Note: Hover Mouse over Underlined References for ESV Popup. Note links to on site commentary.

This verse most naturally goes with the preceding passages and therefore is an example of a less optimal chapter break (Verse numbers and chapters of course were added by men, not inspired by God!)

Note that cleansing from defilement and perfecting holiness (the two sides of sanctification) are motivated (1) by God's promises and (2) by a reverential, filial fear of God. As S Lewis Johnson says "“Conduct and calling are to agree.”

Privilege and promise
go hand in hand.

Therefore (3767) (oun) is a term of conclusion indicating that the statement it introduces is an inference drawn from the context, usually the preceding context. Always stop and ask the question "What is the therefore there for?"

Spurgeon writes that...

KINDLING with strong emotion, constrained by the love of Christ, and animated by the fellowship of all spiritual blessings, the apostle here strikes out an exhortation. He appeals to the noblest passions of the children of God, to their possession of divine lineage, a present endowment, and their expectation of an exalted destiny. These he uses as incentives to holiness of life. To stir up in us this godly ambition, he sets before us the Christian in various lights (1) As possessed of most glorious privileges. Having these promises." Not promises in reversion merely, but in actual possession, received, embraced, enjoyed... (2) As laboring to be rid of obnoxious evils... (3) As aiming at a most exalted position...Perfecting holiness (4) As prompted by the most sacred of motives...in the fear of God. (Sermon Notes)

Therefore  - This conjunction clearly refers to the seven promises just mentioned at the end of 2Corinthians 6...

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, (Promise #1) "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND (Promise #2) WALK AMONG THEM; AND (Promise #3) I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND (Promise #4)THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And (Promise #5) I will welcome you. 18 "And (Promise #6) I will be a father to you, And (Promise #7) you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. (2Cor 6:16-18)

Spurgeon comments on these promises:

The promises referred to are mentioned in the previous chapter.

1. Divine indwelling: "I will dwell in them" (2 Cor. 6:16).
2. Divine manifestation: "I will walk in them."
3. Divine covenanting: "I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
4. Divine acceptance: "I will receive you" (6:17).
5. Divine adoption: "I... will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (6:18).

These promises are already fulfilled in our experience. (Sermon Notes)

Comment: As Elisabeth Elliot wrote "God has never promised to solve our problems. He has not promised to answer our questions... He has promised to go with us."

Hudson Taylor adds that "There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible. He means what he says and will do all he has promised."

A little saint may enjoy a great promise. - Source Unknown

John MacArthur astutely observes that the conjunction therefore serves another function in this (and similar contexts) writing that...

Paul’s use of the word therefore is a call for action based on what he has previously written (cf. Ro 12:1-note, 2; 2Pe 1:3-note, 2Pe 1:4-note, "for this very reason" [cp "therefore"] 2Pe 1:5, 6, 7, 8). (MacArthur, J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

Having (2192) (echo) means hold, possess or have and is present tense calls for believers to continually hold these precious and magnificent promises (2Pet 1:4-note) in their mind, for as a man believes, in such a way will he behave. If one really believes these promises are true, this belief will serve to motivate and empower one's choices and ultimately one's overall conduct and lifestyle. 

In short, possessing God's potential promises is a precious privilege but we must act upon them by faith and enabled by grace for them to become reality. As Gurnall wrote...

Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise in the dark night of affliction afraid to draw the latch!

These (3778) (houtos, touto) is a a reference therefore to that which is comparatively near at hand in the discourse. Here as is often the case with this pronoun, these serves to draw attention to something in the preceding discourse (i.e., the seven promises).

How important are God's promises to the believer's life of faith? Calvin put it well when he said that...

Distrust is cured by meditating upon the promises of God.

F B Hole writes that...

WE HAVE THEN these striking promises from the lips of God. If we are separate from the world, and face whatever loss that may involve, we shall find God acting as Father toward us, and we shall enter consciously into the good and sweetness of the relationship in which we are set. (2 Corinthians)

MacArthur has an interesting note on these promises writing that...

