Written ~ 09-03-2024
Read 2 Corinthians Chapter Seven
2 Corinthians 7
As we continue in the Book of 2 Corinthians, let’s recall what we have learned from Paul in the Book of Romans and the Book of 1 Corinthians. It is extremely important to have a teacher like Paul who is going to point out the wrongful things we, as believers, are doing, especially when those things go against the will of God in such a blatant way. Sometimes it’s easy to disassociate ourselves from the letters Paul wrote to the churches in Rome and Corinth because he was dealing with “their problems,” “their sins.” What we need to keep in mind and understand is that you and I go through the same struggles, the same desire to live out our sinful desires, we want to follow our hearts instead of following the commands given to us in the Word of God. The straightforwardness we find in the Books of Romans and Corinthians is what we need today! If you don’t have someone in your life who will point out your direct disobedience to God’s Word, then use the words of Paul as that source of correction. Paul’s letters aren’t just suggestions to change a few behavioral issues… No, they are to bring us to the point of repentance and renewal of spirit.
2 Corinthians 7:1…
1 “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”
What are the “promises” Paul is speaking about in verse 7:1? He is speaking about the last few verses from chapter 6…
2 Corinthians 6:16-18…
16 “And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
When we completely separate ourselves from ungodly behavior, God says He will live in us, walk among us, He will be our God and we will be His sons and daughters. We must repent of the ways we dishonor the Name of Jesus. There is joy and peace in repentance. Paul says in verse 7:1, “…let’s work toward complete holiness…” That means we need to shed the “world” from every area of our lives.
2 Corinthians 7:2-4…
2 “Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. 3 I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. 4 I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.”
Paul’s appeal in these couple of verses to the Corinth believers was to remind them that he only had their best interest at heart. He hadn’t done or said anything that should cause them to lose confidence in him.
When Paul sent his first letter (1 Corinthians) he had some reluctancy from sending such a harsh letter. He really didn’t know how it was going to be received. When Paul arrived in Macedonia, it says in verse 7:5 that he had no rest, which indicates both an unrest in his spirit and to his physical body. Paul hadn’t heard from Titus yet; it wasn’t until he received Titus’ report from the believers in Corinth that Paul finally welcomed the encouragement he desperately needed.
2 Corinthians 7:5-7…
5 “When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. 6 But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. 7 His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!”
When you watch, either a family member or dear friend, walking along a path headed straight for chaos and destruction, shouldn’t it be your first instinct to pull them off of that path? That’s what Paul was doing by writing the first letter to the Corinthians. He wanted to grab their attention and pull them off of that path which was leading them towards destruction. The trepidation Paul was feeling came from the possibility the letter’s recipients wouldn’t receive his letter with grace, but instead turn their eyes away from the Lord even further. So, not until he heard to good report, he wrestled with the sending of that letter.
2 Corinthians 7:8-10…
8 “I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”
Have you ever sent a letter, or spoken to someone in person about sinful behavior that needs to be taken care of? When it comes to God’s Word, we cannot be wishy-washy and obey only the things we want to obey or believe the things that are convenient to our lifestyle. If we do need to have that type of confrontation, it may be quite difficult to point out the things that require repentance, but when those things are brought out into the open there is a choice now for complete repentance. It might be that some time will go by before you find out if your confrontation led to repentance or complete denial. In this case, Paul received the word that his spiritual children chose repentance, and he was overjoyed!
2 Corinthians 7:11-12…
11 “Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us.”
Paul’s relationship with the believers in Corinth was very special, he was the one who brought the Gospel message to them. He was the one who brought the message of Salvation. His joy in their acceptance of Jesus and their repentance of sin brought a closeness like that of a father and child. So, when he had to send a letter that pointed out the sinful behavior they were involving themselves in, he must have been torn in two.
2 Corinthians 7:16…
16 “I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.”
You can almost hear the sigh of relief that the report from Titus was good news. It brought great encouragement not only to Paul but also to Titus. When Titus greeted the believers in Corinth, he wouldn’t have known how he was going to be received. But luckily, he was welcomed with open arms. When we have to confront the sin we see someone openly doing, there may be anxiety in the moments after we have pleaded with them to turn from those sinful behaviors. It will be during those moments that our prayers need to be ever increasing for a decision of repentance to be made.
So, what if this is you? You are the one who is behaving in such a way that it brings dishonor to the Name of Jesus. What if, as you have read through the Books of Romans and Corinthians you see yourself in many of the behaviors that Paul is speaking against? You feel the confrontation from Paul as if he were standing right in front of you pleading with you to turn from your sinful ways. If that’s the case, you must repent. What does it mean to repent? It means to ask for forgiveness from the Heavenly Father, it is a complete turning away from the sinful desires you engage in. It is a recommitment and renewal of your heart, mind and soul to serve the Lord with everything you’ve got!
Paul was overjoyed when he heard that his severe letter was received, and change was taking place within the hearts of the believers. Paul was deeply touched that his spiritual children listened to his words and turned from the evil that was creeping into their church. My prayer is the same as Paul’s, that repentance would be sought after, that revival would take place in the heart of the believer, that each person claiming to be a Christian would stand firm on every word of the Bible. My prayer is that “Godly sorrow” would take place in each believer’s heart when sin has become rampant in their lives. My prayer is that the “experience of Godly sorrow leads us away from sin and results in Salvation.”
Thank You Father for the Apostle Paul. His words have touched the lives of so many and I pray that each one of us will listen to what he has written. Create in us Father the desire to do Your Will in everything.
~AMEN~