2 Corinthians 6:1

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. For He has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For He says, "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succored thee." Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Giving no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God in patience, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge, by long sufferings, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

Father, we pray that You would speak to us today. We ask that You would give us, by Your Spirit, insight, wisdom, and understanding into Your word. You promised that You would give us the Spirit of truth who would guide us in all truth and teach us all things.

And so we ask for that very thing, Holy Spirit, that You would teach us, that we would, in our lives, manifest the very things that Paul speaks of here in this passage, that You would shine brightly through us, Your church. God, it is our desire that wherever we would be, You would use us as ambassadors for You, for Your kingdom.

That we would be as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid, that lets its light shine so that this world would see and know You. So God, work this in us, we pray, for we ask it in Jesus' name. And all God's people agreed, say, Amen. You can be seated.

The Apostle Paul took very seriously the call that was placed upon him by the Lord Jesus Christ. From the time of his conversion in Acts chapter 9, until his death as a martyr, he gave every ounce that he had within him to run the race with endurance and to fight the good fight of faith. Throughout that race, he continuously urged others to live as he lived. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 16, he says, "Be followers of me." In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 1, again he says, "Be imitators of me, even as I am of Christ." In Philippians chapter 3, verse 17, he says, "Brethren, be followers together with me and mark those that walk after this manner, as you have us for an example."

So Paul, as he set his life before people, did not merely preach the gospel, although he did that; he lived the gospel in such a way that he would say to people, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." It has been one of my prayers since I began serving God in vocational ministry and being a leader within the body of Christ to be able to say that to the body: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."

Yet, I know, and just as you know yourself, I know myself. Sometimes there are times where I think, "I just don't measure up to that standard that I would set up, the standard that even Christ sets up, His perfection." To the point where I would say, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." I mean, that's a bold statement, isn't it, that Paul makes? But he lived in such a way that he gave every ounce of his strength, every ounce of his energy to fighting the good fight of faith.

In Paul's mind and his theology, the journey and life as a Christian was not a casual walk in the park; it is a life as a soldier. He tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2, verses 3 and 4,

Therefore, you endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Speaking to a disciple of His, He says, "Listen, you need to endure difficulty because you're a good soldier of Jesus Christ." No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who has chosen him to be a soldier.

Paul recognized that the call that God had placed upon his life was a magnificent call. It was not a call to just casually live by and say, "Yeah, I kind of know that Jesus guy who died on that cross and rose again." No, he was dedicated 110%, if you could be, to making sure that he lived as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and represented the kingdom of God well.

So then, we are soldiers. As we saw a few weeks ago in chapter 5, and as we just read in chapter 5, verse 20, we are also ambassadors of Christ. We are constrained by the love of Christ to plead with lost humanity that they would be reconciled to God, that they would be returned to Him. The whole of humanity since the fall is at enmity with God. But God has brought a way whereby we can be returned to Him, restored to Him, through the death of Jesus Christ the righteous.

We see it there in verse 21 of chapter 5: "For He, God the Father, made Him, Jesus the Son, to be sin in our place, the one who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." What an awesome gift! An immeasurable gift of God's grace is planted firmly now in the minds of Paul's readers. He says, "You know, this is what God has done for you."

Then, in the very next word, he begs them. Look at verse 1 of chapter 6: "We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you, we beg you, we pray that you would receive not the grace of God in vain." Because of what God has done for us, and because of the fact that God is pleading with you through us, Paul says, "We beg you, we beseech you, that you would not receive God's grace in vain."

You can sense the urgency of Paul as he says this, the power with which he pleads. It's as if God Himself is pleading through him, saying, "Don't receive this gift and take it for granted. Don't receive it with kind of an empty..."

It's almost hard to imagine that someone could or would receive the grace of God in an empty, vain fashion. Yet, Paul exhorts us in several places in the Scriptures not to receive the grace of God in vain. We must take very seriously what it is that we are receiving when we accept His gift.

To understand what is meant by this statement, we need to explore what it looks like for someone to casually receive this gift of God's grace, taking it for granted. To answer that question, we can look elsewhere in the Scriptures to see if Paul speaks with similar words. Indeed, he does.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we find Paul's estimation of himself as a minister of the gospel. He states, "For I am the least of the apostles." Even though he emphasizes his role as an apostle in nearly every letter he wrote, here he acknowledges his unworthiness: "I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."

