COMMENTS
How many of the prospective heirs of the Kingdom find that they have defilements along this line—malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, evil speaking! It is safe to say that everyone has some, if not all, of these weaknesses in the flesh to contend with, especially at the beginning of his entrance upon the Christian vocation. How carefully all should seek to put all these away! How each should scrutinize not only every act of life and every word and every thought, but, additionally, every motive underlying his words, thoughts and actions, so that they may be more and more purified from the earth's defilements and be more and more acceptable to the Lord!
By the filthiness of the flesh, the faults that root in, and are expressed by the body are meant, like the tobacco, narcotic and alcohol habits, unchastity, gluttony, bodily filthiness, etc. By the filthiness of the spirit, faults that root in, and are expressed by the mind are meant, like anger, hatred, malice, evil surmising, hypocrisy, covetousness, unbelief, despair, pride, etc. The promises that constitute the Oath-bound Covenant are the Divinely ordained means for cleansing us of the filthiness of the flesh and spirit; and the best method for the attainment of the cleansing is reverence for God, whereby we complete our consecration.
2 Cor. 6:17, 18; Gen. 22:16-18; Psa. 51:10; John 15:3; 1 John 1:7-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-32; 5:26; Col. 3:5-9; Rom. 8:1-14; 12:2, 9-21; Gal. 5:22-25; 6:7-10; Col. 3:10-17; 1 Thes. 5:11-22.
