2Cor 7 | HCSB | STEP | Therefore , dear friends , since we have such promises , let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit , completing our sanctification in the fear of God .

2 Corinthians 7

1 Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, ^a let us ^{▼▼clean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, ^c completing our ^{▼▼saint(s)/sanctification/sanctify/sanctified: The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.}sanctification ^{▼▼Or spirit, perfecting holiness} in the ^{▼▼fear(s) God or the Lord/ the fear of the Lord: No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.}fear of God. ^g

Joy and Repentance

2 Accept us. ^{▼▼Lit Make room for us} We have wronged no one, corrupted ⁱ no one, defrauded no one. 3 I don’t say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to live together and to die together. 4 I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.

5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, ^j we ^{▼▼Lit our flesh} had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts ^l on the outside, fears ^m inside. 6 But God, who comforts the humble, ⁿ comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, ^{▼▼Or lamentation, or mourning} and your zeal ^p for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For even if I grieved you with my letter, ^q I do not regret it – even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while. 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. ^r 11 For consider how much diligence this very thing – this grieving as God wills – has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure ^s in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted.In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus ^t had, ^{▼▼Lit the joy of Titus} because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, ^v so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth. 15 And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.