Paul remembers his former conduct and the way he treated Christians before his conversion in Acts chapter 9. He reflects that he shouldn't even hold the title of apostle because of his past actions. However, he continues, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am."

He acknowledges that many can identify with the reality that their past does not measure up to the calling they have received. Paul considers his past and concludes that he should not even be called an apostle. Yet, he affirms, "By the grace of God, I am what I am."

He adds that the grace bestowed upon him was not in vain. Why was it not in vain? Because he labored more abundantly than they all, yet he clarifies, "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Thus, he emphasizes that despite his terrible history, God's grace given to him was transformative.

It was not in vain because of the way that I have used it. I have not taken it for granted.

In the closing minutes of the epic 1998 film, Saving Private Ryan, have any of you seen that movie? In the last scenes, one of the main characters, the one that actually bears the name for the title of that movie, James Ryan, kneels at the side of Captain John Miller on the bridge. You remember that scene, as all but three of the people who gave their lives to save this young man, Private Ryan, are dead there on the bridge. Ryan kneels down next to Miller as he is about to die. Miller pulls him in close, looks at him, and says, "Earn this. Earn it." Then he dies. Those are his last words.

That man in the movie gave his life so that this young man could be saved because all his brothers had died in the war, and they were trying to send him back home. He pulls Ryan close, and his last words are, "Earn this." The very next scene fast-forwards to the present day, and there is a much older James Ryan standing at the grave of the man who said, "Earn this." With tears in his eyes, he says, "Every day I think about what you said to me on that bridge. I've tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that it was enough. I've tried to earn this. I have not taken for granted what you and the rest of your men did for me there on that bridge."

It's a powerful statement. It illustrates perfectly what we see here in this passage where Paul says, "Do not receive the grace of God in vain." Don't take it for granted. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in Him. Therefore, Paul says, "I beg you that you not receive the grace of God in vain."

It is a sobering reality that we can receive or hold this gracious gift of God in a way that takes that gift for granted. We do not receive that gift because we have earned it, but having received that gift, do we live our lives in such a way that shows we do not take it for granted? The work is done.

And he pulls you close and says, "Earn this." Not that you did anything to earn it, but earn it now that you have received it. This is why Ephesians chapter 2 reads like this in verses 8 through 10: "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God ordained beforehand that we should walk in them."

We ought to walk in these good works that God has secured for us by salvation. Because we're saved, He says now, walk in those good works that God prepared beforehand. Live your life in such a way that says, "I certainly didn't earn the gift when He gave it to me, but now I'm not going to take it for granted." So, we're saved by grace through faith, not of good works, but for good works that God has planned before the foundation of the world that we should walk in them. That's the ethical requirement, if you will, our responsibility as Christians. We ought now to live in a different manner than we did prior to the reception of salvation.

In Romans chapter 12, verse 1, Paul says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." The only right response, if you will, to that kind of awesome gift is to now say, "The life that I now live, I live not for myself, but for the glory of the One who called me." He has called me, and I am a good soldier of Him. I will endure hardness; I'll go through whatever it is because of all that He has done for me. My right response is to give everything I have.

That was the way in which Paul lived, and that's why he would say to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,"—he's in prison because of his ministry and his proclamation of the gospel—"I beseech you, I beg you, that you would walk worthy of the calling wherewith you are called." Earn it. Live in such a way that glorifies that gift.

Continuing on, in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, he says in verse 2, parenthetically, "For He says,"—this God who is speaking, Paul is now quoting the Old Testament, specifically Isaiah chapter 49, verse 8—"God has said."

I have heard you in an accepted time; in the day of salvation, I have comforted you. Behold, Paul says, his application from what he sees there in Isaiah 49. He states, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

There are several different ways that we could consider verse 2, but in context, the idea is very clear. Paul is speaking to Christians. He has just said to a group of Christians, the church at Corinth, not to carry or hold this gracious gift of God in such a way that takes it for granted. He emphasizes that today is the day of salvation.

He is not calling them to salvation; he is saying something different. Although we could apply it like that and say, if there is any unbeliever in our midst, this is the time, this is the day. We must ensure that we receive the grace of God and do not do so in vain.

In the context of this passage, what is it that Paul is saying? Again, he is speaking to Christians, those who have already received the gift of God. He is urging them not to take for granted or hold in vain the gift that God has given to them. Paul reminds them of the urgency of the task. He says to them, "You need to recognize that now is the time to speak forth this truth. Now is the time to live in such a way that well represents the gospel because today is the day of salvation for those who are lost."

