Embracing God's Grace
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2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Last week we left off with these verses 2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Reminding us we are called to ambassadors for Christ, so we implore, that is we are asking everyone to be reconciled to God.
We know that in this life something is amiss, something isn’t quite as it should be, its called the human condition. Things do not go as they should, life is tough, children grow up and never call you, an illness strikes out of no where, and worst of all death is inevitable. Its as if Romans 6:23 rings truer than ever.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The wages of sin is death, that is death comes because of sin, and sin reigns in our mortal bodies and this this body perishes away, again reminding us of last week in which Paul is telling us that we live in a mere tent, that this is a temporary home while our permanent home is being prepared.
This sets us up in the context and mindset home we look at what Paul says next.
I. Embracing God's Grace (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
I. Embracing God's Grace (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
A. Working Together with God (v. 1)
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Right out of the gate we see that this idea of being reconciled to God is on the most important part of this whole story. Not for just what Paul is writing here but the Word of God as a whole, it is the story of redemption, from the fall in Genesis 3 all the way through to Abraham to his descendents, to the Kings, the prophets, the exile, the return and finally to Jesus. Its as if Paul here is summing up the importance of the whole story, namely that it is Jesus reconciling us to back to God, through his death burial and resurrection.
Be though that you did not receive this in vain. You want to know the most disturbing thing I ever heard from a church that we need to move beyond the gospel. That we need to move beyond the gospel, that is we cannot keep talking about Jesus, his death, his burial, his resurrection and most of all how he through all of this is reconciling us back to God. Talking about having received the grace of God in vain, if you think that you can be moved beyond the gospel, my friend you are sadly mistaken, sure there is more that we can talk about, there is more to the depths of theology that just talking about the cross, sure for you cannot just talk about the cross without talking about the resurrection, and the hope that comes with that, knowing that we too will live. For me it has always been this thought, as I went through seminary, talking about some of the high theological topics, such as talking about whether it is Christus victor or the vicarious satisfaction, simply put did Jesus defeat evil, thus winning the victory or did he pay the penalty of our sins, thus satisfying the demands of the law?
I guess I am a bit simple minded for my thought on this whole thing is yes, yes to both, for scripture says both, and its simple, if Jesus pays the penalty and we do not, or cannot , that also means he overcome evil, he wins the day. Theologians, and scholars will debate over this arguing for one or the other, making all kinds of ideas, philosophies and elaborate thoughts on how this plays out, but for me at the end of the day, are you going to talk about this on someones death bed? Obviously not, I am not going to waste a whole lot of time on these things for what really matters, well that a person is saved not by their good works, but by what Christ has done for them, and in their depths of despair, on their death bed not quite sure if after they take their final breath what will be waiting for them on the other side.
Never more disturbing is the person who is unsure, but Christ gives us hope, that this body is a mere tent and when it passes away, the very next thing scripture tells us is judgment, and that judgment isn’t based on our merit, but on what Christ has done.
B. The Time of God's Favor (v. 2)
2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Here Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 and in the context of Isaiah he is talking about the messiah, the redeemer and how every king and kingdom will fall down before him, thus Paul is say that this favorable time is now and the day of salvation now. It is the now and not yet, the kingdom has come, and yet it is coming, we are saved, and we are being saved, we live in the here and how, yet the time is coming will all will be set right again, when this fallen human condition we be restored to the way God had created, and it was good. Most of all a time will death will no longer reign, every tear will be wiped away, and we will live for eternity with Jesus. This is the day of salvation here and now and even so is to come as well.
Meaning for us here on this side of the cross, we eagerly wait for that day and we work each day here to tell others, to be the ambassadors of reconciliation. Bringing the good news to the world, that Jesus saves, we do not need to move beyond the gospel, but it is the gospel that bring us salvation, it is was brings about the favorable time, it is the everything that we need in life. There is no moving beyond the gospel, but moving into the truth of gospel, the revealing of who Jesus is, not just head knowledge but heart knowledge. The difference between know of Christ and knowing him, tasting him, in the bread and wine, in being part of him, by dying in the waters of baptism and raised to new life in him, to be his very body in the Church, each of us playing our part, some heads, some hearts, some hands and even some feet.
II. Living as Authentic Servants of God (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)
II. Living as Authentic Servants of God (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)
A. Avoiding Obstacles (vv. 3-4)
We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
What do we do then? We put no obstacles in anyone’s way, again I re-emphasize this not thinking that we somehow move beyond the gospel, but instead grow in the gospel, as to not put an obstacle in anyones way. Nothing disturbs me more than when I hear something like this, are you sure that you have done enough to get into heaven. We put no stipulations on coming to the gospel, there is no rule you need to follow, no prayer you need to say, no special means that you have to figure out, you don’t have to run around the building ten times, then stand on your head for 10 minutes, while reciting the apostles creed.
