2 Corinthians 6

2 Corinthians 6:1

As we saw in chapter 5, we are ambassadors for Christ, sharing the Good News of the gospel with everyone we meet. But here’s the most delightful partwe are workers not just for Him, but with Him. He doesn’t send us on an assignment, wishing us luck as we leave. No, moment by moment He’s with us as we talk to, share with, and love people. And He’s with them, too! This gives me a great deal of confidence in ministry. If you were hungry, I could share with you my favorite luncha peanut butter and pickle sandwich. But I would not be certain it would minister to you. Maybe you’d like it, but maybe you wouldn’t. Thus, it would be with a certain amount of apprehension that I would offer it to you. There are a number of things we could offer to people about which we could feel some hesitancy. But when we share Jesus Christ, all hesitancy dissipatesfor He is guaranteed. Consequently, to the person who comes to me with a troubled heart, I can say, “Let me pray with you right now because Jesus is truly right here, and He will give you peace. He’ll walk with you through this valley. He’ll make Himself known to you in the right way at the right time. I know this to be so.” I’ve yet to send a person out to seek the Lord who has come back saying, “It didn’t work. I prayed. I read my Bible. I talked to Him. I waited on Him. But it didn’t work.” That’s because the promise of Jas_4:8 is that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to usnot that He might draw nearbut that He will. “As we work with Him,” Paul says, “I remind you of the immediacy, the urgency of receiving what the Lord wants to do for you.” Truly, now is the time for each of us to be savednot just born again eternally, but to be saved from that which would hold us back presently. In Gen_6:3, God says, “My Spirit will not always strive, or wrestle, with men.” Therefore, we know He will not pull on the strings of your heart or whisper in the ear of your spirit indefinitely. If you continually say no to Him, there will come a point when He will let your decision standa decision Jesus would later call the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost (Mat_12:31), the one and only unpardonable sin.

2 Corinthians 6:3

Because of the importance and urgency of our calling, we cannot allow anything into our lives or ministry that would give people a reason not to respond.

2 Corinthians 6:4

People often ask me what school they should attend in order to be approved for ministry. Check out the school in which Paul was enrolled… Paul attended a school wherein he was imprisoned, beaten, and starved. He attended the school that required much patience. Who’s approved in ministry? The one who goes to the school of patience. So many people launch off in ministry before they’re really ready. Their hearts are good, their intentions rightbut so were the heart and intentions of Moses… Second in command in all of Egypt, his heart was moved as he saw the bondage of his Jewish brothers. Wanting to help, when he saw an Egyptian beating a Jewish slave, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. But when he realized word of his deed was spreading, he fled for his life and spent forty years watching his father-in-law’s sheep before he was ready to lead God’s people. Paul was one who would have been eager to minister immediately. Instead, he was sent to the Arabian desert for three years. And even after that, he ministered not in Jerusalem, but in relative obscurity in places like Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippi.

2 Corinthians 6:6

What courses did Paul take in the school of patience and persecution? Homiletics? No. Systematic theology? No. Hermeneutics? No. Greek? No. Hebrew? No. Church growth? No. He enrolled in pureness, intimacy, kindness, longsuffering, and love unfeigned. Wouldn’t those be great course requirements in a seminary? Did Paul finish his education with a Master of Theology or a Doctor of Divinity degree? No, he finished being thought a deceiver, as unknownnot received by the intellectuals in Jerusalem. Although Paul may have been unknown in Jerusalem, he was well known in hell… Going about casting out demons, the sons of Sceva said, “We adjure you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, Come out.” “Jesus we know,” the demons answered, “and Paul we know. But who are you?” (see Act_19:15). The demons understood Paul was a real threat, that he was one who would impact their kingdom of darkness and death and beat it back in the name of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:10

Although he faced continual persecution, the tears Paul shed were not for himself, but over the state of others (Act_20:18-19). What about us? If two vials were placed before you, one labeled “Tears shed for yourself” and the other “Tears shed for others,” how would they compare?

2 Corinthians 6:11

In other words, “Our hearts are open to you,” said Paul. “Any tension you feel is not the result of anything we feel toward you, but the result of your own emotions.” This is an important understanding, for sometimes if I’m with a person I feel is not very open to me, it could be that I’m not open to him.

2 Corinthians 6:13

“Because we are approved ministersthrough the school we attended, the courses we took, the degree we were givenaccept our ministry to you with largeness of heart,” says Paul.