Those promises should elicit love, gratitude, and thankfulness for His overwhelming generosity. In fact, one of the things that characterizes unrepentant sinners is ingratitude (Lk 6:35; Ro 1:21-note; 2Ti 3:2-note) (MacArthur, J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

Promises (1860) (epaggelia from epí = intensifies verbal meaning + aggéllo = to tell, declare) originally referred to an announcement or declaration (especially of a favorable message) but in later Greek came to mean a declaration to do something with the implication of obligation to carry out what is stated (thus a promise or pledge). Epaggelia was used in secular Greek as a legal term denoting summons, and then came to mean a promise to do or give something. In the NT epaggelia is used primarily of the promises of God and represent His solemn pledge to perform or grant a specified thing. Promise thus speaks of the assurance that God will do something...

For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him (Christ) they are yes; wherefore also by Him (Christ) is our Amen to the glory of God through us. (2Cor 1:20) (In other words, the promises of God find their certain fulfillment, their "Yes", in Christ and we give our concurrence by saying "Amen". Or as John Boys has written "The resurrection of Christ is the Amen of all his promises." Meyer adds this exhortation "Learn to put your hand on all spiritual blessings in Christ and say 'Mine'." And all God's people said "Amen"!)

As R C H Lenski says...

God's promise is better than any bond or note on any bank, financial institution, or most stable government, for all these may have to repudiate their bond; God never does so.

His every word of grace is strong
As that which built the skies;
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.
Isaac Watts
(Play, read out loud and ponder all 9 wonderful stanzas!)

Unger has a nice summation of the meaning of promise writing that it is

A solemn assertion, by which one pledges his veracity that he will perform, or cause to be performed, that which he mentions. (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)

The 1828 Webster's English dictionary defines promise as...

a declaration, written or verbal made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it, either in honor, conscience or law, to do or forbear a certain act specified. It is a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made, a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of the act. The promise of a visit to my neighbor, gives him a right to expect it, and I am bound in honor and civility to perform the promise. Of such a promise human laws have no cognizance; but the fulfillment of it is one of the minor moralities, which civility kindness and Strict integrity require to be observed.

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary rightly adds that...

God did not have to promise anything to sinful people. But the fact that almost all biblical promises are those made by God to human beings indicates that His nature is characterized chiefly by grace and faithfulness. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES FROM ALL DEFILEMENT OF FLESH AND SPIRIT: katharisomen (1PAAS) heautous apo pantos molusmou sarkos kai pneumatos: (Psalms 51:10; 119:9; Proverbs 20:9; 30:12; Isaiah 1:16; Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 18:30, 31, 32; Ezekiel 36:25,26; Matthew 5:8-note; Mt 12:33; Mt 23:25,26; Luke 11:39,40; Titus 2:11-note, Titus 2:12-note, Titus 2:13-note; Titus 2:14-Titus 2:14;Titus 2:15-Titus 2:15; James 4:8; 1Peter 1:22-note; 1Pe 2:11-note; 1John 1:7,9; 3:3)

Ourselves - This is a reflexive pronoun (heatous) which signifies that although the cleansing work is God’s (cf. Acts 15:9; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5), the cleansing does not happen without volitional effort on the believers’ part.

Spurgeon comments that let us cleanse ourselves speaks to...

1. Personality: "Let us cleanse ourselves."
2. Activity. We must continue vigorously to cleanse both body and mind.
3. Universality: "From all filthiness."
4. Thoroughness: "Of the flesh and spirit."

If God dwells in us, let us make the house clean for so pure a God.

Has the Lord entered into covenant with us that we should be his people? Does not this involve a call upon us to live as becometh godliness?

Are we his children? Let us not grieve our Father, but imitate him as dear children (Sermon Notes)

Martin Luther wrote "What greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God can there be than not to believe His promises?" And if we truly believe His promises, we will strive in to obey through His power working in us.

Spurgeon adds that

The sight of the promises themselves is good for the eye of faith: the more we study the words of grace, the more grace shall we derive from the words.

Adam Clarke-

Let us apply to him for the requisite grace of purification; and avoid every thing in spirit and practice which is opposite to the doctrine of God, and which has a tendency to pollute the soul. (Ref)

F B Hole writes that...

