Hardships of Christian Love
The Hardships of Christian Love
2 Corinthians 2:1-11
Introduction:
What do you think of when you think of Christian love?
ð Fellowship: doing things together
ð Sharing
ð Praying for one another
ð Meeting needs in times of need
ð Encouragement in times of trouble
All of those and more are a part of Christian love, yet there is a negative or hard side to Christian love as well. It is a part of true love that we do not like to think about, and even less like to be a part of.
It is that aspect of love that we want to look at in 2 Cor. 2
Two “hard” aspects of true Christian love:
1. Confrontation
2. Forgiveness
As hard as these are both are necessary in the Church and in healthy Christian love
I. Confrontation:
1. Paul had confronted the believers in Corinth in his first letter to them
He dealt with such things as:
ð Division and fighting in the Church
ð Lack of spiritual growth
ð Sexual immorality that was in the Church
ð Taking one another to court
ð Trouble with marriages
ð Not taking care of their widows
ð Idolatry
ð Fighting over spiritual gifts: Especially uplifting tongues
ð Trouble with attitude at communion table
ð Wrong preaching on doctrine of resurrection
2. Paul was confronting them now even with this second letter
We talked last week about how he was confronting those who leveled unfair criticism against him
He further explains here why he did not come to them: He was so sad by what was taking place in the Church that he did not want to come in sorrow. He had written to them, then withheld a visit to them if for no other reason than to get their attention.
3. Some lessons from this confrontation:
1) It was necessary
It was necessary because the Church and believers were headed in the wrong direction
Their fighting with one another lead to serious division
Their taking each other to court lead to lack of testimony
Their sexual immorality weakened their marriages and lead to all kinds of problems
Their fighting over spiritual gifts led to pride and lack of service
Confrontation was necessary to get them back on the right track, to restore their testimony, and to prevent them from more serious problems.
It is so necessary that Jesus spent time in Matthew 18:15-20 teaching His disciples the proper way to confront fellow believers.
Paul picked up on this in 1 Cor. 5: Evidently the Church had not been confronting sin and Paul very strongly tells them that it needs to be dealt with, even severely!!
It seems today that in the name of Christian love today we see it more necessary to ignore sin and just hope for some type of restoration. Paul and Jesus both taught that at times confrontation is necessary.
2) It was painful
For Paul
Note verse 4
Loving confrontation is never easy, done with the proper attitude and spirit it hurts a great deal.
Never looked forward to or something that we enjoy.
If we enjoy it then something is wrong
Shame today that there are two extremes today:
Those who enjoy it and those who refuse to do it.
For those in Corinth
Paul was very concerned with the sorrow caused to them
Felt that the sorrow was worth the end result
3) It was done in love 4b
This is the key: Not done in revenge, to cause pain, or to belittle
Done in genuine Christian love
Desire to see restoration and change, not pain and suffering
Illustration: Parent disciplines a child to cause growth and protect from harm.
See kids screaming and yelling because parent will not let them play in the road or with a hot stove. Yet parent knows that they are protecting them from great harm
Parent holds child firmly on lap in doctor’s office while he shoves a needle in their arm. Knows it will protect them.
4) It was done with the purpose of restoration
Confrontation carries with it many negative connotations. Even the dictionary defines it in a negative way. Yet done properly with the right motive and the right attitude it is necessary as part of Christian love. Paul confronted the Church of Corinth; fortunately they responded properly and good came out of it.
II. Forgiveness vv. 5-11
1. Forgiveness is also an act of Christian love v. 8
Paul had told them in 1 Cor. 5 that if a brother had sinned and would not repent of that sin to turn away from that brother and put him out of the Church.
Now evidently that brother had repented of his sin and Paul tells them to forgive him and restore him to the Church.
This forgiveness would be a hard act of Christian love
Has been described as the “highest form of Christian love.”
2. Forgiveness is necessary v. 11
If it does not take place then Satan has a foothold with which to work
My how we see that in Christianity today.
We teach and preach forgiveness and yet there are new Churches started over lack of forgiveness, believers who will not speak to each other, or not speak well of each other because of things said and done that are not forgiven.
Satan uses such things to cause others to look at the Church and think, “If that is what Christianity is then I want no part of it!” WHO CAN BLAME THEM!!
Satan uses this to cause a lack of growth: If there is bitterness in our lives then we are not going to grow. Our prayer life is a mere formality, etc.
3. Forgiveness flows out of Christ’s forgiveness v. 10
We forgive because Christ has forgiven us
Remember that in our communion service in a few minutes
Often what we are unwilling to forgive is little things. Ever listen to someone share the “horrible sin” done to them that they are unwilling to forgive and want to laugh? Why is it?
Christ has forgiven us so much, we need to be willing to forgive
4. Forgiveness is a test of where we really are in our Christian lives v. 9
If we are unwilling to forgive then we are showing a lack of desire to be obedient to Christ.
Anyone can say they want to walk with Christ, forgiveness shows us how sincere we really are.