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Read your Life Group lesson in your Learner guide today.
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time? What did I say to God?
2 Corinthians 6:13-7:4
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
This week we have focused on the need for good relationships with one another. As we complete our Scripture reading for the week we find ourselves being exhorted to holiness. The call is for us to be separated from the world in practice.
1. The practice of being bound in partnership with unbelievers is not an acceptable partnership.
2. Christ in partnership with Belial would be without harmony.
3. Placing idols in the temple is a worldly practice.
Holiness means separating oneself to the things of God and not living in partnership with the world or the things of the world. In chapter 7 and verse 1 Paul admonishes us to seek a perfection of holiness in the fear of God. Through a great reverential respect to the Lord we are to walk in obedience to Christ.
Holiness will produce Godly relationships. As a matter of fact, the nature of our relationships reveals our holiness. It would be incompatible for one seeking after the holiness of God to live in broken relationships with his brother. It is also incompatible for a believer to have partnership relationships with unbelievers. Let us strive for holiness in all things.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did God say to me?
2 Corinthians 6:3-12
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
Good first impressions are often important but never the most important. The most important impression is an impression formed over time due to the consistency in one’s life. First impressions fade like the flower that blooms in the morning only to disappear in the afternoon. A good first impression must be supported by consistent actions that result in long lasting good impressions. Authenticity means more in keeping relationships reconciled than some temporary front used only to impress someone else.
As you read our text today, make some notes as to all the ways that Paul expresses his faithfulness to the Gospel and to them. He had clearly been attacked by some who had come into the church from the outside. They had questioned many sides of his character and his teachings. Even so, he could express his commitment to them based upon his consistent walk with Christ and his heart toward them for standing.
The enemy will often try to take advantage of the chinks in our armor to make us feel useless to the Lord and others. He may even convince us of our worthlessness to the Master. I remember a few years ago hearing one of the most effective evangelists in Southern Baptist life speak of an attack from
Satan that temporarily brought discouragement to his life. The crowd at the last meeting had been small. No one accepted Christ. Thoughts came to him of his overweight condition and how small he must be in God’s kingdom work. I was amazed at his story. This man has written books that have encouraged so many of us. Today he is in his late 70s and probably the most sought after conference speaker in Southern Baptist circles. The enemy found a chink in his armor. Finally, someone reminded him of his faithfulness and how he has selflessly given himself to every church who asked him to preach a meeting in the last forty years. Stand strong in your faithfulness. Strive for a consistency in your walk with Christ that helps you to stand in your day of accusations.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did God say to me?
2 Corinthians 5:20-7:2
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
When my dad would tell me to do something I would reply, “I don’t know how,” he would reply, “Well son, you are not going to learn any younger.” He would also say about starting a project, “There is no time to start like the present.” Each of these statements communicated a sense of urgency and certainty of taking up the project and completing in the present tense not the future tense.
Christians seem to live either in the past or in the future. I believe God wants us to remember the past, anticipate the future, and live in the present. Our text for today leaves no room for procrastination. Paul emphatically declares, “Today is the day of Salvation.” That statement reminds us of the uncertainty of the future and the urgency to receive Christ today. If a person understands their lostness without Christ and the desperate situation they are in, they would then understand the urgency of the moment. Christians understanding this same urgency in the life of an unbeliever should then be compelled to be faithful in their attempts to be reconcilers of others to Christ.
Someone might say, “But now preacher, I don’t know how to tell others of Christ.” You have already read what my dad would say, “You are not going to learn any younger.” Today is an accepted time according to the Scripture. It is the accepted time for Christ to make an appeal through us. That gives us a bit of pressure relief. It is not us sharing in our wisdom it is Christ making an appeal through us. As an ambassador for Christ, we are serving as his agents in a land where we can help others be reconciled to Christ. What a privilege and what a responsibility.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time? What did God say to me?
