2 Corinthians 6:1-3
There were three sons who got together to talk
about the gifts they bought their mother. The 1st
son said,“I bought mom a big house”. The 2nd one
said, “I bought her a fancy car”. The 3rd son said,
“Since mom loves to read the bible but now she
can’t see, I bought her a trained parrot that can
quote the entire bible”.
A few months after they received a letter from their
mom saying, “ Milton the house you built me is too
big, Gerald the car is way too small but my dearest
Donald your simple gift was my favorite, the chicken
was delicious”.–
Last week we talked about the ministry of reconciliation
and how it is God’s work, not ours that brings us back
into fellowship with Him. Today we are going to be
looking at 2 Corinthians 6:1-10. Let’s start off with prayer
asking God to speak to us and transform us into the men
and women He desires us to be.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2
Paul is continuing his thought on the ministry of
reconciliation and the fact that they are ambassadors for
Christ.
After explaining how Jesus purchased our redemption by
His shed blood on the cross, Paul goes on to write about
the work that God expects them to be doing.
Join God where He is at Work
Working together with Him – believers are to join God in
the work He is doing. We aren’t to do what we want and
then ask God to bless it. He is the one at work and our
responsibility is to join Him in His work.
Our church has gone through the Bible Study
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby several times.
Henry explains that God is always at work and we are to
join Him in the work that He is already doing. It’s directly
from the Scriptures.
John 5:19 “So Jesus said to them,
‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son
can do nothing of his own accord,
but only what he sees the Father doing
For whatever the Father does, that the Son does
likewise.’”
Jesus taught the disciples to become fishers of men.
He sent them out to share the Good News of salvation.
The mission has not changed. We too are called to be
fishers of men. Taking the Good News to the ends of the
earth.
Paul then appeals for them not to receive the grace of
God in vain.
Paul is not referring to saving grace but sanctifying
grace.
Remember this letter is to the believers at Corinth, not
unbelievers.
What Paul means by this statement is that some of the
Corinthians were not growing in grace. They had been
saved, but they weren’t working together with Him.
They were supposed to be sharing in the ministry of
reconciliation.
They should be helping others be reconciled to God.
There is another nuance to the idea of receiving the
grace of God in vain.
There may have been some in the church that claimed to
know Christ, but weren’t really saved. They only had
intellectual knowledge of God. If this is the case, these
folks didn’t really receive God’s grace.
They professed salvation without possessing it.
Paul had just finished writing about what happens at our
salvation – we are made into new creations. God
transforms us.
Next, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 which is a prophecy about
the release of Israel from their 70 years of exile.
The point is that the Corinthians should be sharing the
Good News of the cross of Christ in an urgent manner.
Notice Paul’s urgency.
Behold, now is the favorable time
Behold, now is the day of salvation
SPURGEON on NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION – I
pray that you may feel something pressing you,
something that makes you end your long delay,
something that makes you feel, “I have no more
time to waste; I cannot afford to loiter; I must be
saved to-night; I must hear the distinct ticking of
God’s great clock, that stands in the hall of grace,
and always says, ‘Now; now; now; now; now;’ and
never utters any other sound.” Oh, may the Lord
make it to be so, by his own free grace!
2 Corinthians 6:3
Authentic Living
Paul makes it clear that he doesn’t want anything to
hinder people from receiving God’s grace and their
ministry of reconciliation.
Too often unbelievers refuse to accept Christ because
they see how people who call themselves Christians live.
They see no difference and that is a hindrance to a lost
world.
Ephesians 4:1 and Colossians 1:10 urge us to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling. Both speak of bearing right
after walking in a manner worthy of the calling.
One we are to bear with one another in love.
The other we are challenged to bear fruit in every good
work.
When we live authentic lives we will bear fruit and we will
love others. It’s a natural outflow of walking in a manner
worthy of the calling.
The point Paul is making in Corinthians is that we ought
to do nothing that hinders anyone from coming to Christ.
Remember he said he would be all things to all people
that some may be saved.
APPLICATION
Live Authentic Lives
God calls us to be holy just as He is holy.
We are to be set apart. Living like Christ may offend
some people, but others it may make them want to know
why we live differently.
Be Bold with the Good News
We have the incredible life changing Good News and God
wants us to share it with the world.
How can we stress the urgency of the need for Christ to a
world that is perishing?
Once a newly assigned demon was explaining his
strategy to a veteran. “My plan,” he said proudly,
“is to convince the man that there is no God.” “No,”
said the senior devil, “That will not work. All the
man has to do is take a look beyond the earth and
he will know that God exists.” “Well, then,” said
the junior demon, “I will convince him that there is
no devil.” “That is more promising,” replied the
veteran tempter, “but, still, if he takes a close look
around his own neighborhood, he will realize that
the devil exists. Here’s the best plan. Don’t try to
convince him that there is no God or that there is
no devil. Just tell him there is no hurry.” May I say
to you this morning that you have no guarantee
that you will see another Christmas, or even this
one. I urge you this morning, I implore you to be
reconciled to God today.