Now having such promises we are exhorted to purify ourselves, and thus perfect holiness in the fear of God. Notice that it says, "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." This is a very important word, and very sweeping. Our attention has just been directed to the necessity of a purification from all fellowship with the world in outward things. Yet if we merely practiced separation in outward things, confining ourselves to that, we should just become Pharisees; a most undesirable thing. The separation we are to practice goes much deeper. All filthiness or pollution of the flesh is to be avoided, and all filthiness of the spirit too.

Both forms of separation are called for; the inward and the outward too. The outward without the inward is just hypocrisy. The inward without the outward is at best a very defective thing. At the worst it descends to the plight in which Lot was found in Sodom, though not himself descending to the shocking morals of that city. Abraham was in the happy path of God's will; clean outside the place as well as free from the evil. There are the pollutions of the world: the pollutions of the flesh: the pollutions of the spirit: the last of the three the most subtle of all, because the most refined form of sin. May God awaken us to great carefulness as to it. Holiness when carried to its perfection covers all three. But we are to be carrying it on towards its perfection even now. May God help us to do so. (2 Corinthians)

Richard Sibbes (Puritan write) says that...

The promises, as they have a quickening, so they have a purging power; and that upon sound reasoning. Doth God promise that he will be my Father and I shall be his son? and doth he promise me life everlasting? and doth that estate require purity? and no unclean thing shall come there? Certainly, these promises being apprehended by faith, as they have a quickening power to comfort, so they purge with holiness. We may not think to carry our filthiness to heaven. Doth the swearer think to carry his blasphemies thither? Filthy persons and liars are banished thence; there is "no unclean thing." He that hath these promises purgeth himself and "perfecteth holiness in the fear of God." "He that hath this hope purifieth himself, as he is pure" (1 John 3:3).

King David prayed to God pleading with the Holy One of Israel...

Purify (Hebrew = chata' = purify from sin; Lxx = rhantizo = to sprinkle, cleanse, cp use in Heb 10:22-note) me with hyssop, and I shall be clean (Hebrew = taher = clean ceremonially, morally; Lxx = katharizo = be cleansed). Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps 51:7, cp Ps. 51:2; Isaiah 1:16)

Spurgeon's Comment: Purge me with hyssop. Sprinkle the atoning blood upon me with the appointed means. Give me the reality which legal ceremonies symbolize. Nothing but blood can take away my blood stains (cp 1Pe 1:18-note, 1Pe 1:19-note) nothing but the strongest purification can avail to cleanse me. Let the sin offering purge my sin (cp 1Pe 1:22-note). Let him who was appointed to atone, execute his sacred office on me; for none can need it more than me (cp Rev 22:14-note).

The passage may be read as the voice of faith as well as a prayer, and so it runs --

"Thou wilt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean."

Foul as I am, there is such power in the divine propitiation, that my sin shall vanish quite away (cp 1Jn 1:9). Like the leper upon whom the priest has performed the cleansing rites, I shall again be admitted into the assembly of thy people and allowed to share in the privileges of the true Israel; while in thy sight also, through Jesus my Lord, I shall be accepted.

Wash me. Let it not merely be in type that I am clean, but by a real spiritual purification (cp Eph 5:26-note), which shall remove the pollution of my nature. Let the sanctifying (cp 1Pe 1:2-note) as well as the pardoning process (cp Lk 5:20, Col 2:13-note, James 5:15) be perfected (Ed: brought to its intended goal) in me. Save me from the evils which my sin has created and nourished in me.

And I shall be whiter than snow. None but Thyself can whiten me, but Thou canst in grace outdo nature itself in its purest state. Snow soon gathers smoke and dust, it melts and disappears; Thou canst give me an enduring purity. Though snow is white below as well as on the outer surface, thou canst work the like inward purity in me, and make me so clean that only a hyperbole can set forth my immaculate condition. Lord, do this; my faith believes thou wilt, and well knows Thou canst.

Scarcely does Holy Scripture contain a verse more full of faith than this. Considering the nature of the sin, and the deep sense the psalmist had of it, it is a glorious faith to be able to see in the blood sufficient, nay, all sufficient merit entirely to purge it away. Considering also the deep natural inbred corruption which David saw and experienced within, it is a miracle of faith that he could rejoice in the hope of perfect purity in his inward parts (cp Ps 19:8). Yet, be it added, the faith is no more than the word warrants, than the blood of atonement encourages, than the promise of God deserves (cp Isaiah 45:22).

