"Having these promises..."

Here is a statement of principle: People need motivation to act. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 it says, "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." The promises referred to are found in the previous chapter--promises that the Lord will be our God, and that we will be his people, that the Lord will receive us if we purify ourselves, that he will be a Father to us and that we shall be His sons and daughters. If you take a moment to ponder, those are quite the promises. It is no wonder, then, that Paul says, "Having therefore these promises...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness..." The price to obtain these blessings is repentance. What is amazing to me, is how much easier it is to repent when you have that vision in mind. In life I think that is generally true. When you have a goal and the end in mind, the daily toils and labors become more tolerable. As humans we need motivation to do things. In school the hope of receiving an A is what motivates students to work hard to achieve it. What we need to keep in mind, then, is what our motivation is. What is it that will prompt us to daily repent and keep the Lord's commandments? If you can find it, it will be a blessing in your life that will lead you to do good.