2 Corithians 6:1-10 says,
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, which read,\
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain--for He says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now it "the day of salvation"--giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
Paul is the master of long run on sentences. He is also the master of the Thesaurus. In the last verses of chapter 5 Paul is pleading and begging with the Corinthian church to be reconciled to God. In chapter 6 he continues that plea.
Paul wants this grace of God, the new covenant through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, to be received not in vain or received lightly now to reject later. Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 and pulls out the phrases "the acceptable time" and "the day of salvation" to emphasis that this decision to accept the faith that has been presented to them is a matter of the day. He is calling the question for them when it comes to about the matter of salvation and the position of the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. He is placing them on the road to Damascus with him when it was the acceptable time and the day of salvation for him.
Paul then walks through all these phrases that lets his readers know that the message of the grace of God did not come on a silver platter. The message came through much persecution and opposition. Paul and his companions endured much to get the message to them and continued to receive this treatment even after the fact. In the midst of that pressure, the message of the gospel still came in purity and kindness and with and in genuine love. The message came with the power of God and broke through all of the situations that would have hindered it from getting to their ears.
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain--for He says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now it "the day of salvation"--giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
Paul is the master of long run on sentences. He is also the master of the Thesaurus. In the last verses of chapter 5 Paul is pleading and begging with the Corinthian church to be reconciled to God. In chapter 6 he continues that plea.
Paul wants this grace of God, the new covenant through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, to be received not in vain or received lightly now to reject later. Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 and pulls out the phrases "the acceptable time" and "the day of salvation" to emphasis that this decision to accept the faith that has been presented to them is a matter of the day. He is calling the question for them when it comes to about the matter of salvation and the position of the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. He is placing them on the road to Damascus with him when it was the acceptable time and the day of salvation for him.
Paul then walks through all these phrases that lets his readers know that the message of the grace of God did not come on a silver platter. The message came through much persecution and opposition. Paul and his companions endured much to get the message to them and continued to receive this treatment even after the fact. In the midst of that pressure, the message of the gospel still came in purity and kindness and with and in genuine love. The message came with the power of God and broke through all of the situations that would have hindered it from getting to their ears.
Paul
is saying that it is worth all the struggle for them to hear this
message of grace. It is worth all the sorrow and hardships to see
others know of the love of God for salvation.
Is the gospel real? Would Paul and his companions go through all of that if it wasn't? Would they do and endure all of that if it was just a lie? This was not a momentary decision that Paul made on the road to Damascus. This was not a slight decision that was abandoned when the first pressure came from the other side. This was not a decision made in vain but one to stand on for the rest of his life. Paul is not painting a "everything will be peaches and cream when you asked Jesus into your heart" picture but rather you will have the resolve that no matter what comes your way, you will stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes you stand and continually give glory to His name no matter the shifting sands around you.
"Lord, Paul shows us backstage of what it took to get the message of the grace of God to the Christians in the Corinthian church. Thank You that it was not a vain decision for him to answer the question on the road to Damascus. May our decision to You be of this caliber. The world may throw everything at this exclusive commitment to You but may we endure all because You are so worth it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Is the gospel real? Would Paul and his companions go through all of that if it wasn't? Would they do and endure all of that if it was just a lie? This was not a momentary decision that Paul made on the road to Damascus. This was not a slight decision that was abandoned when the first pressure came from the other side. This was not a decision made in vain but one to stand on for the rest of his life. Paul is not painting a "everything will be peaches and cream when you asked Jesus into your heart" picture but rather you will have the resolve that no matter what comes your way, you will stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes you stand and continually give glory to His name no matter the shifting sands around you.
"Lord, Paul shows us backstage of what it took to get the message of the grace of God to the Christians in the Corinthian church. Thank You that it was not a vain decision for him to answer the question on the road to Damascus. May our decision to You be of this caliber. The world may throw everything at this exclusive commitment to You but may we endure all because You are so worth it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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