O that some reader may take heart, even now while smarting under sin, to do the Lord the honour to rely thus confidently on the finished sacrifice of Calvary (cp 1Pe 2:24-note, 1Pe 2:25-note) and the infinite mercy there revealed. (cp Lam 3:19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26, Mt 11:28, 29-30)

Archbishop Leighton comments on "Cleanse ourselves."

It is the Lord that is the sanctifier of his people; he purges away their dross and tin. He pours clean water, according to his promises, yet doth he call us to cleanse ourselves; having such promises, let us cleanse ourselves. He puts a new life into us and causes us to act, and excites us to excite it, and call it up to act in the progress of sanctification. Men are strangely inclined to a perverse construction of things Tell them that we are to act and work and give diligence; then they would fancy a doing in their own strength and be their own saviors. Again, tell them that God works all our works in us and for us, then they would take the ease of doing nothing. If they cannot have the praise of doing all, they will sit still with folded hands and use no diligence at all. But this is the corrupt logic of the flesh, its base sophistry. The apostle reasons just contrary, Philippians 2:13: "It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do." Therefore, would a carnal heart say, we need not work, or at least, may work very carelessly. But he infers, "Therefore, let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling," i.e., in the more humble obedience to God and dependence on him, not obstructing the influences of his grace, and, by sloth and negligence, provoking him to withdraw or abate it. Certainly, many in whom there is truth of grace are kept low in the growth of it by their own slothfulness, sitting still, and not bestirring themselves and exercising the proper actions of that spiritual life by which it is entertained and advanced.

Let us cleanse (2511) (katharizo from katharos = pure, clean, without stain or spot; English words - catharsis = emotional or physical purging, cathartic = substance used to induce a purging, Cathar = member of a medieval sect which sought the purging of evil from its members) means to make clean by taking away an undesirable part. To cleanse from filth or impurity. Click here (and here) for more background on the important Biblical concept of clean and cleansing. In secular Greek katharizo occurs in inscriptions for ceremonial cleansing.

In short this word group (katharizo, katharos = pure,  kathairô = prune) conveys the idea of physical, religious, and moral cleanness or purity in such senses as clean, free from stains or shame, and free from adulteration.

For a good sense of the meaning of katharizo, study the NT uses in context (or do the quick study by holding pointer over each reference) noting who does the cleansing and from what. Observe for God's sovereignty and man's responsibility (Mt 8:2,3; 10:8; 11:5; 23:25,26; Mk 1:40, 41, 42; 7:19; Lk 4:27; 5:12,13; 7:22; Lk 11:39; 17:14,17 Acts 10:15; 11:9; 15:9; 2Co 7:1 Eph 5:26; Titus 2:14; Heb 9:14, 22, 23; James 4:8; 1Jn 1:7, 9 )

Here in 2Corinthians Paul uses the aorist tense for katharizo which is very decisive, and calls for sudden, decisive action on the part of the Corinthian believers. Paul says in essence "Make a clean and complete break from defilement!"

Webster's 1828 Dictionary has the following thoughts on to purify and to cleanse...

Purify

From Latin = purifico; purus, pure, and facio, to make.

1. To make pure or clear; to free from extraneous admixture; as, to purify liquors or metals; to purify the blood; to purify the air.

2. To free from pollution ceremonially; to remove whatever renders unclean and unfit for sacred services. (Purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day purify all your raiment. Num. 31:19).

3. To free from guilt or the defilement of sin; as, to purify the heart. (Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14).

Cleanse

1. To purify; to make clean; to remove filth, or foul matter of any kind, or by any process whatever, as by washing, rubbing, scouring, scraping, purging, ventilation, etc.; as, to cleanse the hands or face; to cleanse a garment; to cleanse the bowels; to cleanse a ship; to cleanse an infected house.

2. To free from a foul or infectious disease; to heal. (Lev. 14:4, 8, Mark 1:42)

3. To free from ceremonial pollution, and consecrate to a holy use. (Nu 8:15. Ezek. 43:20)

4. To purify from guilt. (1John 1:7)

5. To remove; as, to cleanse a crime.

Barnes writes that...

