Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Therefore since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Chapter five continues Paul’s teaching on living by our trust in Jesus. Why is trust so important? It becomes the framework for our lives. When we trust in Jesus, we KNOW that we have existence with Him beyond life in this material world. We KNOW it because we have Holy Spirit as our down payment. He is our guarantee that Jesus is speaking TRUTH. We learn through Holy Spirit how to live according to spirit eyes, not physical eyes. We SEE the restoration. We SEE the reconciliation. We SEE it, EXPERIENCE it, and cannot help but SHARE it. God becomes our right mind. And we speak it. Share it. And we spread it. We want the world to see that in Jesus, we can become NEW. We don’t have to follow the old rules. We can have what HE says we can have the way that HE says we can have it. It is all from God. It is all found IN God. And we access it THROUGH God. It is not of US, but of HIM. Jesus took our Sin and iniquity onto Himself so that we could take His Righteousness and Purity onto OURSELVES. It is a total trade in the cross. On the other side of the cross, we are living in Jesus, by Jesus, and through Jesus – with Holy Spirit as our proof and guarantee that more is to come. It is a TREMENDOUS message of true freedom.

Chapter six shows us the steps AFTER salvation. We confess with our mouths what we believe in our hearts, and that’s how we GET saved (Romans 10:9). But SALVATION is so much more. It is a journey. It is transformation and then revelation of what that transformation brings. We walk from that moment on WITH God. We are workers WITH God. By HIS power, HIS righteousness, HIS love, HIS truth, and HIS Spirit. It is rejoicing, it is turning to God every day and giving thanks. It is becoming a LIVING TEMPLE for the HOLY SPIRIT of ALMIGHTY GOD. Light has NOTHING to do with darkness. When we walk with God we are to be kicking EVERYTHING evil from our path. It doesn’t matter how it FEELS or how it LOOKS. We double-down on the things of Jesus and ONLY Jesus. It will capture our hearts and our spirits and we won’t be able to HELP ourselves. If we let Him, God will be a Father to us. A GOOD Father, a MERCIFUL Father, and He will NEVER stop being that and being with us.

Chapter seven is an explosion of JOY from Paul towards the Corinthian church. He talks about the lack of rest and the conflicts were on every side, but he doesn’t focus on the trouble. He focuses on the comfort of God in those troubles. He caused sorrow with his first letter (1 Corinthians), and Paul did not regret sending it. Because through that letter the church was able to see what was really happening. They were able to kick off the deception and lean into the Lord and His Grace. They were able to repent and rise above that behaviour and those attitudes. Now Paul was giving glory to God along with the church in Corinth about what they received from God and rejoicing they were doing towards God.

Chapter eight is the beginning of Paul’s plea toward the church’s generosity toward Jewish Christians. Paul knew they abounded in trust in Jesus, in utterances in the Spirit to God, in knowledge of the Kingdom and the scriptures, and in all diligence working in and for the Kingdom, and in the love they had for each other and Paul. But Paul didn’t want them to miss out on the abundance of grace that was available in the act of supporting the Jews in Israel. He is NOT giving it as a command. They were ALLOWED to say NO. But he did think that them participating would show the sincerity of their love not just for God but for the body of Jesus – Jew and Gentile. Paul felt it was appropriate for them to give and to WILLINGLY give – he wanted no forced offerings. And Paul wanted them to give according to their means – not to give what would cause them to suffer. Paul was sending Titus to the church to collect the gift, if they were willing, and he urged them to welcome Titus. Titus was Paul’s partner in this giving and a fellow helper in regards to the church itself. Paul’s plea was that they show to everyone the love they have for all believers.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Paul

Key Verse(s): 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 6:14-18; 7:8-13; 8:8-15