2 Corinthians 7:2-4

Intro

Our heart has 5 main arteries. I don’t know the proper terms for all of them so I won’t try. I probably should’ve asked Eric Cheung before I used this as an opening illustration…but I know there are five main ones. And, if any one of these gets clogged, blood cannot be pumped throughout the body properly, your heart is compromised. It cannot work properly and, if gone untreated, it can cause a heart attack. So, the heart, as a muscle, must be exercised so that the body can function at its maximum capacity. And, to avoid clogs, we have to make sure we are taking care of what we put into our bodies.

Well, as we well know from our time in the book of 2 Corinthians, there is a clog in the church.

Context

False teachers have come into the town of Corinth and lied about Paul in a number of ways and because they can’t actually find anything that’s actually damnable, they decide to make things up. The Corinthians have aligned themselves to false teachers, whose ultimate aim is to do them harm by guiding them away from Gospel; and the Corinthians seem to prefer the false teachers over and above the Apostle Paul and his co-laborers, who come only to encourage them in the Gospel. As we’ll see later in the letter, Paul tells them that they’re willing to bear with those who are actually trying to hurt them, sometimes physically, but not with Paul, a minister of the Gospel. These false teachers are trying to convince the church at Corinth that Paul is out for selfish gain and working against them, and so he has to write this second letter to the Corinthians, not for his sake but for theirs. The number one false accusation is that Paul was, somehow, using the Corinthian church for his own personal gain. To put it simply, the accusation was that Paul does not love you.

By God’s grace, he can see the damage done to the hearts of the Corinthians in this—among all of the other things going on—and his aim is to, by the grace of God, speak to it, see repentance and see love restored. And, Paul does all this out of love for Christ

Sin has clogged the arteries connected to the beating heart of the Corinthians, and it’s kept them from allowing one seemingly simple command to flow freely throughout the church—love.

He’s picking up the exhortation, concerning his love, that he began in 6:11-13:

[11] We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. [12] You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. [13] In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. (ESV)

And in our text for tonight, 2 Corinthians 7:2-4 he says:

[2] Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. [3] I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. [4] I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. (ESV)

Paul was being attacked by false teachers. There were not many of them, maybe there were just three men. Sometimes, that’s all you need sitting there in the congregation sitting there with a screw face while Paul taught and preached.

And we might say, “There are no false teachers here at RCF. We don’t have the same kinds of controversies happening in our church. Where’s the fire? And, I would argue that the false teachers at work amongst the Corinthians are the same one’s we war against today — the world, the flesh and the devil. Sometimes, they just wear different clothes. And, it doesn’t take much:

Ecclesiastes 10:1

[1] Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. (ESV)

With that, I’d put forward two points for our study tonight:

Make Room For the Grace of God

Grace Allows Us To Love One Another

And then, I hope to have a couple points of more specific application at the end.

Make Room For the Grace of God

Listen to Paul’s plea again:

6:11-13 - [11] We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. [12] You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. [13] In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. (ESV)

7:2 - [2] Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. [3] I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. [4] I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. (ESV)

Paul’s plea is simply this. I love you, won’t you love me? It’s simple enough to say, but what’s worth noting is what is keeping the Corinthians from welcoming Paul and believing the best about him; it’s not Paul, but their affections… or their bowels…their passions, as James writes, “are at war within them” and that’s what’s keeping them from loving the Apostle Paul, their brother in Christ. It’s the cause of conflict.

Remember, the accusation is that Paul, as an Apostle and the one who came to proclaim the gospel to them, does not love them. And what is the love of a believer for another believer, but the very grace of God in ones life. The only reason I can say, with genuineness and sincerity that I love the Church and RCF specifically, is because God has done that work in my heart, and your heart and your heart. That is a work of God’s grace in my life and your life.

Romans 5:5 - God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

That is a work of God. And so, what are the Corinthians really being tricked into believing? God’s grace is not at work in this man’s life. The false teachers are there to sow seeds of unbelief in life of the church and the seeds of unbelief and doubt are not just questioning whether Paul loves them or not, but whether or not the grace of God is at work in Paul, for their good. They are, in affect, not making room for the grace of God in their brother and the one charged with preaching the Gospel to them because someone made a really well spoken argument against him, with not evidence…and they believe it.