So, do not carry it in vain. If you are waiting for a good time to share the gospel with that unbelieving family member or that co-worker who does not know God, wait no longer, which is what Paul basically says. If you have been saying, "I just don't know if it's the right time," then when is it ever going to be the right time? It is amazing how quickly life can change and how quickly someone can be lost eternally.

Paul reminds those who are holding the grace of God that they have been given salvation. He says, "Listen, there is an urgency to this task." There are seven billion people on the face of the earth today, and billions of them are headed towards a Christless existence in eternity. Therefore, today is the day of salvation. If we have received the grace of God, he says, do not take it for granted. One of the ways that we take it for granted is that we just delay.

We often defer sharing the truth of the grace of God with other people who don't know it. We might say, "Well, there'll be another time. There'll be another day. Maybe when I feel more equipped. Maybe when I feel less embarrassed." However, Paul says, "No, today is the day." There is an urgency to the task at hand because every single moment, people are dying and stepping into eternity. He emphasizes that this is the accepted time.

Continuing on in verse 3, Paul states, "Giving no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed." This exhortation reveals one of the core ministry philosophies of the Apostle Paul. In fact, what we hold in our hands today as 2 Corinthians is due in large part to this conviction that Paul had: giving no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed.

False accusations had been levied against the Apostle Paul as an ambassador of Christ. He was concerned that these allegations against him and his ministry might bring reproach upon the cause of Christ. Therefore, he authored this letter to address his detractors and those who were speaking against him. He reveals his philosophy: he does not want to give offense in anything that the ministry of reconciliation might be reproached, blamed, slandered, or mocked.

He encourages the church, the Christians at Corinth who had received the grace of God, to live in such a way that honors the gift of grace. They need to live in a manner that glorifies God. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

There is a way in which we can live that honors and glorifies the gift that God has given to us. Just like Private Ryan says at the end of that movie, "I hope that I've lived in such a way that has honored what you and your men did for me." So, we must ask ourselves: Am I living in such a way that honors what Christ has done for me? This is the essence of Paul's message.

Exhortation to the church has stood for now 2,000 years. It wasn't just to the Corinthians, although it was authored to them and sent to them. It speaks to us. God, speaking through Paul, says to you and to me, "Live in such a way that honors the cause of Christ, that does not discredit the cause of Christ."

Now, it's important to recognize that Paul was in no way apologetic about the offensive nature of the message itself. The gospel is an offense. In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 23, he says, "We preach Christ crucified; to the Jews, a stumbling block; to the Greeks, foolishness." That word "stumbling block" can also be translated as "an offense." What took place on Calvary, on Golgotha, 2,000 years ago, is a stumbling block to those who are perishing. Romans 9, verse 23 says it is a rock of offense.

Why is what took place on Calvary's cross a stumbling block to those who are perishing? Because the gospel bluntly confronts man with his own sinfulness and his desperate need for salvation, which will not be found in himself by his own good works. When the gospel is shared, it reveals and exposes our own sinful condition.

How many of you honestly like to admit, "Yeah, I'm a sinner?" No hands. Me neither. None of us like to come right out and be honest about our failings. Although we sing songs about it, like "I once was lost," none of us like to be confronted with our shortcomings. Husbands and wives, you know this very well. When your spouse identifies an area where you're failing, do you just nicely smile and say, "Oh, well, thank you so much for pointing it out?" Our flesh reacts in a different way, doesn't it?

The cross of Calvary, the cross of Christ, reveals and confronts us with the reality of our sin. It confronts us with the reality that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to deal with the problem of our sin. Man detests the bad news of the gospel and often stumbles at it so much that the good news is never able to be given. They completely shut their ears and their hearts to what is being said.

Because they don't want to be confronted with the reality of their own sinfulness, the offense that Paul speaks of here is not about trying to lessen the sharp edge of the gospel. In the 21st century, in 2012, there are people and churches in our nation that are seeking to dull the sharp edge of the gospel to make it less offensive. However, the gospel is an offense to those who are perishing. There is no way to make it less offensive without removing its potency. Diminishing the harshness of the truth of the gospel diminishes the power of the gospel; it loses its power completely.

