2 Corinthians 6:1-13--Behold, Now Is The Day of Salvation

2 Corinthians 6:1-13
English Standard Version

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

​11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

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This passage is a continuation of the thought from yesterday's passage about reconciliation, but I thought it deserved it's own article.  It is not enough simply to ask that God's grace and mercy be poured out on you and then refuse to accept the greatest gift of grace and mercy that God has provided--the gospel of Jesus Christ by which all men must be saved.  The "good news" of Christ's atonement and reconciliation is what makes this "a favorable time" as Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8.  Isaiah 61:1-3 also come to mind for me, a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah:


Isaiah 61:1-3
English Standard Version
​
​The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

This also reminds me of the pleading of the author of the the book of Hebrews in Chapter 3:7-19


Hebrews 3:7-19
English Standard Version

A Rest for the People of God
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
    on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
    and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
    they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
    ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

​16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

God's grace is not something that we should abuse or take for granted.  We have no idea how much time we have left and we must act on the truth that we have about the gospel here and now because we are not promised tomorrow (or even our next breath).

Paul and his team went through great persecution and trials and hardships to get the gospel to those who did not have it.  He didn't do that so they could ho-hum about it and be indecisive.  His scars that the bore on his body and in his soul should be evidence of how important and urgent the message was that he was carrying.  Everything they had gone though both good and bad was so that God's elect may hear the message of salvation and come to repentance and that He might "bring many sons to glory."

Paul tells that to stop being so childish, to "grow up" and "put their big-boy pants on" and make a decision here and now.  Are they going to follow God or are they going to continue to live in rebellion against God?  There is no "sitting on the fence."  Too much is at stake to be playing games here like they were.  You are either going to be children of God or children of the devil.  You are either "in Christ" or "in Adam."  It is a hard decision and the most important decision, and it is one that no one should put off and no one else can make that decision for you, and it must be made while you are still alive--the dye is cast once this life is over.  You will either be taken to heaven or to the place of judgment (which many call hell) immediately upon dying.