Category: Devotions

People fall out don’t they? People hurt people. Mature Christians and even Pastors can damage friendships that were once beautiful and people in the pew can make it very difficult to be a person in the pulpit.

How do we make relationships work?

Paul and the Corinthian Church help us see what we can also do as Paul worked out their relationship together.

“Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. ⁴ I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.” (2 Corinthians 7 v 2-4)

Division is generally created not only because of information received but the heart of a person becomes closed to the other. Trust leaves. The door of the heart shuts and a decision is made that closeness has finished. That person will never come near again.

You will know as many people as I do whose hearts are closed off to others. I know Christians of long-standing, people of influence, whose hearts are closed to one another.

• Paul had reached out to them with an open heart. Remember this, “O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open?” (2 Corinthians 6 v 11) If you want someone to be warm to you then you must be the first to reach out to them. It is easier to ask for open hearts when yours is already demonstrating it.
• Paul is confident in his conduct. He hasn’t wronged, corrupted or cheated anyone. He isn’t an abuser of his position. He hasn’t harmed anyone. Rather his love for them meant he would die for them. Examine your actions. If you’re confident of your behaviour then say so.
• Paul never minimised his approach to the church. When he spoke to them regarding the influence of the world by being unequally yoked, he realised this was with great frankness. When he spoke to others about them it was with great pride and all of it led to him being greatly encouraged. Such language makes the other feel important.

It all paves the way for the request to make room in their hearts, to trust him, to open their hearts and be positive towards him. Keys to any relationship.

So here are the 3 promises Paul reminds us of if we resist the threat of worldly influence:

God will walk with you. God will receive you. God will be a father and we will be His children.

So what will you do about these amazing promises?

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7 v 1)

So …

1. We remember these promises. Receive them, ‘have them’, own them and claim them as your own. Let these promises motivate you.
2. Have a greater self-awareness. Not just the outward behaviours but the inward thoughts and even asking the Spirit to reveal your blind spots.
3. Sign up for a lifetime of battling contamination. This isn’t something we just switch on in our lives. This is for life.
4. Make good choices until you perfect your character. Forgive and ask for forgiveness quickly. Love and show grace and mercy. Give and give again.
5. Focus on improving yourself. We can all improve other people. We can all see their faults. But no, we focus on ourselves.

3 promises.

God will walk with you.

God will receive you.

This now is the 3^rd promise for not being influenced by the world. God will be a father and we will be His children.

“And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 18)

If we resist the influences of this world and if we remain in the presence of God as followers of Him then this third promise guarantees us our identity.

We are not merely forgiven nor are we simply followers, we are His children.

We are not following some rules and regulations, we have direct access and can call Him Father.

There is one final and absolute truth.

Can you see how Paul quotes using ‘the Lord Almighty’? Another translation uses the title, the Lord of Hosts. This title emphasizes God’s sovereignty over everything that comes against you. This all-powerful ruler of the entire universe is your Father who protects and provides for His children. Now that is a wonderful promise.

God wants you all for Himself (The Message). He doesn’t want to share you with anyone. In that way He is a jealous God.

Corinth was a city known for its moral corruption and false religious worship. Paul in addressing the need to stay away from the influences of the world uses the text from Isaiah 52 v11.

“Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 17)

As in Corinth, the Israelites were in exile, away from their home, living among people whose culture was completely different to theirs. Isaiah calls for them to depart from the cultural practices and influences.

Paul (or Isaiah) isn’t thinking that God’s people should withdraw from the world but he does call for:-

1. Distinction. There has to be difference in character between the Christian and the non-Christian.
2. Separation. There has to be difference in participation in behaviours.
3. Preservation. There has to be difference in knowing who we are even when surrounded by influential voices.

The end goal is not some holiness badge. It is about the presence of God.

This call to ‘come out from them’ is an invitation to draw near to Him.

He has promised to do so. Whatever path you are on today, He is walking with you, for He is your God who promised you He would walk with you. There is no place that you tread that God doesn’t go with you. If you are entering into a new job, a new season of opportunity and even if you are walking into uncertainty and challenge, He is walking with you. Amen!

““I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 16)

Paul is thinking back to the ancient messages from God and he uses a quotation taking from Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Leviticus, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12)

This blessing was a call to not be influenced by the world His people were living in. They have had an Exodus not to become trapped under evil influence again.

God promises them rain and success as they worked the fields; He promises to protect them and give them victory over their enemies; He told them He would multiply their children; and above all He would walk with them. In fact God says He would enable them to walk with heads held high.

