2 Cor. 6 "In Vain"

2 Corinthians 6 – Brandon Hatmaker “In Vain”
Monday, July 14th, 2008

“As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinithians 6:1-2

The word “kenos” used in verse one is most often translated to be the word “vain”. It simply means “empty”. We could take it further in this context to mean without purpose or without meaning.

When Paul is urging us not to receive God’s “grace” in vain, he is first calling us to look at what the purposes of God’s grace are. Paul teaches us throughout his ministry that these purposes are fulfilled in reconciliation, redemption, and transformation. These are not only spiritual matters, but also heart matters, and are the focus of his instruction.

Prior to introducing this “urge” in verse one, Paul had recently dealt with issues of the heart: Not loosing heart, living by faith, and our ministry of reconciliation. In the following verses he will talk about maintaining the right heart during hardships and staying pure before the Lord. He gives us instruction in vs.6-10 that can only be accomplished through a humble attitude of the heart: “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way… in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Paul was calling out the Corinthians directly in verses 11-13, “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.”

He was telling them that the action they needed to take, started with a heart attitude. So he exhorted them, ”open wide your hearts”.

The ministry that Paul spoke of was at the gut level. All the right actions in the world without the right heart attitude before God, are in vain. They are empty, and thus make the grace we receive in vain. This is a hard truth. In the same way Paul had written in 1 Corinthians 13, even “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Seems like we should gain something from this, but we don’t. Not according to God’s measuring stick.

We can fool ourselves if we’re not careful. Many times we see “fruit” as evidence of a pure heart. Jeremiah reminds us that our actions and even our fruitful lives or ministry are not necessarily proof of a right heart. In chapter 12, verse 2 he says, “You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. 
You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.”

Later in Chapter 17, Jeremiah reminds us of why we must capture this when he shares God’s standard, "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." God is telling us that the value of our deeds, is revealed through the examination of our heart and mind. Wow. What a standard.

God, change our hearts. Help us to not mask our true feelings and lack of compassion with the discipline of action and dutiful benevolence. When we cannot find compassion, help us to find your compassion. When we cannot find grace, remind us of yours. In Jesus name, Amen.