness.

Other voices from the New Testament echo Paul in setting this goal for Christians:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us,” Hebrews 12:1.

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy,'” 1 Peter 1:15-16.

Notice how Paul uses the language of a “hypermiler,” emphasizing that everything that can defile either body or spirit must be cleansed from us with nothing of a defiling nature remaining. And we’re to work for complete holiness … not a little morality or dollops of good deeds, but thorough, complete holiness. Paul tags on a means of motivation in his goal for us. It’s found in the final words of his challenge: “… because we fear God.”

There’s your whopper of a goal!

How are you at being a “spiritual hypermiler”?

Have you cleansed away everything that could possibly defile your body or spirit?

Are you earnestly pursuing complete holiness?

Scotty