And, before we get to Paul’s defense, I think it’s important that we recognize our tendency towards the same unbelief. We often refuse to make room in our hearts for one another because we want people to be to us now, what they will only be to use in glory. Where there will be no more anger or jealousy or reasons to need to seek forgiveness.

And so, you see the false teachers in the Corinthian church are undermining the reputation of a man who’s life had been dramatically changed by the grace of God. I mean, why should the Apostle Paul need to defend himself in v. 2? Were it not for Paul, many of the Corinthians would have never have been introduced to the love of God in the Gospel.

If I am saying anything, I’m saying this --- we must make room for the fact that all of us at RCF do not do what we want to do, and what we don’t want to do, we keep on doing! And be mindful of the fact that we will, often be tempted, to close off the arteries through which, by the grace of God, the love of God flows to other believers. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:11, “our hearts are wide open to you.”

Think of all the warts in the Corinthian church and all of the things that Paul could say, “I’m done with you.” And instead, he says, “I’m with you…my heart is wide open to you. Come on in.” This is the Corinthian church who had rebelled against him, criticized him, entertained lies about him…and there’s no room in their hearts for him. And he says, “That’s okay. There’s room in mine for you.”

He is, as he tells the Colossians, bearing with them so that they might bear with one another. And please don’t miss this church—and this feels a little weird and self-serving for me to say---but it’s worth noting that the people the Corinthians are closed off to, in their hearts, is the one charged with keeping watch over their souls. As one preacher puts it, “If grumbles and hatred confronted the apostle Paul surely it is going to strike pastors and congregations today.” RCF is not immune and we would do well to be watchful over our own souls and our own affections, for one another and for our pastors.

Paul's request begs the question, Is there something in my life that is keeping me from opening my heart to another brother or sister, in Christ? Relationship? Goal? Position? Something we are not willing to give up?

Paul’s request, Make room in your hearts for us… is what we ought to be striving to do for one another, in the life of our church, in every season.

Grace Allows Us To Love One Another

Despite the accusations, the lies and the criticism, Paul, by the grace of God is committed, in love to the Corinthians. By the grace of God, Paul, while coming to his own defense actually illustrates what it is to love one another:

(v.2) We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one...

Acts 20:33,24 - I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

To wrong someone means to treat someone unjustly or to injure them. To lead them into sin. He’s never done that. He had never done anything to cause them to sin. They’ve hurt him; they’ve been unfair; they’ve lied; they’ve been unjust toward him...But he’s never done it to them. He’s never hurt them; he’s never been unkind, unfair; he’s never done anything to use or abuse them. He’s never taught them error. He’s never led them into sin.

He’s never used his authority as an apostle to abuse them or corrupt them or to dissuade them from the truth or from a sincere love for the LORD.

Ex: Telling a new believer, full of zeal, they'll "grow out of it" as they mature? What?!?

(v.2) not taken advantage of you

He's not taken anything from anyone or had relationships, simply for that advantage that it gives them. Instead, in his letter to Timothy he says that he, “endure(s) everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Paul was, by the grace of God, able to love the church at Corinth. And display the love he encouraged them to display in the 13th chapter of his first letter to them. The reason that Paul could not corrupt them, wrong them or take advantage of them...is because he loves them! (7:3). May it be said of us, Church.

His love for them, ties him to them...even to death. (v.3) You are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. He is, as some of us might say, about that life...

For the church at Corinth! Warts and all...I'm with you. How can you think that I am out to get you, if we're going to spend eternity together?

The height of friendship. I am ready to die and live with you and for you. This is nothing less than the grace of God, manifest in the life of Paul, a shepherd, so that he looks like the Good Shepherd.

John 10:11

[11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (ESV)

Is this not the love of our Savior! The promises of "I will not forsake you." are for when you feel as though all have actually forsaken you. Or, when you feel as though they ought to forsake you." And Jesus' reply is..Oh, but I've laid down my life for you. In the world you will have all sorts of tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. You'll be with me forever and I with you!

Not only that, but he’s proud of them and he says he’s filled with comfort and that he’s overflowing with joy, even in his affliction…because of them. In other words, “I love telling people how encouraged I am. When I think of you, my heart just melts. I love you so much.” This is the Corinthian church! This is the church that, when we talk about churches with “problems” (like churches filled with sinners don’t have problems) we use this church as an example. This is the church that, if placed in today’s culture, someone might say, “Did I see one of your members in a fist fighting with another member in the street, over some illicit affair…also happening in your church.” And this is the church that Paul says, “I’m so proud of you! I love you!” They’re actively rooting against him! And Paul’s response is, “When I think of you…my heart is full of joy.”

