July 12, 2015
Morning Service

II Cor. 6

 

Paul finished chapter 5 by saying this:

2Co 5:17-21  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (18)  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

Let’s begin with chapter 6:

2Co 6:1-18  We then, as workers together with him,

·         Workers with Christ.  Encouraging people to be reconciled to Christ.

beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  (2)  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

·         Paul quotes from Isaiah concerning the Messiah:

·         Isa 49:8-13  Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;  (9)  That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.  (10)  They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.  (11)  And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.  (12)  Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.  (13)  Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

·         Paul is telling the church at Corinth, and wherever the church is meeting, that this has, and is being fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.  Grace, and truth came by Jesus Christ.  Now is the day of salvation, not tomorrow, not next week, but today.  Do not put it off, for we are not promised tomorrow, we have only today.  We encourage you to be reconciled to God.

(3)  Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 

·         Not meaning to be offensive.  But offences are going to come, and be given.  We just need to learn how to react to offences, because they will happen.  All responses must be done in love.

(4)  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,  (5)  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;  (6)  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,  (7)  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,  (8)  By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;  (9)  As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;  (10)  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 

·         At this time Paul is working together with Christ to establish a new religion.  Christianity.  Much turmoil, and resistance lies ahead, even to one losing his life for this new found religion.

(11)  O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.  (12)  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.  (13)  Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 

·         Listen to this from another translation.

·         2Co 6:11-12  We have spoken freely to you people in Corinth. We have opened our hearts to you.  (12)  Our feelings of love for you have not stopped. It is you who have stopped your feelings of love for us.  2Co 6:13  I speak to you as if you were my children. Do the same as we have done--open your hearts also.

(14)  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

·         Yoked together, not only applies to who we marry, but who we spend time with.  The answer to all these questions is NONE. 

·         Paul also said this, 1Co 5:9-12  I wrote to you in my letter that you should not associate with people who sin sexually.  (10)  But I did not mean the people of this world. You would have to leave the world to get away from all the people who sin sexually, or who are greedy and cheat each other, or who worship idols.  (11)  I meant you must not associate with people who claim to be believers but continue to live in sin. Don't even eat with a brother or sister who sins sexually, is greedy, worships idols, abuses others with insults, gets drunk, or cheats people.  (12)  It is not my business to judge those who are not part of the group of believers. God will judge them, but you must judge those who are part of your group. The Scriptures say, "Make the evil person leave your group."

·         Since we have different values, and beliefs, than the world, the main reason that we have worldly friends is to win them to Christ.  Since we believe there is coming a day of judgment, Paul said, “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”  The day of judgment for some will be a day of terror, when they are sentenced to be destroyed in the lake of fire.  For the believers it will be a day of receiving your rewards, being judged out of the two books, the book of life, and the book of works (Rev.20:11-12).  Once you obey the gospel, and accept Christ as your savior, it’s not a matter of being lost or saved at the judgment, but what you have done in the body of Christ, for rewards.

(17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

·         God told the children of Israel this often.  He did not want them mingling, and picking up bad habits from the people around them.  Many times they were instructed to destroy all the inhabitants in the land where they went.  God had given them instructions through Moses, and the law was just, holy, and good, according to Paul.  The law came through Moses, but truth, and grace came through Jesus Christ.  The people couldn’t keep all the law, so there needed to be another covenant of grace, it comes through the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.

·         This is a strong call for Christians to separate themselves from worldly involvement of the things contrary to the will of God. 

·         Remember the Apostle told Timothy, “2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 

·         It is to be rightly divided, but acknowledged as God’s will for mankind.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO CARRY OUT YOUR WILL IN ALL WE DO IN JESUS NAME. AMEN