2 Corinthians 6:14

“I want to be big-hearted and open-minded, so I’m going to marry her or develop a business partnership with him, even though he or she isn’t a believer.” “Wait a minute,” says Paul. “Don’t misunderstand. Be big toward your brothers and sisters in the Lord. But be careful you don’t err by being yoked in partnership or relationship with an unbeliever.” Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Mat_11:28-30 The Greek word translated “easy” means “good fit.” Because an ill-fitting yoke would cause chafing of the hide or even a dislocation of the animal’s shoulder, yokes were custom-designed to ensure a perfect fit. No doubt Jesus knew whereof He spoke in using this analogy, for the Greek word translated “carpenter,” used concerning Joseph and, by implication, Jesus, is tekton, from which we get our word “technical.” The tekton was not the framer, but rather the finish carpenter, a master craftsman. Jesus and His father, Joseph, were master craftsmen. Thus, there is historical evidence to support the tradition that the specialty in their carpenter shop was yokes. “Take My yoke upon you,” Jesus says. “It will fit you perfectly, and the load you’re pulling will become light as you link with Me.” But here’s the problem. Many of us are like the Corinthians. We are not yoked to Jesus exclusively. Rather, we find ourselves yoked to unbelievers. “Whether relationally or vocationally, don’t yoke with someone who is not linked to Jesus,” says Paul. And then he gives four reasons why… The first reason we are not to be unequally yoked is due to the nature of the believer. “He’s so strong in character,” she says. “A lot of believers are flaky, but he’s so steady and stable. And I know he’ll get saved someday. He promised me he would come to church. Sure, he’s not a believer yet, but what’s the big deal? I see potential. So I’m going to yoke myself with him in marriage.” Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.Deu_22:9-11 Paul reaches back into the Old Testament, pulls out this Scripture, and says to you and me, “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” It won’t work because the nature of the believer and the unbeliever are so different. Oh, you might be able to get along now, but down the road, you’ll experience pain and unnecessary heartache. “We’re not really serious,” the Christian guy says of his unbelieving girlfriend. Sure, his intention might not be to marry her initially, but something happens unintentionally, which limits his ability to see clearly. I can’t count how many people I have counseled who want out of their marriages because of this very issue. How much pain and heartbreak would be avoided if we took to heart this straightforward, simple command.

2 Corinthians 6:16

The second reason we are not to be unequally yoked is because of the effect it has on others. If there’s a rotten beam overhead and the church roof collapses during Sunday service, the whole congregation is affected by the state of a single beam. So, too, because we are the temple of God, because we’re linked together as living stones, because we’re fit together as a holy habitation, if you’re linked with an unbeliever, it will affect the entire body of Christ. As they entered the Promised Land, the walled city of Jericho loomed large before them. “I will give you this city,” God declared. “But when I do, make sure you don’t take anything from it. You’ll be able to spoil other cities, but not Jericho.” True to His Word, God did, indeed, give them the city. And the people moved onexcept for one man. Seeing a Babylonian garment he just had to have, Achan took it, along with some gold and silver, and hid it in his tent. Unaware of Achan’s disobedience, the Israelites went on to battle the little city of Aiwhere they were whipped soundly. “How could this be?” Joshua cried to the Lord. “There is sin in the camp,” the Lord answered. Achan’s sin affected the entire nation. And people died in battle because of his sin. (Joshua 7). When we choose to ignore the way of the Lord, to rebel and disobey, it affects our sons, daughters, the church corporately, and the believing community.

2 Corinthians 6:17

The third reason we are not to be unequally yoked is due to the command of the Scriptures. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.Isa_52:11 Does this mean we shouldn’t have conversations with sinners? Of course not. Jesus was called a Friend of Sinners (Luk_7:34). But the important thing to note is that wherever Jesus went, He permanently and radically impacted sinners. Therefore, when you walk into places where worldly stuff is going on, if people start turning to God and repenting from their sin, go for it! If you’re truly impacting the place you’re inexcellent! But if the place is impacting you, causing your own spirit to sag, get out. Pull away. Back off immediately. “Oh, but I’m mature in the Lord,” you say. “So it’s okay for me to go into this business venture even though my partners are unbelievers.” Is it really? I refer you to what happened to one of the greatest men of history… Jehoshaphat was a uniquely blessed man. Revival happened around him; blessings flowed from him; good things came to him. And then, as his life is coming to an end, there’s a P.S. in his story… And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish…2Ch_20:35-36 (a) A godly Jehoshaphat joined with an ungodly Ahaziah in the shipping business. But the venture sunk. Don’t be like Jehoshaphat, saying, “This might not be God’s best for mebut I know my ship will come in eventually.” A person might become rich financially by joining with an unbeliever, but what does it profit him if he gain the whole world and lose his soul (Mar_8:36)? What good is it if it causes him to be only a shell of what he once was spiritually? What’s your legacy, Dad? At one time, you were about the things of the kingdom. You were a servant, a leader, a worker. But now you’re known as a business whiz. How tragic. Don’t be yoked with unbelievers in any endeavor that will cause you to sink spiritually.

2 Corinthians 6:18

The fourth reason we are not to be unequally yoked is because of the desire of the Father. “Separate yourself from the unbeliever, and you will be My sons and daughters,” He says. Does this mean that if we are unequally yoked in marriage or business, we are not His children? No. We who have opened our hearts to Jesus Christ are children of the Father regardless. But if we are linked to the world, it limits His ability to be a Father to us. Think of it this way… If I wanted to take my family out to dinner, but my kids were all muddy from playing outside, I’d say, “I want to take you out to dinner. Go wash up.” Now, if they responded by saying, “We don’t want to wash. We like this mud,” they’d still be my children, but I couldn’t take them out for dinner. So, too, God says to us, “I will be a Father to you, taking you great places, doing wonderful things for you if you’re separate and clean. If you’re not separate, you’re still My child, but I can’t do for you what I would have done in and with and through you had you separated yourself from the world.” Let God be the Father He wants to be to you and your family by separating yourself from unclean partnerships and relationships, activities and priorities. As you do, never lose sight of the yoke He carried, when, in the Person of Jesus Christ, He carried the Cross on which He would shed His blood for you.