Several years ago I began a Youth leadership training ministry. One of the first young people aged 15 years would never look anyone in the eye. Such was his inferiority complex his head fell to the floor every time. But over the course of time we saw him lift his head and converse eye to eye and today you would never know he had previously had that problem. Today he preaches to several hundred people and is a Pastor.

To the crushed, humiliated, dominated, the broken, the sinful, our message is that we have had an exodus!! Jesus has set us free!! Lift up your head! He wants to walk with you.

Here is the invitation today.

Yes, we once betrayed him, wounded him, pierced him with our sin. But today he says to us, “I have forgiven you. Let us walk together. Have confidence in my love. Lift up that head, walk tall and walk with me.”

^“ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” ¹⁷ Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” ¹⁸ And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 14-18)

So what was Paul meaning? How is this message about not being yoked together with unbelievers to be viewed? Is it marriage? Is it business partnerships? Friendships? The list can continue. However, I wonder if it is simply easier to understand that we must be careful not to come under the influence of wickedness, of evil and ultimately of Belial (name for Satan). We are people of righteousness and Paul backs this up with Scriptures which we will look at tomorrow.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from sinful influence? This is what we must focus on.

• Not everything you hear can be trusted and believed blindly.
• Not everything that is inspirational is from Him even though it might make you feel good.
• Not everything that is false looks false at first.
• Everything must be filtered through this one test: Jesus is the Christ.
• Every religious experience must come under the submission of the orthodox teaching of and about Jesus Christ.
• Everything the Spirit of God does points to Jesus and if it doesn’t then it is the spirit of the antichrist.

Let us all make sure we are under the influence of what is good!

“We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 12-13)

Some people always like to be the victim in scenarios. The Corinthians church were one of these. Paul had to address their sinfulness and he did so firmly in the previous letter. Now it looks like they have withheld their love for him and the team and probably because they say they are hurt. What is more probably true, they are offended.

Paul calls them to be as open and honest as he was with them. For that is the only way to be reconciled. There are people hurt and offended today with someone who is completely unaware that they have been the one to make them feel this way.

Have we built walls instead of bridges?

Is there anyone we have withdrawn from, why?

We  might need to overcome our hurts, disappointments and fears in order to love authentically.

Finally, notice how Paul addresses them as children. This speaks of Paul’s love to them being one of nurture and sacrifice. I heard yesterday how one father hasn’t had contact with his son for many years. They had fallen out a long time ago. Perhaps today there is someone, a parent, a child, a friend of years ago who you stopped loving, you gave up your affection for them. The Spirit calls you to open your heart again and show the same love that God shows you.

“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 11)

I love the NKJV  which says, “O Corinthians! We have spoken …”

There are times for giving instructions and addressing issues and problems and then there are times for this:

O Corinthians! … our heart is wide open

People always know whether they are loved by you.

Opening your heart to people involves risk and disappointment. You can be rejected. Your heart can be broken and you can face the temptation to pull the draw bridge of your heart up and never to love again. But the pull of genuine connection is far too strong.

Above all it reflects the open heart of Christ for us all.

A crucible: a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.

For Paul, since entering the life of service to God it has not been one of victory and miracles entirely. There has been a flip-side to that coin. It has been more like the crucible. Ministry has happened within the crucible of discomfort but has been proven authentic.

“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷ in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹ known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 3-10)

Paul’s service flowed from who he was not what he did. He is a servant of God and it is a tough life being so. He doesn’t sugar-coat his experiences. He has faced much difficulty and opposition.

The real credentials of ministry is never what you think it is.

Next week along with the National team of leaders I will be giving out credentials to new ministers who will be ordained the following month. Last week along with others I led a global conference of Pastors from across the world who know hardship and suffering. True credentials are not small cards or whether or not your work is successful, according to the views of people who see you on the many stages of this world; but true credentials are found in difficulty, in the crucibles of this world. The Holy Spirit is there within the crucible of suffering, difficulty and opposition and is forming who we are within them. The paradox of the reality of brokenness and celebration.

Paul doesn’t complain or react against the discomfort. He doesn’t necessarily want to avoid them. He sees his difficulties as the demonstration for the glory of God in his life. So we can sorrow and rejoice!

In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 2)

Paul quotes from Isaiah 49 but adds his own “now is the time and now is the day”.

Now. Don’t prepare to change tomorrow, don’t reconcile tomorrow, the divine moment of God is always right now, in the present time.

Paul is saying to the Church they are living in a unique time of God’s favour. We are also.

Are you postponing anything that you need to do today?

Are you thinking tomorrow will be a better day to follow God?

If you truly believed that today carries the favour and blessing of God, what would you do?

Don’t wait for a convenient time, do it now. Now is now.