The Devotional – 1092 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1092 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

One of the best examples of repentance for me is like taking a trip somewhere. A long trip and then finding out that where you intended to go is not the place you are at. Then even when you know that you will never make it to your destination, you keep plugging along seeking alternate routes in a place where everything is foreign. Of course the problem only intensifies! It is hard to put on the brakes so to speak, then it is even harder to acknowledge defeat. The self-conscious effects of guilt begin to flare up and your emotional response to the moment and explodes into other reactions of less luster until finally you admit it. “I am travelling down the wrong road and need to turn around. At this point the biblical word of repentance is accomplished in the mind and life can return to normal.

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 7:2-12

Over the course of two or three epistles (one could be lost) the apostle has dealt with many issues, but one of the main topics is his desire to be accepted by the church as an apostle of Jesus Christ and a teacher of biblical truth. There are some in the church, no doubt in leadership that are less minded of the apostle and seek to rid themselves of him and his ministry. Here in our passages this morning he appeals for the church to change its mind and repent from this lack of faith.

“Open your hearts to us”! We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, and we have cheated no one. What a statement! This complaining and busybody sinful condition within the church at Corinth has been going on for at least two years. The apostle is concluding his appeal for the church as a whole to repent from its downward condition. He now will give his last appeal and assume that those who will repent “will” and of course those who will not may seek another dead end road.

Verses 3 through 5 remind me of the struggles that local pastors are faced with at every meeting. It may not be with the same words, but a good pastor along with his ministry leaders have the congregation in their hearts continually and can equally say as the apostle Paul does “you are our church family, in our hearts to die together and to live together”. This is a bold statement and it carries a heavy weight.

For example: Take the complainer or the busybody the one who is willing to spread his or her manure throughout the church family about “how to run this or that ministry!” Or enjoy the spreading of gossip of events they know something of. Then have some tragic event develop within the personal life of the complainer or busybody. They reach out to the church leadership for prayer and support. Now the leadership is not naïve of the manure and no doubt the church is being kept clean by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The leadership will respond as it should, we see this in 1 Cor 7:9, not that one is made sorrowful in the face of adversity, but that this godly sorrow leads to repentance and that nothing spiritually is lost, thus leading one or many to “salvation sanctification”. This would not be possible if the leadership held a grudge, or ignored the leading of the Holy Spirit.

If the leadership did hold a grudge the church of Jesus Christ would be no better than the world and these sorrowful effects would produce spiritual death. Not only a spiritual death for the complainer or busybody, but the church family too! Certainly the number of sins within any local church is enough to destroy the church and its leadership within a matter of months. Yet we must praise the LORD that He (God) is the One who places pastors and teachers in authority and not the pulpit committee.