“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls”
and overflow of wickedness,
“Wickedness” denotes dirt, filth. A person living in wickedness lives in moral filth and sordidness. “Wickedness” can refer to any form of malice.
The wickedness that goes to an exceeding measure is wickedness in “overflow.” This is a wickedness that is above the ordinary – it is a superabundant amount of wickedness. A person involved in an “overflow of wickedness” is a corrupt individual.
Secular Greek used the term “overflow” to describe the excess of wax in ears. When our ears plug from too much wax, we cannot hear very well. We cannot be receptive to truth when sin plugs our spiritual ears.
Principle:
Sin defiles us, and we must deal with it radically.
Application:
Any form of sin will blunt our relationship with the Lord and deflect us from fellowship with Him. When Christians get involved in wickedness that is above the ordinary, they must deal with it drastically. They must lay it aside.