There are people in churches today who do not want to talk about sin, righteousness, judgment, wrath, or the blood of Christ. Yet, these topics are central to the Christian faith, with the blood of Christ being the atonement for our sin. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. It is a dreadful thing that there are people who, out of fear of hurting others' feelings, avoid these discussions. However, their feelings will hurt pretty badly in hell. Would we rather they feel comfortable in an air-conditioned sanctuary, only to face the heat of hell later?

Paul is not talking about lessening the offense of the gospel. The offense he speaks of may come not from the message of the gospel, but rather from the gospel messenger. He expresses a desire to live in such a way that does not bring reproach against the message. We know that some gospel messengers have, by their life and conduct, brought reproach against the cause of Christ. Even in our own day, we see this happening.

This is why it is essential that we pray for those in positions of leadership and authority within the church to speak forth the word of God. It is the responsibility of the body of Christ to pray for them because they are under attack.

There is spiritual warfare. The enemy seeks to take people out because if he can take them out, he will take many others with them. Paul says that the message of the gospel is an offense, but the messenger should seek not to be an offense. This is why Paul exhorts that the overseeing stewards in the ministry be blameless and above reproach. Titus chapter 1, verse 7, speaks about this. Those who are going to be leaders and overseers are to be blameless.

That does not mean sinless, because no one is sinless but Christ. However, it does mean that they should live in a way that honors Christ and the gospel. In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 12, Peter says to have your conduct honest among Gentiles. This means that people in the world should see you as an honest individual with integrity. Peter continues, stating that whereas they speak against you as an evildoer, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God on the day of visitation. When they see you, although they speak ill of you, they may find it hard to speak ill of you because of the way you live.

In our day, Billy Graham has been a great example of this. Many others come to mind, but he stands out. Over the 60 years of his ministry, he sought to put checks and balances in place to establish a structure that keeps him above and beyond reproach. Although there are people who speak ill of him because they disagree with his beliefs, the message he proclaims, or the fact that he stands against the sway of our culture towards sinfulness, it is very hard to speak ill of him as a man and a messenger.

Would to God that this would work out in each of our lives, that the ministry be not blamed. Paul was more concerned about the character and reputation of Christ than he was about his own character and well-being, as we will see in this passage. He was more concerned that Christ would be glorified through his body, whether by life or by death, than about whatever might come in his life or the death that he might endure.

Be rendered when he says that the ministry be not blamed, that the ministry be not discredited or mocked. I don't want in any way for the ministry, the gospel ministry, to be discredited. So Paul, the messenger, although he was discredited and mocked, sought that the message be not so.

Now, we live in a culture here in the United States in the 21st century that prizes our personal reputation highly, don't we? The Scriptures even seem to speak about this. Solomon, in Proverbs and also in Ecclesiastes, says a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. We recognize the reality that we want to have something of a good reputation, but sometimes the desire to maintain a good appearance before people hinders us from the proclamation of the gospel. We're afraid of what they might think of us. We're afraid that they might think us foolish or crazy.

The reality is they will think you're crazy. They think we're nuts. Our culture is moving in that direction more and more all the time. We are the simpletons; we are the butt of many jokes today. Whether it's on the cover of Newsweek that says, "Forget the church and follow Jesus because the church is full of a bunch of sinners," which is true, or if it's on television shows like this one on ABC, we're mocked.

As a result of that, remember, the whole of our culture is under the sway of the wicked one, and he seeks to order it in such a way that you feel like, "I don't want to say anything because if I tell them I'm a Christian, they're going to go, 'Oh, you're one of them, are you?'" But that's who we are. We cannot be anonymous. We cannot hide. Jesus bore our shame on the cross, and too often we are unwilling to be ashamed and take up the cross with Him.

But notice what Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke. You've probably read it before, but in Luke 9, verse 23, He said to them all, "If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." We need to count the cost. He goes on in Luke 9, verse 24, "For whosoever will save his life," save his reputation before men so that they may not think that you're crazy or a fool because you actually believe in that Jesus guy, "he who desires to save his life will lose it." But whosoever...

will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is man advantaged if he gains the whole world and loses himself or is a castaway? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in his Father's and of the holy angels.

That's challenging. As a result of the grace of God bestowed upon the Apostle Paul, he labored more abundantly than them all, as he says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. What did that labor look like, though? Continuing on, in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, look at verse 4.

But in all things, approving ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fasting. Paul says this is what it looks like to be an ambassador of Christ.