While it is true that all purifying influence and all holiness proceed from God, it is also true that the effect of all the influences of the Holy Spirit is to excite us to diligence, to purify our own hearts, and to urge us to make strenuous efforts to overcome our own sins. He who expects to be made pure without any effort of his own, will never become pure; and he who ever becomes holy, will become so in consequence of strenuous efforts to resist the evil of his own heart, and to become like God. The argument here is, that we have the promises of God to aid us. We do not go about the work in our own strength. It is not a work in which we are to have no aid. But it is a work which God desires, and where he will give us all the aid which we need.  (Barnes' Notes on the NT)

Sin is pictured by many images in the Bible, such as disease (Isaiah 1:4-6), darkness (1John 1:5-10), drowning (Ps 130:1-4), and even death (Eph 2:1, 5; Jn 5:24), but frequently it is pictured as dirt and defilement (Isaiah 1:16, 18; Jer 4:14).

In the Old Testament, an innocent animal had to die to provide ritual cleansing for the Jews, but the innocent Lamb of God had to die to provide cleansing for us (John 1:29, 1Jn 1:7, 9; 1 Peter 1:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23).

McGee writes that...

When I receive the Word in faith and I act upon that Word, I am cleansed from all the filthiness of the flesh and spirit. This is what the Lord Jesus meant when He said, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The best bar of soap in the world is the Word of God. It will really clean us up. The Holy Spirit enables us to deal with the sin in our lives.  (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary:  Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Paul gives a command to Timothy which parallels the exhortation in this verse...

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain (aorist imperative) from wickedness."  (see note 2 Timothy 2:19)

Peter writes...

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. (see note 1 Peter 2:11)

Spurgeon asks...

What then? Do they need purified? Are they naturally impure, that they must be purified? They are God’s blood-bought, redeemed people, and yet they need purifying? Ah, yes, brothers and sisters, every one of them, even the apostle Paul himself! Where will you find a warmer spirit, a more zealous heart, a more consecrated man than the apostle Paul? And yet he says, “Let us purify ourselves.”

It surely wouldn’t be presumptuous, on my part, if there is in this church some esteemed saint who has for many years kept the faith in an unblemished way, and has been engaged in the service of the Master, far above others, in winning souls—it wouldn’t be presumptuous if I should say to him, “Let us purify ourselves.” I suppose that, the nearer we get to heaven, the more conscious we shall be of our imperfections (cp Paul in 1Ti 1:15, near the end of his life of pursuing holiness!). The more light we obtain, the more we discover our own darkness. That which is scarcely considered sin by some, will be a grievous defilement to a tender conscience. It is not that we are greater sinners as we grow older, but that we have a more acute sensitivity to sin, and see that to be sin which we winked at in the days of our ignorance. Yes, we may say to those whose grey hairs show that they are getting near home, “Let us purify ourselves.” And if it is this way to the holiest and most prominent of the people of God, then it should be all the more to us, beloved, common saints, who are barely worthy to be called saints at all, only that we trust we are washed in the precious blood, and are saved through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. “Let us purify ourselves.”

Notice how clearly the apostle puts it! I want you to notice his points.

1. The work is personal: “Let us purify ourselves.”

It is always easier for us to want to purify other people, and attempt a moral reformation among our neighbors. Oh! It is easy to point out other people’s faults, and to make every effort to protest against them. It seems natural for us to expose sin and ridicule the foolishness of this age, or to preach virtue. It highly gratifies some people when they can find a fault in some highly-respected brother; they just tear him to pieces with about the same zest that might be displayed by an ape. That is their forte, the strength of their genius—tearing to pieces what they could not put together, and attempting to raise themselves by lowering others. But notice the apostle says, “Let us purify ourselves.” Oh, that we would all look at ourselves! Oh, that we examined our own hearts more! Yes, certainly it is our business to tell our brother or sister of their faults, but certainly we ought not to have left the other undone, for that is our first business, “Let us purify ourselves.” It all seems well and good to drag the Church of the Living God up to the altar, like some bleeding victim, and there to stab her with the sharpest knife of our criticism, and to say of the modern church that she is not this and she is not that. But the obvious question we need to ask ourselves is, “How much have I helped to make her what she is? If she is degenerate, how far is that degeneracy a result of my having fallen from the high standing which I ought to have occupied?” We will all have contributed our quota to the reform of the church when we are ourselves are reformed. There can be no better way of promoting holiness in our churches than by increasing in personal holiness. “Let us purify ourselves.”

