CAREFUL WITH THAT
2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (KJV)
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (KJV)
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (KJV)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
(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.)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
Something that I know happens with me and therefore, I think, with most of us, is that we tend to compartmentalize what we read in the Bible, perhaps not purposefully, but effectively studying it without realizing the whole context.
Its natural because:
· The Bible is divided into verses and chapters to make it easier to study and locate things[1]
· We read, memorize and study in “bite sized” pieces.
The bite might be bigger for some of us than others, but we all do it. Our minds just cannot see the whole forest.
It is therefore easy to misrepresent something in the Bible because we have missed it in the whole context.
And for that reason, it is good, sometimes, to get a “big picture” look at different passages of the Bible.
My lesson this morning is entitled, “Careful With That.”
And I am referring to the ministry.
*I. A WALK THROUGH 2 CORINTHIANS
Remember that there is this theme running all the way through 2 Corinthians contrasting Paul’s ministry to that of the Judaizers.
2 Corinthians 3:6-8 (KJV)
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (KJV)
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (KJV)
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (KJV)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
(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.)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
· He calls it the ministry of the new Testament in chapter 3
· He says of this ministry “we faint not” in chapter 4
· He calls it the ministry of reconciliation in chapter 5
· He serves that this ministry “be not blamed” in chapter 6
The whole of chapter 6 deals with
*II. CARING FOR HIS MINISTRY
2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (KJV)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
(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.)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
The ministry could be blamed,
A. If it is received in vain
2 Corinthians 6:1 (KJV)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
I worked us through this passage last week in an attempt to show you that it is
· Not about losing your salvation
· But about using your salvation
I would not go so far as to say that a fruitless believer is always an unbeliever, but a fruitless believer is, well, fruitless.
We were saved unto good works.[2]
But not everyone who professes to know the Lord Jesus Christ walks in those good works.
Some of us can look back at times in our own life when we would have insisted we were saved, but we were sure not walking “in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
He is begging them to make full proof of their ministry.[3]
The ministry could be blamed,
*B. If it is not immediately accepted
2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)
(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.)
This is a powerful passage and one that teaches us something about Bible prophecy.
He is obviously quoting from the Old Testament. The passage is Isaiah 49:8-10 (KJV)
Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
I wanted to give you this much so you could see that the prophecy is about the Millennial Kingdom.
Included in this passage that is millennial is this phrase, “In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee…”
Paul extracted that passage from the prophecy and said, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
You will find scattered throughout the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Millennial Kingdom, bits of truth that are church age.
You would never see them if you weren’t familiar with the New Testament, they are mysteries, buried in the Old Testament, but revealed in the New Testament.
This thing about salvation –
· Now is the accepted time,
· Now is the day of salvation
Don’t delay.
Don’t procrastinate.
Don’t put it off for a more convenient season.
If the Spirit of the Living God convicts you today that you are not saved, deal with it today!
Paul was careful to beg souls to get saved right away.
The ministry could be blamed,
*C. If we are not careful about offense
2 Corinthians 6:3 (KJV)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
The Lord willing, my next lesson will be on this concept.
Right now, just let me say – every Christian ought to want to live so that their life in no way causes someone to stumble and not be reconciled to God.
[1] But those very divisions become “subconscious disconnects” with the rest of the Bible.
[2] Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
[3] 2 Timothy 4:5 (KJV)
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
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