Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
I like The Message version of verse 19-21:
Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.In Philippians 2:12 the Apostle Paul told us to "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Pastor James told us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). Peter among other apostles called himself a "bond servant." Genesis 2:15 shows that "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
So what is my point talking about WORK?
Your salvation requires work. Please understand what I just wrote. I did not say that you are saved through your work. Simply, when you are saved, if you are really saved, you DO good works. In other words, your works is the evidence that you are really saved.
If you are an alcoholic, you can go to all the 12 step meetings you want, but if you don't do the work of throwing away all your alcohol from your house, you are likely to fall victim to the alcohol again. Likewise, if you claim to be saved and live a life according to the will of God, "get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent" and you will succeed in accepting God's word that is planted in you by hearing His word. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God." Romans 10:17
We can become scholars of the word and preach wonderful sermons but the most effective way to be a witness of the resurrection is by our actions. This is why Paul spoke so much about purity to young Timothy. Imagine yourself as an airliner, now think about this, you are always on somebody's radar screen!
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