Sunday, May 19, 2013

Have You Accepted God's Grace In Vain?

Brothers and sisters, as we look at 2 Corinthians 6, we find many of the believers were hardening their hearts as they are in our day! It is my understanding that "Corinth" means "fornication". We are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Please do not let ear tickling preachers and teachers tell you that once you accept Christ you are forever his. You can accept God's grace in vain and not finish the race. 

Today, please hear Paul as it were pleading with you not to accept God's grace in vain. The scriptures and the Apostle Paul are clear on this, in both the Old and New Testaments. The apostle Paul will tell us in chapter 13, 

  • "5Keep examining yourselves to see whether you are continuing in the faith. Test yourselves! You know, don’t you, that Jesus the Messiahc lives in you?.....10For this reason I am writing this while I am away from you: When I come I do not want to be severe in using the authority the Lord gave me to build you up and not to tear you down.
In the following passages we see God commanding us not to be unevenly yoked to unbelievers or touch anything unclean. I know this flies in the face of what the vast majority of teachers teach. God and Paul make it very clear. Is going against God's words worth risking your soul? Is that the heart of a child of God? 

If you study the culture of the Corinthians you will find they were overall a very wicked place as the U.S. and most of the world have become and will get even worse. I finished this post with tears in my eyes. I know we cannot earn salvation for Jesus took the wrath of God for sin. Still the scriptures clearly warn us about falling away and I shed tears just thinking about how many times I shunned God. Friends, today is the day of salvation. Please do not lose your soul for pleasures of sin that occur in a vapor called time. Sin always leads to death. Please get into the race and follow Jesus. Reject sin and if you sin, repent quickly and stop sinning. 

2 Corinthians 6 ISV

1Since, then, we are working with God,a we plead with you not to accept God’s grace in vain. 2For he says,
“At the right time I heard you,
and on a day of salvation I helped you.”b
Listen, now is really the “right time”! Now is the “day of salvation”!

3We do not put an obstacle in anyone’s way. Otherwise, fault may be found with our ministry. 4Instead, in every way we demonstrate that we are God’s servants by tremendous endurance in the midst of difficulties, hardships, and calamities; 5in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger; 6with purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and divine power; through the weapons of righteousness in the right and left hands; 8through honor and dishonor; through ill repute and good repute; perceivedc as deceivers and yet true, 9as unknown and yet well-known, as dying and yet—as you see—very much alive, as punished and yet not killed, 10as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing, as poor and yet enriching many, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

11We have spoken franklyd to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are wide open. 12We have not cut you off, but you have cut off your own feelings toward us. 13Do us a favor—I ask you as my children—and open wide your hearts.

14Stop becominge unevenly yoked with unbelievers. 
  • What partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? 
  • What fellowship can light have with darkness? 
  • 15What harmony exists between the Messiahf and Beliar,g 
  • or what do a believer and an unbeliever have in common? 
  • 16What agreement can a temple of God make with idols? 
For weh are the temple of the living God, just as God said:
“I will live and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”i
17Therefore,
“Get away from them
and separate yourselves from them,”
declares the Lord,j
“and don’t touch anything unclean.
Then I will welcome you.
18I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,”
declares the Lordk Almighty.l




No comments:

Post a Comment