October 27, 2024
Evening Service

Review:  In chapter 6, Paul emphasized that “today is the day of salvation,” and revealed to us all the struggles his ministry has endured to proclaim that message. (Read 6:4-10) He went on to also reveal to us that we are “the temple of the living God.” (read 6:16-18) In making his point he uses Old Testament scripture to show the promises of God’s presence in our lives is true.  In verse 16, he quotes Jeremiah’s prophecy.  In verse 17, he quotes Isaiah and Ezekiel.   In verse 18, he quotes from 2^nd Samuel.  

            As we begin chapter 7, now looks back (therefore) at these promises and enlightens us on what we are to do with them.

  2Co 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

            When we are aware of company coming at the Isom house, we often do a quick clean up to be sure everything looks nice for our guests.  Paul here is telling us that since God has promised His presence to be with us, we need to “cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and spirit.”  We are called to cleanse our house on the outside and inside.  The filthiness of the flesh is our physical impurities, bad habits that we do with our physical bodies.  The filthiness of the spirit is our inward self; our thoughts and motives.  This cleansing moves us towards our “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  Because God is with us, we should be working within our lives to be removing our old sinful garments and ways and to be putting on the robe of righteous living; being transformed into His image.  Paul provided for us a house cleaning checklist is his letter to the Colossians:

 

Col 3:5-17 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  (6)  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, (7) in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  (8)  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  (9)  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, (10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, (11) where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.  

(12)  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (13) bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  (14)  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  (15)  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  (16)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  (17)  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

 

 

            That is a checklist for each of us to see if we are “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  It is a process in which we work at removing the old and replacing it with the new.  How are you doing? I still have some work to do and I will continue to strive for perfection until the end.

            Paul now turns to the elephant in the room.  Paul had written his first letter to this Corinthian church scolding them for venturing away from his teachings.  At first the church did not receive the rebuke very well and many even challenged Paul’s authority in even writing to them in this manner.  This tore Paul up as the last thing a minister wants is division that takes focus off of the message.  He now begins to address that situation being very open and transparent.

 

2Co 7:2-5 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.  (3)  I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.  (4)  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.  (5)  For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.

            You can feel Paul’s heart for this congregation through his words as he pleads with them to believe that he has no ill will against them, but truly loves them.  He loved them enough to speak to them straightforwardly with great boldness confronting the problems in the church rather than dancing around them.  He actually has been boasting about them to others.  The resolution, which is revealed next, has brought great comfort and joy to Paul bringing great relief to Paul’s troubles on the outside and inside.  He now reveals the resolution.

 

2Co 7:6-8 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, (7) and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.  (8)  For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.

            Titus had been sent to Corinth to update Paul on what progress had been made through his first letter, and he returned with a wonderful report.  The letter had brought within them the exact reaction Paul would have hoped for.  They realized his love for them and had an earnest desire, mourning, and zeal to follow Paul’s commands to them.  He had no regrets though he made them sorrowful, it created the needed cleansing in them (the putting off and the putting on).  Paul now describes what a true cleansing looks like.

 

2Co 7:9-11 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  (10)  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  (11)  For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

 

 

 

 

            Paul’s rebuke to them set a chain of events into play. Godly sorrow produced repentance leading to salvation.  Their sorrow produced a diligence (showing great effort), clearing, indignation (anger provoking one to action), fear, vehement desire and zeal.  These attributes, actions and attitudes vindicating them proving they were on the right road.  This is the reaction we are to have when we are confronted with falling short of our calling in Christ.  A desire, a hunger, and a thirst to make it right with God and those we have wronged.

            How do we handle it when the Lord, or His messenger, reveals to us we are in the wrong and need to make it right?  At first, I think we all deny it and try to either blame someone else or justify our actions in some way.  But when we look closely into our spiritual mirror and see that we have been weighed in the balance only to be found lacking, I pray we show these same attributes, actions, and attitudes to cleanse ourselves as the Corinthians did.  We always seem to be quick to defend ourselves, but less energetic to make things right.  The Corinthians, once they realized Paul was right, were very enthusiastic to change their course and move forward.  We should be humble enough to do the same.

            Paul now explains it as if he heard our sermon this morning.  This pain and discomfort of being called out gave them a chance to dig down and put their faith into action.  He praises them for passing the test and bringing comfort and joy through Titus’s testimony.

 

2Co 7:12-16 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.  (13)  Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.  (14)  For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.  (15)  And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.  (16)  Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

          Paul show the that this pain and discomfort of being called out was not so much about the wrong doers, but about how the church would react to it.  Would they reject the truth and move forward or would they accept it and make the needed changes?  It is a choice we have to make as well.  Do we humble ourselves and admit our mistakes or try to sweep them under the rug and move one?

As a minister, leader or even a parent, we can point those we are leading in the right direction, but then we truly wonder if they will listen or act at all.  Paul here is so joyful that the church vindicated itself by doing the right thing which made him rejoice building his confidence in them.  There is no greater joy than to see the one you are investing in heavily, to put your advice into action (doers not hearers only).  I have great confidence in all of you here tonight that you seeking to be all God has created you to be.  You listen to learn and then look at ways to apply that knowledge to your daily walk with the Lord.  I rejoice in you and your faithfulness!

 

Heavenly Father, humble us to be ready to receive rebuke when it is needed in our lives.  Empower us to react as the Corinthians did with great vigor to make things right and cleanse ourselves, moving forward to perfection.