Please recognize that there is not some hierarchical, categorical system within Christianity where you can just be at different levels of Christian. For example, some might say, "I'm just one of those Sunday Christians. I'm not really one of those disciples of Christ." Others might think, "Well, you're a disciple of Christ, but I'm not really an ambassador of Christ."

No, a Christian is a disciple and an ambassador. Whether we like it or not, the moment you put your faith in Christ, you are immediately called into the discipleship of Christ, the following of Jesus Christ, and the representing of Him as an ambassador of Christ. The very name Christian labels you as one who says, "I am Christ-like" or is endeavoring to be Christ-like, although we may not always represent Him well.

There are no varying categories, such as, "I'm just one of those nominal Sunday Christians, and it's nice that you're a disciple, but I'm not quite that crazy yet." No, we're all crazy. We're all fools for Christ. In every respect, Paul and his co-laborers are commending themselves as the ministers of Christ.

Approved or commended themselves, not for the sake of their own approval, but for the sake of being ministers of Christ. They set themselves forth as servants of Jesus and desired that their lives would be conducted in a way that represented their faith well.

He says, "in much patience." What does it look like to be an ambassador of Christ? It has to do with going through difficulty and enduring in the midst of those difficulties. The idea of patience here is not simply waiting, even though we don't like that. How many of you really love to just wait and be patient? I won't even dare raise my hand.

It's like when you order something online; if you're anything like me, you watch that FedEx tracking thing every 20 minutes. You want them to email you when it gets there. You wonder, "Oh, where is it at now? Oh, wow, it's in China. That's a far way away. When's it going to get here?" We all recognize that we struggle with patience, and we live in a culture that can't stand the idea of it.

We jokingly say things, tongue-in-cheek, like, "Well, don't pray for patience because there are going to be trials." And yes, okay, fine, you're going to get trials whether you pray for patience or not. The question is, in the midst of that trial, will you endure it patiently? That is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

He says, "in much patience," and again, this is not simply waiting. This speaks of endurance in the midst of difficulty. A minister of God must be a pattern and an example of patient endurance. Again, we are all ministers of Christ, which means servants of Christ.

What is a pattern of endurance? Patient endurance in what? Paul gives us three things here in the next section that we patiently endure: in afflictions, in necessities, and in distress. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must endure such hardship. These things were standard fare for the Apostle Paul and his companions, and they may be for us too. In fact, Jesus promised us these very things.

The word "afflictions" in the original language is the same word that's translated as "tribulations" in John 16:33, when Jesus Himself says, "These things have I spoken unto you, that you might have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. You're going to have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

We ought not to be surprised when these things come to us as though something strange or out of the ordinary were happening. The Christian faces these difficulties just like the non-Christian does, but the Christian does so with the great, precious promise of Christ that these things are working out for us a far greater and eternal weight of glory. As Paul says in Romans 8:18, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."

In 2 Corinthians 4:17, he writes, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Paul believed this so deeply that he would say in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities." The same word is used here; he takes pleasure in his tribulations. When you read things like that, you might think he's nuts. He says, "I take pleasure in my tribulations." Why? "In reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake."

He explains, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." You might say, "Well, you're a fool, Paul." In verse 11, he continues, "I am become a fool in glorying. I know you think I'm crazy. You have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended of you all; for nothing I am behind and very chiefest of the apostles, though I be nothing."

So, he says, "I take pleasure in my infirmities." Why? Because when I am weak, I am strong. What kind of paradox is that? The Christian existence is paradoxical, and we will see that in this passage in 2 Corinthians 6. When I am weak, then I am strong. What kind of weirdness is that?

In John 15, Jesus said, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." In Philippians 4:13, Paul said, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." So, what's going on here? Well, as we Christians...

Recognizing our own insufficiency is crucial, as discussed in 2 Corinthians 3, verses 5 and 6. Paul was constantly confronted with the idea that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God, who has made us able ministers, servants of the new covenant. We are insufficient in and of ourselves to be able to do anything, and we are most powerful when we recognize that. Conversely, we are at our weakest when we think, "I got this." How many of you have recognized that in your life as a Christian? Every time you think, "I got this," it can lead to trouble. So, take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall, as stated in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 12.