2. There is activity needed in discharging this personal duty. “Let us purify ourselves.”

It seems to imply that the Christian, while they are acted upon by divine influence, and are cleansed by the Holy Spirit is also an active agent of their own sanctification. They are not like the vessels and the pots of which the apostle speaks, that were cleansed under the law; but they are a free agent, and the holiness which God works in them, is not the pretended holiness of candlesticks and altars, but it is the holiness of a responsible person—a holiness which is not forced upon them, but which their whole soul gives consent to. They purge themselves. Depend on it, you and I do not grow holy by going to sleep. People are not made to grow in grace as plants grow, of which it is said, “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” [Mark 4:27]. The Christian is developed by actively seeking growth, by earnestly striving after holiness, and resolutely endeavoring to obtain it.

The utmost of our activity ought to be put forth in purifying ourselves. You will not overcome your bad temper by saying, “Well, you know I am quick-tempered; I cannot help it.” But you must help it; you must, if you are a Christian. You have no more right to shake hands with a bad temper than you have to fraternize with the devil. You have got to overcome it, and in the name of God you must.

Likewise, if you happen to have a lazy disposition, you must not say, “Ah, well! you know, I am naturally that way.” Yes, you are naturally lazy—we know that; you are naturally as bad as you can be; but surely that is not the point we are concerned with—we are concerned with what you are to become by divine grace. Although sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit yet it is equally true, and this we must always bear in mind, that the Holy Spirit makes us active agents in our own sanctification. In the first work of regeneration, we know that the soul is passive, because it is dead, and the dead cannot contribute to their own stimulation and awakening, but, being awakened, he “works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose” [Philippians 2:13].

God does not work in us to sleep and to slumber; his good purpose is answered by us when we are constrained to will and to do; therefore the apostle’s argument, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” [Philippians 2:12-13]. He works it in, you work it out; you have to bring out in, the outward life is what he works in the inner springs of your spiritual being. You are to work it out because he works it in. Sin is to be driven out of us as the Canaanites were driven out of Canaan by the edge of the sword. Jericho’s walls will come down, but not without walking around it for seven days. You may be weary from marching, but march you must if you would conquer. How did the apostle put it? “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” [Ephesians 6:12], and so on; but he represented the conquest as being a conquest gained by struggling. He declares that he had to fight with his old nature, and the conflict was severe. Although saved by grace, redeemed souls make remarkable efforts—efforts beyond their natural powers—to overcome sin in their lives.

3. That we must not stop short of perfection in our purifying: “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates.”

Your eye must not spare, your heart must not pity, one pet sin. Most men and women would gladly be holy if it were not for that one sin that they vainly flatter themselves to be safe and harmless. “Let us purify ourselves from everything.” O Christian, you should doubt your right to that name unless all sin is obnoxious to you! You have no right to say, “I will give up pride and arrogance,” if you excuse yourself for being greedy. If greed is the leak in your boat, it will sink it quite as surely as pride. If neither pride nor greed is there, yet if you have an unforgiving heart, and cannot forgive those who offend you, you shall just as soon prove yourself to be reprobate that way as by any other. We must be like the father of a Jewish family purging out the leaven before the Passover. He lights a candle, you know, and goes to the cupboard under the stairs, or wherever the bread may be kept, and is careful that every bit is removed. He then has every cupboard unlocked, and rummages with a brush in his hand, himself personally, and with a candle, too, to see if there is even a crumb of leaven, for he cannot keep the Passover if there is a crumb of leaven in the house. In the same way we should be earnestly searching after everything that contaminates, to get it all out. Search as best as we can, I am afraid something will still be left. There will be some beloved idol hidden away somewhere in the recesses of the mind. The heart will cling to its idols in such a way that we cannot find them all at once; there is an absolute need to search again and again; they must be searched after, and we must, each one of us, be prepared to say,

“The dearest idol I have known,
Whatever that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.”

