August
17th 2
Corinthians 6 (Difficulties for Christ)
We have a mission to
accomplish
1:
We then, as workers together with him, 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.) 3: Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be
not blamed: 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. 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.
Paul
continues to call the Corinthian believers to be restored to God. Not
to be saved or to be saved again but to be restored. Paul says, as
men working alongside with God, we call on you to not let your
Christian profession turn out to be empty after all. (God has said
previously, l heard you in time and in the day of your salvation have
is blessed you. Now is the acceptable time and now is the day of your
salvation.) Do not be offended but our ministry. In every way we are
approved as servants of God. Our ministry is in much long suffering,
we are daily in need of the necessities of life, even in times of
very great need, We suffer punishment, imprisonment, riots, hard
work, nights of sleeplessness, days of hunger, But by pure motives,
and by knowledge, by the kindness of God and men, and by the enabling
of the Holy Spirit, and by our sincere love for God, by the word of
truth and in the power of God we serve the Lord. We are protected by
the armour of righteousness on both sides. Our ministry is honoured
by some and dishonoured by others. Some give an evil report of our
ministry but others a good report. We are treated as deceivers but
yet our ministry tells the truth. We are like men unknown - yet we
are well known, we are treated as dead men - yet we live for God. We
are punished in our ministry - yet we have not died yet. We are full
of sorrow in some ways - yet our hearts are overflowing in joy. We
are poor men - yet we make many men rich toward God. We have no
possessions - yet we possess everything. Then Paul’s heart bursts
in a call for the Corinthian believers, he says, our speech addresses
you and our minds are magnified toward you. You are not upsetting us
but in love we are upset when we think of you. I would hope that you
too were upset in the same way as us. (I say as if l am talking to
children) – Have a large heart toward us.
- What should we never do as servants of God?
- What should we always do?
- How does Paul describe his personal circumstances?
No comments:
Post a Comment