2 Corinthians 5:16-19
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
The word reconcile is negative for many folks because they have such a hard time making their checkbook register agree with the bank’s register of their account. Often they will have to make adjusting entries or correct mistakes in order to complete the process we call reconciliation. The registers must be reconciled because they are out of balance. Many a young person has overspent their checking account because they did not keep an accurate register. Sometimes parents have had to come the rescue by putting money in their account in order to reconcile the differences. When the overdrafts are paid, the person who overdrew the account has a new relationship with the bank.
Our Scripture reading for today uses these financial terms to help us understand Christ’s great work for us. The Bible says those who are in Christ are new creatures because of the great reconciliation God has completed on our behalf. He paid off our debts with his own blood so that our sin register is set to zero which is the requirement for a relationship with God. It was through His work that He reconciled us to Himself. In reality, if we were to be reconciled, this was the requirement because we had nothing to deposit in our account to even the balance. Jesus did it all.
Paul doesn’t leave us with just the reconciliation we have in Christ. He makes an application of this truth. His application has to do with personal relationships and the relationship between others and Christ. He says we have a ministry of reconciliation. He is writing specifically to the Corinthians. The truth is equally applicable to us because we also owe our reconciliation to Christ and just as His action should result in the Corinthians accepting this ministry, so should we. This brings to mind a story Jesus told in Matthew 18:21-35. The heart of this parable is for the forgiven to forgive because of what has been done for them. If Jesus forgives us, we should also forgive others. Some might demand justice and others retribution. But Jesus commands us to forgive because He forgave. I might want to forgive because someone apologized but Jesus said forgive because He forgave. His forgiveness is the basis for our forgiveness of others.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
2 Corinthians 5:11-15
Memory Verse: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
On various occasions, the group who is scheduled to mow the church yard will very kindly mow the church parsonage yard as well. We never ask them to do that for us they simply do it as a kind gesture and we are especially grateful. It is important for the parsonage yard to be neatly in order because it is church property and the appearance of church property tells a watching community how we feel about our church. We are always appreciative of those who do such a nice deed for us, but there are times when it is a real relief. Several weeks ago I found myself with a very crowded schedule. The pressures of ministry seem to have come all at once. There were some ministry chores I needed to do on Saturday but I also knew I must mow the grass. It was such a relief to come home mid morning after having made a hospital visit early only to find that someone had already mowed the yard. Their kind act allowed me to focus on some other items that needed my attention.
This is a small picture of something much larger that Christ has done for us. The last two verses of our reading today remind us Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for Him. The work He did for us on the cross allows us to concentrate on living for Him rather than focusing on living for ourselves. Because He rose on our behalf, it is our responsibility to live for Him. In another Scripture we are reminded that He bought us at a great price. Believers belong to Christ. At another time Paul wrote to the Phillipian church saying, “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” He must have been referring to the joy found in living each moment of our lives in direct relationship to the purposes and calling of Christ on our lives. Do you have a job? Is it one that you know God led you to take? Rejoice in your job today knowing that it has the potential to fulfill your purpose in Christ in you. Retired? Rejoice in knowing that you can live each moment of your day according to His calling and purpose in you.
This devotion is for a Monday morning. Perhaps this is a good day for you to think through many events of your entire week. You may already have a plan. Some of you will be looking at your day timer to see just what is up this week. As you look at your activities for the week think about how you will live your life for Christ in each circumstance.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
Read your Life Group lesson in your Learner guide today.
Memory Verse: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 1 Corinthians 4:16
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Memory Verse: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 1 Corinthians 4:16
As I walked out of our dormitory here at camp this morning, two of our adult sponsors were returning from a time of exercise. It was easy to tell they had exerted themselves to the point of pain. Many will make fun of their discipline and others will merely ask, “Why?” The answer is simple; they desire to have good health. It is their desire to maintain a better level of health than if they did not endure the pain involved in the discipline of the physical body.
Paul uses the same logic when he speaks of the temporal nature of our time on this earth. In our reading for today, he asserts his desire to be with Jesus. He makes no apology for having the desire for the better body gained in the resurrection. He is clear in teaching that the believer resides in one of two places. You are either in the earth or with the Lord. There is no waiting place between. It is ok to endure the difficulties of walking with Christ in this life to look forward to the overwhelming rewards in the next.