Because the Corinthian church belongs to Jesus! All of them! Because Paul sees their progress and it’s evidence to him the grace of God is at work! Corinthians…I love you.

Geoff Thomas said this, “The unloving heart is a suspicious heart. The loving heart is an unsuspicious heart.”

In other words, the loving heart is not waiting for something to go wrong...the loving heart believes all things...believes, because the Holy Spirit lives in another brother or sister that..."I have every reason to be hopeful here. God's in that person."

Encourage your brothers and sisters in the Lord, not to flatter them, but because you have every reason to be confident in them--they're filled with the Holy Spirit!

Dads ought to be really good at this, "You can do it! I love you!"

Pastors ought to be really good at this… “I see you Church! God is at work in you! I’m proud of you. Keep bearing fruit in keeping with repentance!”

Paul's aim is to be as Christ to the Corinthian church...at the worst moments. He wouldn't think of abandoning them, because Jesus would not abandon them. He would think to wrong them or harm them, because Jesus didn't do that--He put himself in harms way, so that we might be saved.

And so, he can say with confidence, “I’ve never wronged you, corrupted you or taken advantage of you” because his love proves it.

This is not the "sinlessness" of Paul.

This is not the "sinlessness" of the Apostles.

This is not putting forth the idea that pastors or Christians can be sinless.

This is the same Paul who said, "I don't do what I want, and what I don't want to do, I keep doing. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"

We are imperfect, of course, and we are in a church full of imperfect people who are in a constant state of sanctification, by the Lord, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

BUT, we ought to be able to speak with a clear conscience, in humility, when it comes to our character. By the grace of God, Paul can say that he had neither wronged, nor corrupted nor exploited anyone...and by the grace of God, so should we be able to say the same. We should be able to say, by God’s grace, I love you.

Paul knew that he could not follow Christ and pastor a congregation while at the same time wronging anyone, corrupting somebody, or exploiting a person, and by the grace of Jesus Christ he was enabled to avoid doing any of those things.

Pastors should be able to say this especially, and every believer, certainly. "If the church imitates me, what will she look like."

And we should, by the grace of God, love one another from sincere faith and a clear conscience.

Points of Application

Here is the danger...we are a church filled with many people who know their theology and so, I believe that they may think that in some ways, we think we are immune to some of the devil's schemes. We are not! He's a better theologian than we are, which means he only finds craftier ways to try and devour us and sour us to love of God and to our fellow

1. Again, ask yourselves, What keeps us from opening our hearts to one another? What am I holding onto that might be keeping me from freely loving my brothers and sister in Christ?

2. Tell people that you are encouraged by them. If you can't tell anyone that, you may need to move a little closer into people's lives. I think we do this well as a church, I always think we can grow.

3. It feels weird to say, almost self-serving, because I’m a pastor, but I do believe that this passage is also a unique call to make room in your hearts for those charged with the task of preaching the Gospel to you and watching over your souls—make room. Believe the best. Love believes all things. Pray for them. (Thank you Emmanuel). Encourage them with specific feedback after a message. Exercise patience. If we value and treasure our preachers, we will make room for them in our hearts. We have room for so many other things...

4. Consider what the Sovereign and loving hand of God might be doing if he allows the suffering of unjust ridicule and unkindess into your life. Consider this...often times it can be the insults of others that God uses to bring about the humility we've requested in prayer.

Matthew 5:11 - [11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (ESV)

As one commentator puts it, “Graces grow as they are exercised. They are exercised as they are tested. Forbearance, and patience, and longsuffering develop under provocation.”

And in those moments, church, are we to mindful that we are to make room for the grace of God to work in our imperfect lives and the lives of others, seeking to love them unconditionally, because that is the love that’s displayed for us in the Gospel. So that when we think about one another, we can say, “I’m for you. My heart is open to you. I’m proud to call you a brother or a sister in Christ. When I think of you saint, I am overflowing with joy.” All this is the grace of God in our lives. We need his help for it all.

Let’s pray.