4. The apostle shows the thoroughness of this work by saying, “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.”

“Contamination of the body and spirit.” We may think this includes only the outward sins so well known and so easily distinguishable, those degrading sins which even morality condemns. Possibly, Christian, although you may guard yourself against these, yet you will be in danger from the next class, namely, sins of the spirit. These are the mothers of the sins of the flesh. Someone killed a wasp in the early spring, and it was said that he had killed a thousand wasps, for that wasp was full of eggs. Sins of the spirit are full of that seed which, when matured, issues in shameful wickedness. If you can cleanse yourself from these you will save yourself from the outward appalling sins. The outward life will be right when the inward life is right. I wish we were more concerned about purifying ourselves from everything that contaminates the spirit. I am inclined to think that some Christians thoughtlessly contaminate their spirits, I mean that they do it willfully. I am not sure that, when there is a divorce case in the newspapers, I have any business to read it; yet a great many good Christian people, who often pray to be delivered from temptation, are careful to read all the details. When there is a bad story in the papers or being spread around about anybody, I know that I should not listen to it; yet that curiosity of ours often tempts the devil to tempt us. If there is any dirty puddle of water or some polluted water, I know that I am not obligated to drink out of it. True, I may be an officer appointed to taste the water; if I am not, I would rather avoid the harmful sip; it would be better to leave it alone. We may all do a great deal of that kind of thing; and, nowadays, when the press exposes everything, and it is published all over the world, I am sure that Christians do pollute their spirits a great deal more than they have any occasion to do; and besides that, we can turn over a sin, you know, in our mind, till we become so accustomed to it that we do not think it to be a sin. I know that some Christians have managed to convince their conscience of the idea that what they do is not sin in them, but would be sin in other people; that their personality and makeup is such that the particular sin can be tolerated in them, and generally speaking, although it would be very, very wrong for other people to do the same, they have got a sort of spiritual indulgence, such as used to be issued by the Roman Catholic Church, and they never doubt that they can, sin with impunity. Ah, dear friends, this will not do! “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.”

The drift of the argument is this—if God lives in us, let us make our house clean for such a pure God. What! indwelling Deity and unclean lusts? Indwelling Godhead, and yet a spirit defiled with evil thoughts? God forbid! Let us cry aloud to the Most High, that in this thing we may be purified, that the temple may be fit for the habitation of the Master. What! does God walk in us, and hold communion with us, and shall we let the devil come in too? What agreement can we have with Christ? Shall we give ourselves up to be the servants of money, when God has become our Friend, our Companion? It must not be! Divine indwelling and divine communion both require from us personal holiness. Has the Lord entered into a covenant with us that we shall be his people? Then doesn’t this involve a call upon us to live like his people, in all godliness? Favored and privileged above other men and women to be a special people, separated to God, shall there be nothing special about our lives? Shall we not be zealous for good works?

Divinely adopted into the family of the Most High, and made heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, what other arguments do we need to compel us to holiness? You see the word, “Since” in our text? It simply means this, because we have attained to such choice and special promises, “Since”—for this reason, “let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.” (Our Position and Our Purpose)

From (apo) is a preposition which primarily expresses the idea found in the English word "from", which in turn pictures the idea of putting some distance between or removing to a distance. Apo is a marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association. Apo indicates the separation of a person or an object from another person or an object with which it was formerly united. This preposition therefore pointedly describes any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed. In the present context clearly the meaning is figurative and refers to breaking from all defilement. This same idea was commanded by God in the immediately preceding context where Paul wrote...

