CHAPTER 6

2 Cor 6:1
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
KJV

The last chapter ended with the thought:
"Jesus became sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God through Him!"

Therefore, we "as workers TOGETHER with Him...."

We, as Christians, are "joint heirs" with Christ.
One blessed day, we will be TOGETHER with Him in glory!

But today, we are "joint laborers" with Him!
Because of His great mercy and salvation, we should desire (as He does)
for all those around us to enter this wonderful grace!

Tomorrow, or one day soon, we may enter His eternal REST!
But today, let us be co-laborers with Christ to bring others to salvation!

To do LESS is to "receive 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.)

The "time accepted" is when we SURRENDERED to Jesus as LORD!
The grace of God CALLED us.
God's Holy Spirit CONVICTED us.
And, when we surrendered to Jesus, the love of God gave MERCY and forgiveness.

We did not accept Jesus!
We were stricken in our hearts, broken in spirit!
Then, God called us to repent...turn around and come to Jesus!
When we surrendered to Jesus as Lord, HE accepted us!!

Now then, THIS is the day of salvation for OTHERS!!
It will be the "accepted time" when they too surrender to Jesus!
But, how can they know if they don't hear?
How can they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
and how shall they hear without a preacher?

YOU, my Christian friend, are the PREACHER!
MORE so than the man in the pulpit!

It is YOUR duty (each Christian) to work TOGETHER with Christ
and bring the lost to KNOW Him!
You cannot WIN them!
But you certainly can BRING them!

THIS day is given to you for that purpose!
FOCUS on it!

3-10
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.

Bringing the good news of eternal salvation to others is YOUR "ministry!"

IMAGINE what would happen if EACH Christian concentrated on this!
Why, next year, your church would DOUBLE in size - or MORE!

No matter WHAT happens, this is our MINISTRY!
Whether there are afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors,
watchings, fastings, WHATEVER -- it is our MINISTRY!

And we are to pursue that ministry using the Word of God, which is the POWER of God
to bring others to know Christ!
Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

We are to perform our ministry by pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, under
the guidance of God's Holy Spirit!

THIS is the plan for the church -- to BE Christ's "body" on earth!
"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ! (2Cor. 5:20)

Are YOU performing YOUR ministry?

11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Paul's heart is ENLARGED (full) with these thoughts.
Therefore, he speaks FREELY and OPENLY.

As Christians, our hearts should also be enlarged by the grace of God
through Christ Jesus!
And, we should speak openly and freely of this WONDERFUL news!

12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

The word "straitened" is derived from the Greek stenochoreo.
It means to be confined, hemmed closely, or cramped.
The Corinthian church was NOT cramped in Paul's heart!
He loved them fully, completely.

But they WERE "straitened" in their own (bowels) hearts.
They were not producing the lifestyle of ambassordors for Christ.

Our heart is not as in love with people as Christ!
We need to love the lost AS Jesus did!
We need to preach the Gospel in our LIVING, AND in our WORDS!

13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

Recompence is requital or compensation.

BECAUSE we have been blessed with such grace and mercy,
we are to RECOMPENCE Christ by our actions!

We certainly cannot REPAY Him for our salvation.
But we CAN live as though it is the BASIS for our lives!

Thus, we can allow our hearts to be so FILLED with Christ's love,
that we TELL others!

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?

One manner of some small compensation to Jesus for His love
is to be OBEDIENT!
Be DIFFERENT from the world, and be OBEDIENT to the Word!

The words "unequally yoked," mean bound together wrongly.
This statement has led to much conversation.
For instance, is it proper for a Christian to marry a non-Christian?
Is it proper for a Christian to be a partner in business with a non-Christian?

Those things CAN lead to the salvation of the non-Christian.
However they can ALSO lead to disaster for the Christian!

Ps 84:10
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

We are a PECULIAR PEOPLE!
A horse is different from an ox.
And, you don't yoke the two together to perform plowing!
(See 1Pet. 2:9)

Yes, we Christians are ODD in the sense that we hold to a behavior of moral rightness.
It is DIFFERENT from the majority of the world.
We are to stay away from adultery, idolatry, bigamy, abortion, gambling, etc.

Being different does not mean we do not love others.
It simply means we should steer clear of COMPROMISE!

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

Christians are to be transformed by Christ. (See Rom. 12:2)
We are not to be conformed to the sinfulness of the world.

Can there be UNITY between Christ and the devil?
Neither can there be unity between the Christian and the evil actions of the world!

The majority of the world is "taken captive" by the devil! (See 2Tim. 2:26)

But, Christians are to live in obedience to God and His Word in such a way
that, our lives reflect the LIGHT of Christ on the world.
And, our lives reflect that light enough to expose sin as EVIL!

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

Christians ARE the TEMPLE of God!!
We cannot allow ourselves to be joined with idols!

Many Christians allow themselves to be compromised by IDOLS!!
For instance:
using time for personal gratification rather than Biblical education;
being fearful of what others may think rather than being evangelistic;
allowing hearts to be hardened toward the needy.
I could give many other instances of idolatry.

17-18
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.

To "come out from among THEM" means to come away from
the worldliness of others.
We are to be "separate", or DIFFERENT.
The WAY we are to be different is to live in moral rightness!

There is no higher elevation for a person than to be "sons and daughters"
of the Almighty God!

I remember when I would go "out" on a Friday or Saturday night.
My Dad would always say, "REMEMBER where you come from,
and to whom you belong!"

Christians, when we go about our daily lives, we are to REMEMBER
we are "sons and daughters" of the LIVING GOD!
And, the characteristics of our LORD should be shown THROUGH us!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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