2 Corinthians 7

2 Corinthians 7 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

In the previous chapter, Paul warned the church in Corinth just how dangerous it was for them to open their hearts to unbelievers and to share an intimacy of love that could lead them away from the one, true God.  On the other hand, he urged them to open wide their hearts to the apostles and their co-workers who had nothing but a deep and abiding love for them and who earnestly desired to see them grow in their faith in Christ.  The problem is: some of the Corinthians had opened wide their hearts to the wrong people, and had severely restricted their affections toward those who were trying to do them good.  I’ve seen this happen numerous times within the Church.  One who seemingly started off so well, became entrenched in an illicit love “affair” and, as a result, he or she moved from a position of love to one of hate in their relationship with those who were trying to urge them to repent, especially with the leaders of the church.  I’ve also experienced the wrath of their “friends” at times who sided with their sin rather than joining in an earnest appeal for their repentance.

Apparently, Paul had written a “severe” letter to those caught in the snare of the devil, rebuking them and urging them toward repentance, and that letter was the source of much grief for its recipients, but Paul does not apologize for his words, for in some cases, that grief had led to a genuine repentance over sin, which resulted in much earnestness and eagerness for them to clear themselves of that sin, and finally resulted in much comfort and zeal for the Lord.  Of course, there were others who did not respond so positively.  So Paul is writing to reaffirm his love for them, reminding them of how much he has suffered for their sake that they might know the gospel of Christ.

This is one of the most affectionate passages in all of Paul’s epistles.  He is constantly referring to either his love for them or for Titus’ love for the Corinthians.  And he tells them how much comfort it had brought him when Titus shared with him, previously, how, they had longed for him, mourned his absence, and zealously desired his return.  And now he is urging them once again to make room in their hearts for him and his co-laborers, who have never wronged them or taken advantage of them; rather, they have been willing not only to live with them, but to die with them for the sake of the gospel.  Then, he assures them, again, of Titus’s affection for them, and how it has grown even more since they had received him with such love and honor.

Truly, this is the type of relationship that the Lord expects his people to have within the Church of God.  God does not raise up leaders in the Church in order that they might become harsh taskmasters with little or no pity for the people that they oversee.  Nor does he raise them up so that the average church member might have someone to blame other than God for their own trials and temptations to sin.  Certainly, Moses felt the brunt of the Israelites’ frustration in that regard and wanted to end his life as a result.  No, the Lord, who is the Spirit, is working within His Church to turn the hearts of the leaders toward their people, and to turn the hearts of His people toward their leaders that they might both enjoy the fellowship of the Lord in His Church, and that all of them might continue to grow in holiness and honor.  Thus, if anyone is unwilling to open their hearts towards the other, it is certain that sin and a lack of forgiveness is the cause.  So, I urge you, this morning, as you seek to open your heart to God, that you ask Him to help you open your heart to the rest of us as well.