Therefore (because of truths in 2Cor 6:14, 15, 16), COME OUT (aorist imperative - command calling for hearers to make an immediate, definite choice to get out, to escape with their life so to speak, quoted primarily from Isaiah 52:11, with echoes from Ezek 20:34, 41, cp Jer 51:45, Rev 18:4, 1Jn 2:15-17 cp Ge 39:12, Nu 16:21, 26, 45, Pr 6:5, 9:6, 1Cor 6:18, 10:14, 1Ti 6:11, 2Ti 2:22) FROM THEIR MIDST (Remember Lot's wife - Lk 17:32, 33, Ge 19:17, 26) AND BE SEPARATE (apohorizo [apo = away from + horizo = mark by a limit] - set off a boundary, aorist imperative - cp Nu 33:51-56 cp Ex 23:24,33; 34:13; Dt 7:2,5; 12:3; Josh 11:12; Judges 2:2, Ezra 6:21, 10:11, ISBE)," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH (present imperative - with a negative means "Stop touching what is unclean" - Implication? They were touching that which is unclean - this could be literal but you can "touch" things unclean with your mind and will! Do not be deceived!) WHAT IS UNCLEAN (akathartos = impure, defiled. We must not associate with that which will compromise our testimony or lead us into disobedience); and I (the Living God) will welcome you. (2Cor 6:17).

Comment: It has been well remarked that the very essence of the history of Israel is in the words, "Get thee out!" That was the word of God that came to Abraham as in Authorized Version: "Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house" (Ge 12:1). That was the warning that came to Lot before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 19:12, 13, 14). Beloved of God, there are things in the world with which the Christian cannot and dare not associate himself or herself!

All (pas) means all without exception. Don't be like the man who "buried the hatchet" in his backyard to symbolize his forgiveness of a wrong committed, but left the hatchet handle remain visible in case he needed to use it again! All defiling influences need to put away with no "handles" remaining visible!

Wiersbe makes a good point writing that...

Whenever we sin, we must pray, "Wash me" (Ps 51:2, 7); but sometimes God says to us, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean" (Isa 1:16). When we seek forgiveness, God washes the record clean (1Jn 1:9); but God will not do for us what we must do for ourselves. Only we can put out of our lives those things that defile us, and we know what they are. It might mean cleaning out our library (Acts 19:18, 19, 20), our cassette and CD collection, the magazine rack, or perhaps the TV viewing schedule. We must separate ourselves from whatever defiles us and grieves the Father (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; James 4:7, 8). (Bible Exposition Commentary on OT)

Defilement (3436) (molusmos from moluno = stain or soil/smear as with with mud ~ defile  in a religious or cultic sense - see uses of moluno in 1Co 8:7, Rev 3:4, 14:4) describes that which stains, defiles or soils and thus produces foulness; dirtiness; uncleanness. Synonyms would include  contamination, corruption, pollution.

Defilement is the corruption of morals, principles or character; impurity; pollution by sin.

Barnes writes that molusmos...

means a soiling, hence defilement, pollution, and refers to the defiling and corrupting influence of fleshly desires and carnal appetites.  (Ibid)

Rob Salvato says defilement speaks of "mud on our wedding garment" and recalls to mind the Bride of Christ cleansing herself in the Revelation...

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready (the verb hetoimazo here carries idea of willingness and eagerness as well as of readiness)" And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (see notes Revelation 19:7; 19:8)

IVP Commentary notes that...

The noun (molusmos) is found only here in the New Testament, although the verb moluno is used twice in Revelation 3:4; 14:4) and once in 1Corinthians 8:7 of defiling the conscience through the indiscriminate eating of meat sacrificed to idols (compare Jer 23:15). This brings us back full circle to Paul's opening injunction to stop entering into unequal partnerships with unbelievers (2Cor 6:14). The close association of molusmos with idolatry suggests that Paul is thinking especially of defilement that comes from dining in the local temples, membership in the pagan cults, ritual prostitution, active engagement in pagan worship and the like.

John MacArthur comments that molusmos...

appears only here in the New Testament. In all three of its uses in the Septuagint (Ed: only on in the non-apocryphal), however, it refers to religious defilement. Paul calls believers not only to cleanse themselves from sin and immorality but especially, in this context, from all associations with false religion. (MacArthur, J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

Robertson writes that...

In LXX, Plutarch, Josephus molusmos includes all sorts of filthiness, physical, moral, mental, ceremonial, "of flesh and spirit." Missionaries in China and India can appreciate the atmosphere of pollution in Corinth

The only other use of molusmos in Scripture is in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) of Jeremiah...

Jeremiah 23:15 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisonous water, for from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution (Hebrew = chanuppah = pollution; Lxx = molusmos) has gone forth into all the land.'"

Flesh and spirit - This could be a figure symbolizing the whole person. The flesh would seem to symbolize the ex