Do not miss verse 9 because of the tenacity of verse 10. Paul’s says his ambition is to please the Lord. What an awesome statement. What a convicting statement. When we think of ambition we think of accomplishment or monetary gain. Paul thought of pleasing the Lord. With an ambition of pleasing the
Lord there is little ambition for material gain. There is little concern with pleasing men simply for their favor. This brings up a heart check. I ask myself and encourage you to ask yourself as well. Is your ambition to please the Lord? God speak to us today and convict us to give your lives to please you.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
2 Corinthians 4: 13-18
Memory Verse: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 1 Corinthians 4:16
In ministering to families in times of medical crisis, I have learned a few things about modern understanding of the human body. It seems as though the heart and lungs are the most critical of all our internal organs. My dad passed away several years ago suffering from pneumonia. According to the medical specialists, the disease had started in the membrane walls of his lungs before it manifested itself to normal symptoms and the lung lining had become hard and calloused. Consequently, even when they place him on a ventilator with full oxygen, they could not get his lungs to absorb the oxygen necessary to replenish what his body had taken from his blood stream. His blood became toxic and with the absences of oxygen his other internal organs began to shut down. You could say that his internal physical man was losing its strength.
Just as the physical man can suffer damage and lose strength, so it is with the inner man referred to in verse 16. Paul acknowledged that his physical body was growing old and deteriorating, yet he boldly claimed that his inner man was being strengthened. He was not speaking of his internal organs; he was speaking of his spirit and his mind. God performs this in heart of a believer supernaturally.
Again Paul reminds the Corinthians that he is not losing heart. His inner man is being strengthened and he refuses to let these false teachers destroy the relationship he has with them. He goes on to say that this affliction is actually working in the reverse to what some might think it would work. It is actually producing a greater determination of confidence because he is focused all the more on the eternal versus the temporal.
This teaching of the inner man has been instrumental in accepting strength by the power of God through faith. I make it a practice to pray for families in times of crisis for the strengthening of the inner man. This is the opposite of losing heart. I have seen time and again God answer that prayer. I have experienced personally this strengthening from a divine intervention of our Lord in my own heart. Hopefully, this little dig into Paul’s situation will provide you with conviction to pray in this way. Either you are in danger of losing heart and you need a strengthening of the inner man or someone you know needs strengthening. Let this be an admonishment to you today to pray.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
2 Corinthians 3:6-18
Memory Verse: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 1 Corinthians 4:16
As you read the Scripture passage for today, remember that we are continuing to study Paul’s defense which is really a defense of the New Covenant which is the Gospel of Christ. In order for us to follow the logic of this passage, we must remember a few things about the Old Covenant. The law, as the Old Covenant is called, had the primary purposes of showing man’s inability to live righteous and to point man to the coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Paul contrasts the covenants by calling one the covenant of condemnation and the other the covenant of righteousness. The argument he makes centers on the incident that occurred when Moses delivered the law to the people. He had been on the mountain with God and God’s glory was lighting up his face. He placed a veil over his face preventing the Israelites from seeing that the glory was fading. This fading glory was prophetic in that it showed that the law was temporary and would later be replaced. The Gospel truth is the Old Covenant has been replaced by the New. The law is dead and grace lives.
The summary of the New Covenant is found in verse 17 of our reading, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” One of my privileges this week is to teach our teenagers during Bible study at camp. Our lesson for today dealt with obeying God by hearing his voice rather than merely obeying commands because they are written. The first is freedom and the latter is bondage. Paul was preaching a message of freedom and the false teachers were teaching a bondage to the law. They were actually making a more difficult religion. They were mixing grace with law and creating something more complicated than what the Jewish religion had become prior to earthly ministry of Christ.
If you have been attending our morning worship services you are likely familiar with much of the book of Hebrews and in particular you might remember about the Jesus doing away with sin. The law had no power to do away with sin but in Christ, the new covenant takes away sin. This is the heart of Paul’s defense. Are you a legalist? Have you traded your liberty in Christ for the bondage of rules and regulations? May God save us from this continuing danger and heresy.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
