Cleansing is a twofold action: turning away from sin, and turning toward God.
To "perfect holiness", we need to remove paganism from our lives. We need to make a clean break from our past and replace it with what is of God. The way we speak, the way we interact with others, our thoughts and our actions that are defined throughout God's word as "sinful behavior" need to be eliminated. We need to at least make the effort, as change is not something that occurs overnight and what has been learned as "okay" must be unlearned and replaced with what is truly "okay".
The general rule of thumb is that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit (Maxwell Maltz). A habit, however, can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, depending on the individual and the habit. If you are replacing a bad habit with a good one, sometimes it can take even longer, it can take years! The power of God cannot be compared with the power of the human mind. God can, and has, changed people's "habits" overnight! Sometimes, however, we must fight for the change to become a habit.
Through prayer, and God's mercy and grace, once we begin the transformation, he will continue to provide us with the means (the Holy Spirit) to make that change! We are capable of anything when we are sincere in our desires and are consistent in our prayers.
Like the Corinthians, we are told to turn away from sin and turn to God! If we are sincere in our quest, we will not be forgotten and our prayers will be heard and answered. Take back what has been stolen from you by the enemy. Take back and give back to your Creator in the most gracious way - through prayer and abstinence, you can perfect the holiness Paul describes and lead a life that is pleasing to God!