Any church that says you must do this or must do that in order that you will be saved I would question, for there is nothing you need to do, other that to believe, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. No we remove all obstacles and save come, taste and see that he is good, he saved you not because you were worthy, but because he is so great!
As proof of this Paul says look we put not obstacles in the way, so that no fault may be found with out ministry. In other words the mark of a questionable ministry is any ministry that requires you to do this or that thing, in order that you will be saved. Worship on the right day, say the right prayer, I could go on, but you get the point. Again I say “in order to be saved” it is one thing to have rules to be official voting members of a congregation, say we hear at Grace say you have to be in agreement with our beliefs, our confessions and our constitution or else you cannot become a member, and this is one thing, but it does not mean you cannot be part of the church, that is the confession of all believers, of all tribes, tongues and nations. Those who put their faith in Christ, who believe they are saved by Grace through faith, who confess the triune God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
B. Enduring Hardships (vv. 4-5)
but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
You’ll notice in this first part of this list these are all things outside of ourselves, besides the endurance to go through them. Then in this next part 2 Corinthians 6:6
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
These are all things which we can posses, but must be strived for, but pay special attention to that last one, that gets so messed up today, genuine love. Remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Two things in that it does not insist on its own way, and two it rejoices in truth. Go tell someone today that has one of those love wins stickers on their car, you know who they are, and ask them if they believe Jesus is the only way to God? Their love does not like truth, and in fact when confronted with the truth, will accuse you of being hateful and not loving, for they will insist on their own way.
Back to our list 2 Corinthians 6:7
by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
Again we just talked about that truthful speech, today they want to jail people if they use the wrong pronouns, they cannot stand the truth, they want to control it and manipulate it. The reason why is that the power of God, yet we are to yield the weapons of righteousness, again I would encourage you to learn what those ware, what righteousness really means, remembering it is the full armor of God, and the sword of truth, is the word of God. Then this curious thing of the right hand and the left, to this the church has always held a two kingdom theology, that is God is sovereign over all, whether the kingdoms of this world, the left hand, or the church, that is all true believers, the right hand kingdom. The left bears up the real swords, and the right the gospel, the sword of truth.
D. Paradoxes of Ministry (vv. 8-10)
Finishing up this thought then Paul says this next, 2 Corinthians 6:8-9
through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
It seems as if nothing has really changed in the world over the past 2000 plus years, that the worlds still does not like this Christian message and those who speak truth, for they treat us as impostors when they do not like the message we share, and yet we are true. They pretend like the world is turning away from God, that they have somehow proven that God doesn’t exist, yet all the proof says otherwise, they just hide it from those who are not willing to look beyond what they are told, by the so called experts.
This is a paradox of the world, the more it tries to disprove the more it proves. Just as here in 2 Corinthians, we are 2 Corinthians 6:10
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
God likes to take the things of this world and turn them on their heads, to make strong what the world sees as foolish, to say that we need to move beyond the gospel, yet the gospel is where salvation lays.
III. Open Hearts and Genuine Love (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)
III. Open Hearts and Genuine Love (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)
A. Paul's Open Heart (v. 11)
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open.
Nothing leaves us more venerable that opening our hearts, speaking freely and confessing the truth. At the same time however their is a freedom to truth, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free, even as hard as it is for some, truth is much more freeing, it never has to remember what the story was for the it knows the story.
B. Call to Open Hearts (vv. 12-13)
You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
This is interesting yet unfortunate that our reading ends here, for the sake of time it is good, yet this really ties in the next part of Pauls writing, but he says something really interesting that this restriction they think they have by the gospel, isn’t really a problem with the gospel, but there lack of willingness to show their affections. They think like many that if they open themselves up they will become venerable themselves. They hide it away.
Bringing us back to our main point what do we do with this gospel, do we keep it to ourselves, or be we bring the ministry of reconciliation to others? Have we believed in vain, or do we really believe in the transformative power of the gospel, if so then what are we to fear? Afraid that we may show the truth to others, that they may think less of us, that they may mock us, and yet it is so simple, to just tell people of the great love God has for us, that he sent his only begotten Son, to be bare up that cross, to suffer and die in our place, and then rise from the dead three days later, resurrecting from the dead, showing us that he even defeated death, that we too may live again with him for eternity. Amen