What Ministry Is All About, Part 18
In our Father’s Day message, GOD WANTS YOU! (2 Cor. 12:14-21), Paul ended his duel of foolish boasting with the false apostles, and now focused on his return to Corinth. Paul had resorted even to shaming the straying Corinthian Christians in an effort to get them to turn around and believe the Bible (e.g. 2 Cor. 12:13). It is a good thing when people can be ashamed of their bad actions or attitudes, because “godly sorrow” leads to “repentance” (2 Cor. 7:9-11, etc.). And godly sorrow includes the idea of blushing and being innocent- being filled with the power, goodness, and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Eph. 5:18; Matt. 10:16 NET, etc.). It is evidence of a hard heart and a calloused conscience when a guilty person no longer feels shame or uses his ‘shame’ as an excuse to continue in sin (1 Cor. 3:1-3; 5:1-13, etc.). We as Christians should “know how to blush” and also “ask [God] for the old paths” i.e. His paths of righteousness in our lives (Jer. 6:15-16; Zeph. 3:5; John 14:6; Ps. 25:10; Prov. 2:8; 5:21, etc.).
When the Bible says, Paul is preparing to come to Corinth for his “third” visit (1 Cor. 12:14; 13:1, etc.) it is also picturing Christ’s return for us, His bride- the church (1 Cor. 15:51-52, etc.). The Lord explains here He does not want our money or possessions; GOD WANTS YOU! (2 Cor. 12:14 NET). He wants our “souls”- all of us- as a living sacrifice to Him (2 Cor. 14:15; Rom. 12:1-2). Since all we have is from our good heavenly Father, we cannot pay God off, nor should we want to because every good thing we have in our lives is from Him and He cares for us! (Gal. 5:22-23; James 1:17; 1 Pet. 5:7; Heb. 13:5, etc.). Sadly, the Scripture shows us here sometimes we can take the Lord and the good things He has given us in our lives for granted- to include, His Word, the Bible, but thankfully He never gives up on us as Paul never gave up on his spiritual children at Corinth (2 Cor. 12:14-15).
The “false apostles” accused Paul of sneakily taking advantage of the Corinthian Christians through trickery which was the very thing they in reality did! (2 Cor. 4:2; 11:3, 13-14; 12:16 NLT). But the evidence proved otherwise both in those like “Titus” whom Paul sent and in the way Paul and his companions managed the resources God had given them for the poor saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 12:17-18). Paul explains here his defense was not done out of self-preservation (i.e. selfish motives) but spoken “before God in Christ” because his number one desire was “to please Him” alone (2 Cor. 12:19; 2 Cor. 5:9-10 NET, etc.).
Like a father with his children, any discipline which Paul was compelled to administer would grieve him as well, so he begs the carnal Christians again at the church in Corinth to turn from their sin before his return (2 Cor. 12:20-21). Paul was afraid, that when he came, he would “not find [them]… as [he] wished,” and they also would not be looking forward to his coming (2 Cor. 12:20a). The same is true for some in the church today as Jesus prepares to return… Are we ready for Him? (2 Cor. 12:20b-21; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 11:31-32, etc.). The culture pushes in from outside; may we be walking with Him! (Jer. 6:15-16; Eph. 6:10-13; 1 John 1:9; 2:28, etc.). *For more information on this message, please see SBFC’s June 15, 2025 sermon above.