INTRODUCTION: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 2 Cor. 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Christian faith is not an easy thing to sustain. In fact, it is quite difficult to grow in our faith and trust in God. One of the grave weaknesses that the infection of sin in our hearts brings about is a lack of true and strong faith and trust in God.
- I suppose that we are not entirely to blame – you recall that Job’s problems began not because of any fault of his own. And we also at times have similar experiences – when troubles and difficulties arise in our life even though we haven’t really done anything terribly wrong.
- When these troubles arise – whether health issues, or an accident, or financial hardships, or people choosing to hate us or even pick on us, we wonder where justice is and why it is that evils and injustices are allowed to arise. We are told to put our faith and trust in God, but this is difficult when it seems that He hasn’t really protected us in the first place.
- The worst of our troubles arise precisely when we are doing the work of God, and often the greatest injustices and persecutions are directed at those who are “servants of God” – as Paul makes clear in our text. This is something that we have to ponder – for as children of God we too are called to serve God and His purposes, particularly that others may come to know of His salvation in Christ Jesus.
- The fact that doing the will of God invites persecutions and hardships upon us makes it difficult for us to grow in our willingness and commitment to serving God. The antidote to this, as encouraged by this Word of God, is that we grow in our love for one another – and especially in our “affections” toward one another. Paul speaks of the love that he had for the Corinthians; he encourages them to “WIDEN YOUR HEARTS” also.
- This is important advice for us as well, which we consider this morning!
I. For It Does Us No Good To Argue With God Or Against God In The Midst Of Trials And Afflictions
OT Lesson: “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge.’”
Statement: Persecutions, difficulties, and hardships – especially those that come to us for doing what is good and right – are simply inscrutable, impossible to figure out and explain, particularly when we are the ones who are suffering. We end up having strong temptation to doubt God’s love, His commitment to us, or His power to protect and preserve us. We feel all alone, and as if we are being unjustly punished. Ultimately, we end up in anger and indignation, and like Job, we are tempted to direct this toward God.
Application: At such times it is essential that we recall the grace of God extended to us in Christ Jesus – the “day of salvation” that is ours by the gift of God in Jesus. He has taken away our sin and guilt; He has saved us from sin, death, and hell, and given us eternal life. He has guaranteed us eternal salvation in the glorious joy and bliss of heaven. And He has warned us of the trials and tribulations that we must endure as we enter the kingdom of heaven. What we suffer is not “justice,” but rather forms the basis for the justice of God’s judgment of the unbelieving and rebellious who hate Him.
Transition: And so it is urgent that we not “receive the grace of God in vain.” So we must remember that:
II. It Is By God’s Grace That He Gives Us Salvation
A. We Too Deserve Death And Damnation For Our Sin
Rom. 6:23 “The wages of sin is death.”
B. But God Has Given Us Forgiveness And Eternal Salvation In Christ Jesus
Rom. 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Rom. 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Statement: It is the certainty of God’s love in Christ Jesus, and the assurance that our eternal future is sure and secure in blessing and safety that finally enables us to digest and accept the troubles, trials, and injustices that we endure in this life as children of God and servants of God. For God’s love compels us to do the right thing even when this means trouble and hardship for us.
Application: And there will be more of this coming to us in the years to come; it will become increasingly difficult to be a faithful Christian in a culture that embraces evil and punishes goodness. So it is important for us to move beyond weak faith and a “comfortable” Christianity; more heat will be put on us to compromise our service to God and even capitulate to godlessness. So Paul urges us: “WIDEN YOUR HEARTS.”
Transition: And we must learn to trust God’s Word, for the “majority” is not and will not be a proper guide of right and wrong. Paul informs us that:
III. God’s Servants Are Always Seen In The Wrong Light
A. They Are Looked At As Being Weak, Vulnerable, And Even Evil
Text: “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
B. In Reality God’s Servants Are True And Have The Power Of God
Text: “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.”
Statement: We must give this serious consideration – for we are inclined to seek to please all people, and consider peace and goodwill with others a great virtue and a sign that we are doing what is right. This may at times be the case, but there are times when this leads us to direct rebellion against God’s Word. At such times we must choose either faithfulness or comfort and worldly security and prestige and worldly approval. This is painful for us but we will have to choose.
Application: And it is not only this personal choice, but also a matter of how we judge and value our fellow Christians – either as the world judges them, or as they are in truth and reality, how God views them, as faithful servants of God even in the midst of great persecution, trial, and tribulation. The fact is that weak and unfaithful Christians often join the world in slandering and persecuting faithful servants of God. God forbid we ever take part in this. So that we do not, Paul urges us: “WIDEN YOUR HEARTS” in love for God’s people and His servants!
Transition: For regardless of appearances:
IV. God’s Heart Is Wide Open To Us, And Also The Hearts Of His Servants Toward Us, So Let Us Open Our Hearts Wide To God And His Servants
Text: “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return [I speak as to children] widen your hearts also.”
Statement: Jesus once said: “Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall grow cold.” [Mt. 24:12] These are days where this is true, and we need to begin thinking about how we might escape this dismal condition. It is an integral part of our service to God and our witness to Jesus, for He also said: “By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another.” [Jn. 13:35]
Application: It is God’s great love for us that ultimately grows our love for one another – and we need faith and trust that His love for us is “wide open” even in the troubles and difficulties of this present life. We have been told the kinds of trials that we will face as children of God – and these trials confirm to us that we do in fact abide in His love. It is painful for the present, but it leads to fullness of joy in God’s heavenly kingdom. So let us consider how we must continue to “WIDEN OUR HEARTS” in these latter days – especially in our love for one another, for our fellow servants of God who with us face the opposition and persecution of the world around us.
Conclusion: We must remember that the injustices and burdens that we face in this life are not the fault of God. They may also not be because of some fault of our own. These afflictions that we face as servants of God are also the afflictions of God, and the apostles remind us that it is a privilege to suffer for the sake of Christ and God’s love for the world.
So let us grow in our faith and trust in God, so that we may also grow in widening our hearts with love for one another. This will become even more challenging and even more essential in the years to come – as iniquities continue to abound. God will bring us through – just as Jesus brought the disciples through the storm. He remains in control and command, and has promised to work all things together for our good – even the antipathy and hatred of the world. Thanks and praise be to God! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.