2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1

Have you ever heard someone say, “I was burned by someone I trusted; I won’t trust anyone like that ever again.”  It is a sad way of thinking.  Failure to trust deprives us of the richness that comes from those around us.  

This is especially true in the body of Christ.  The fellowship of believers is essential to the believer’s growth in Christ-likeness (Eph. 4:11-16).  To cut ourselves off from that fellowship leaves us without the nutrients God intended and we begin to atrophy.  If we then turn to false sources of nutrition for our souls we become diseased and wither on the vine (John 15:6).

Such was Paul’s problem with the Corinthians.  The attack on Paul’s integrity was false.  He was accused of not really caring about them when in fact he had opened up his own heart to them in a large way (our heart is wide open, v11).  If they believed those who attacked Paul and rejected Paul they would be rejecting a source of God’s grace necessary to their establishment and growth as a part of God’s vineyard.  

Thus Paul encourages them to have the same kind of large heart (that’s the literal translation) for him that he had for them (v13).  He had served them, as he always did, not only giving them the gospel but giving himself.  He didn’t just come in and schmooze them as those who were peddling the word of God.  He had been willing to reprove them over their grievous sins (as in 1 Corinthians).

Even now Paul issues a serious warning to them about joining with those whose teaching and lifestyle is in fact contrary to Christ:

o   Work in the field cannot be done by yoking an ox and donkey together; the ox will do all the work and the donkey will be an additional drag (Deut. 22:10).  The same is true in the service of Christ.

o   Righteousness and lawlessness cannot share the same event.

o   Light and darkness cannot be in fellowship.

o   Christ and Belial (a reference to Satan, from Deut. 13:13, meaning a worthless one) cannot be part of the same orchestra.

o   Believers and unbelievers cannot share the same depth of life (be in fellowship).

o   The temple of God and the temple of idols cannot be in agreement.  This is made clear through the quotes from the Old Testament which remind us that the point of being God’s temple is so He can dwell with His people.  God will not dwell side-by-side with idols.

Love for the family of God is evidence of true faith (I John 4:20-5:1).  It is also critical to our spiritual health.  Paul’s desire was not that they simply attend church; he longed for them to open their hearts wide to him.  It all hinged on their affections (v12).  What of our affections?  Do they lead us to be big-hearted toward the family of God or the temple of idols?  Knowing God’s desire to dwell with us let us cleanse ourselves from all unfilthiness, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.