October 20, 2024
Evening Service

2nd Corinthians 6:1  We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 

2nd Corinthians 6:2  For He says: "IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 

2nd Corinthians 6:3  We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 

2nd Corinthians 6:4  But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 

2nd Corinthians 6:5  in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 

2nd Corinthians 6:6  by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 

2nd Corinthians 6:7  by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 

2nd Corinthians 6:8  by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 

2nd Corinthians 6:9  as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 

2nd Corinthians 6:10  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

The gospel message is a simple truth, God gives grace to us and we are not worthy of the favor He shows. Even if we tried to be worthy, we could not be because of our sinful natures would make our works useless. This scripture shows the day of salvation is always intended to be today! It is not offered for yesterday, because that day has already passed and not offered for tomorrow, because there is no promise of tomorrow. Salvation therefore is always offered in the present and should be received in the present. Grace is a special gift from God that man cannot attain on his own and it cannot be bought or bartered for any cost. Jesus paid the cost and it was very costly to Him, but He willingly gives grace to us from His limitless love for His creation. The promise of tomorrow does not exist for anyone in this world, remember the man that had it in his mind to build more barns and store up his riches so he would be set for life and yet his soul was required of him that night. This is the whole of the importance of taking the opportunity of today to receive the gospel and believe in Jesus our Lord as our Savior and Redeemer! Quite truthfully, by tomorrow, the chance for many to receive the invitation from Jesus to be saved will have already passed and the judgment is now to come. This is a well-defined timeline for receiving the gospel message and taking action concerning our decision about our commitment. We should never be of the mindset that there will always be an opportunity to receive the gospel message and accept God’s grace, this is very arrogant and the truth about the nature of your very being and the time you have is not in you. This day we have grace and let us be cautious and intelligent about not losing the chance to receive it from Jesus.

Paul describes in these scriptures, the mannerisms of the minister and the attributes of servitude to God to share the message of Jesus and His Saving Grace. If a minister properly aligns himself in the character of God, he will be suited for not becoming prideful when people have a positive assessment about him or to be able to bear up against their disappointments they make known. A minister should be about being the Lord’s servant and looking for no kind of accolades for themselves, all things done are for God’s glory. This is the proper way to minister to people about God, showing, teaching, and preaching that God deserves the glory and we owe our praise to Him only! Everyone needs to receive the gospel when it is preached to them, we simply cannot save ourselves and we need a Savior! Immediately any person who receives Jesus as their Lord is from that time, better off than before, their spiritual condition is better and their priorities are more correctly aligned. People that commit to Jesus no longer live for their own personal reasons, the actually use their time for purposeful reasons to edify their Godly relationship. They did frivolously spend their money for many worldly wares and now tend to reason of how to spend it responsibly. Money is no longer the focus of living, but a tool to use in order to further living for God and becoming rich in the spirit living for him.

2nd Corinthians 6:11  O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 

2nd Corinthians 6:12  You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 

2nd Corinthians 6:13  Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. 

2nd Corinthians 6:14  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 

2nd Corinthians 6:15  And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 

2nd Corinthians 6:16  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." 

2nd Corinthians 6:17  Therefore "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD. DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN, AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU." 

2nd Corinthians 6:18  "I WILL BE A FATHER TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY."

It is not right for believers to become accustomed to hanging out with the wicked and evil doers. This is not to say that witnessing to those needy of the gospel is wrong, but to make this our standard for fellowship is detrimental for our walk with Christ Jesus. When we hear the word unbelief, this signifies that faith is lacking. Therefore, an unbeliever is one who does not have true faith and is in need of it to become a believer. Pastors will caution couples about to be married about their faith and being unequally yoked. The scriptures here are clear that believers and unbelievers are not of the same cloth and therefore will not share a common belief as it pertains to their faith. One of the first things to appear is the unbeliever will have none of the marital order defined by Scripture. So instead of the two becoming one and united together, they will become entangled with one another as if contained by a trap. Marriages of unequally yoked couples do not have the blessings of God because of the opposition to the scriptures about the union. As the scriptures said, what communion does light have with darkness? It is an obvious answer; there is no communion because they are opposites of one another. Nor does Christ have any union with Belial (Satan), they are opposites of each other and nothing is in common.  This word of warning is also something to be aware of in our common friendships and acquaintances, if we tend to mingle with those folks that are unbelievers, we can become tainted in our walk and subject ourselves to influences that would not exist in a fellowship of believers. Believers would tend to speak of spiritual things and to testify of good things accredited to God for holding them safely in His arms. These conversations would not be part of the unbelievers association. It is not possible to go through life without interaction with unbelievers; however, we should be careful to not be entangled in relationships with them as a common occurrence. Just by choosing a regular fellowship with an unbeliever, our spiritual thoughts can be corrupted and made less pure, our actions of how a believer would be in certain scenarios, may be influenced by our unbeliever fellowship. Case and point: as a believer, we may see someone in need and reach out to help in any way possible, but through our close association with unbelievers, we may now look at this same situation and say to ourselves, not my problem and choose not to help. The outcome of helping or not helping we know is vastly different and this is what the scriptures are teaching us. As a believer in the gospel, we must separate ourselves from the sinful pleasures of the world and the corruption of the soul that comes with it; not conforming to the world, but being transformed through the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. One of the commentaries I read said, “If we are envious of the privilege to be the son or daughter of an earthly prince, who can express the dignity and happiness of being sons and daughters of the Almighty?” Although, not of any earthy royalty or kingdom, to be seen and admired by man… we are sons and daughters of God Almighty and this is a lasting inheritance forever more. Thank you Lord Jesus for allowing us to be a part of the family of God, washed in the fountain, and cleansed by His blood!