2 Cor. 7

Intro

Lessons from a difficult relationship—Paul and the Corinthians.

Part 1.

3 lessons on living in peace as the body of Christ

—>The importance of unity

Refuse to be bitter

Paul refused to allow bitterness or animosity to gain a foothold and harm his relationship with the Corinthian believers.

Paul refused to allow bitterness or animosity to gain a foothold and harm his relationship with the Corinthian believers.

Love on another deeply

We so readily divide over the slightest things (small offenses, different preferences, imagined slights)

“Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.”

Paul’s affection for his fellow believers is rooted in an eternal reality.

Notice the reversed order—it is not “we live and die together”

that is the natural order of things

that is mere comradeship, a three musketeers-like bond

Instead the order is “we die and live together”

that is the supernatural order of things

that is eternal brotherhood and sisterhood of those who, being united in Christ’s death are also united in His glorious life

We therefore live in supernatural unity with our fellow believers

it is a trinitarian unity that we share in Christ

How are your interactions with your fellow believers in this room shaped by the reality that you will spend eternity together?

How does being brothers and sisters in Christ make this fellowship distinct? In what ways is that manifest in your life?

3. Praise one another, and be encouraged by one another

Do not flatter, but commend what is commendable, and praise what is praiseworthy

In these letters Paul has spoken the full truth to this struggling church, the truth in love, but the truth unvarnished.

He has called them

Fractious and divisive ()

Immature and carnal ()

Spiritually arrogant ()

Grossly sexually immoral ( & 6)

Derelict in spiritual discipline ()

Unlovingly litigious ()

Unwise in matters of liberty ()

Selfish at the communion meal ()

Self-seeking in spiritual gifts ()

Not to mention the extremely personal nature of way in which 2 Corinthians opens

Paul has spoken lovingly, as a father as he says in , but also forcefully and truthfully as necessary, and so his words here can be taken as nothing less than sincere.

Paul’s praise comes from two factors:

What the Corinthians have done: repent of their sin

What God is doing through Corinthians: bringing comfort (see also the end of the chapter)

We should be looking for ways to appropriately praise one another.

-I want to commend you for the way in which you have responded to change

-I want to commend you for the way in which you took seriously my charge to pursue membership and become a participant in church rather than a consumer at church

-I’m so thankful for the way in which you love and serve one another (the treats, the fellowship, the prayer, rejoicing with those who rejoices, mourning with those who mourn)

-I want to praise those of you who are new and have joined our class over the last several months for your courage to jump into our community (I know that can be uncomfortable) and I want to praise those of you who helped others feel welcomed.

-I want you to know how encouraging you all have been to Corrin and I

Clarifying questions to identify if your words would be appropriate praise or inappropriate flattery:

Am I intending to tickle their ego, or give a word of helpful encouragement?

Is what I’m saying true?

Is what I’m going to say likely become a stumbling block for pride?

What is my motive?

Am I trying to ingratiate myself into someone’s good graces, or to encourage my brother or sister to further love and good deeds?

Part 2.

The Character of Repentance:

Worldly sorrow

Sorrow about getting caught, not sorrow for sin

it is to feel the pain of the consequence but not the guilt of the offense

it is the fool who is afraid his sin will be revealed before man, but has no fear of God.

The evidence is in a lack of changed behavior

This sorrow still leads to death! Why? Because there is no departure from sin!

James 1:13–15 ESV

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James

Examples:

Saul (when he learns the kingdom will be taken away) 1 Samuel 15

2. Godly sorrow

This is finding your sin before God insufferable—to be pained by the reality of your sin rather than the embarrassment of its discovery

See how aggressively the Corinthians went after their sin problem

A marker of Godly sorrow? Repentance.

That is a turning from sin and turning toward God

story of the prophet in “don’g go back the way you came”

Examples:

David

Nineveh

Repentance is a mark of the regenerate person.

When confronted with sin in your life, do you have wordly sorrow or Godly sorrow? In what ways does your life reveal repentance?