What are these afflictions, necessities, and distresses that Paul speaks of? He lists several things, beginning with those that come at the hands of others. In verse 5, he mentions stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watchings, and fastings. The first three refer to stripes, or beatings. Paul faced beatings because of his profession of faith and his declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today, we live in a time and place where such confrontations are not something we regularly face. In fact, it is very unlikely, at this stage in the United States of America, that you will experience a beating because of your Christianity. While it is not impossible, it is certainly uncommon. This is not the case in many other parts of the world at this very moment. What we experience in America, and have experienced for over 230 years, is abnormal in the context of Christian history. However, after such a long period of security, we have come to believe this situation is normal. Thus, what is abnormal has become normal to us, and when we see suffering in other places, we often think, "That's so abnormal."

No, it's not. That is the reality that Christians have faced for 2,000 years, and I believe that it is the reality we will one day face in our own nation. I pray it not be so, but it's just the way that history goes. These sorts of things always begin verbally and then move into the place of physical persecution. We are already seeing the beginnings of such verbal animosity towards the church, so it's only a matter of time.

Paul speaks of these afflictions, which include beatings. In 2 Corinthians 11, he talks more specifically about it in verse 23. He says, "Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more so in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often." Of the Jews, five times I received 40 lashes minus one. This means Paul was whipped by this time in his Christian experience, and this was still relatively early in his ministry. This was written about the mid-50s A.D. By this point, Paul had been whipped 195 times by the Jews.

It puts it in perspective. When we read "five times I received 40 lashes minus one," we might wonder what that means. It means he was whipped 195 times. How many of you have been whipped once? I'm not talking about when you were a kid and did something stupid and had to go pick a branch off the tree. I'm not talking about that. Picture being bareback, hands tied around a stump, whipped 39 times, five times.

Three times I was beaten with rods. This was probably at the hands of Gentiles. Once I was stoned, and this is not the 1960s era of being stoned; this is almost being killed with rocks. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I have been in the deep. So, when Paul mentions beatings and stripes, he truly knows what he's talking about. This is not because he was a criminal; it is because he preached Christ. If someone was beaten as a criminal, they wouldn't boast about that. If you served time in jail and you're here today, you probably don't go around telling people that.

That's not your lead out in conversation, is it? I did ten years because of fraud. Oh, wow, really? Want to be your friend? We don't lead with that, do we?

But Paul says, "Five times I received forty lashes minus one." Not as a criminal, but as a preacher of the gospel. Not only beatings, but imprisonments, he says. We know of one such imprisonment, and it was just the first. Later on in Paul's ministry, he would live the last several years of his life as a prisoner, not because he was a criminal, but because of the cause of Christ.

In Philippians chapter 1, verse 24, he was imprisoned in the city of Philippi. He says, "In tumults," which means confusions or commotions. Wherever Paul went, he seemed to cause a tumult, a commotion. Not because he was a criminal, but because he preached the gospel.

In the cities of Lystra and Derbe, in the region of Galatia, he was taken outside the city in Acts chapter 14 on his very first missionary journey, and he was almost killed by being stoned with rocks. In Acts chapter 16, he was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. In Acts chapter 18, he was cast out of the city of Corinth after also being cast out of the cities of Thessalonica and Berea. In Acts chapter 19, in the city of Ephesus, he was brought before the council there as people cried, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." The next day, he was basically expelled from the city.

Paul experienced these things in the ministry because of the cause of Christ. He mentions stripes, imprisonments, and tumults. Not only those things at the hands of others, but those things as a result of the work of the ministry.

In labors, he says, "I endure much in these labors." Again, back to 2 Corinthians 11, verse 26: "In journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness, in painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger, and in thirst, in fastings often, in cold, and in nakedness."

He speaks of those things that are without and that which comes upon him daily because of the care of all the churches. Paul says, "This is what I've endured because of the work of the ministry." He didn't go into this with blindness, not recognizing that this was going to be the case.

That he was converted to the faith of Christ, God spoke to him through Ananias in Acts chapter 9 and said, "I want you to reveal to him the many things he will suffer for my namesake." Counting the cost of discipleship is essential, and that's why Jesus repeatedly in the Gospel says we need to count the cost. It's not just a walk in the park. Paul would say we are soldiers of Christ.

By the grace of God, I am what I am, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, and his grace that was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all. This labor included not only work but also watchings. The word "watchings" means sleeplessness, which Paul experienced because of the work of the ministry. He also mentioned fastings, which speaks of denial of self, most specifically in the area of food or sustenance. Paul said that fastings can be both voluntary, due to religious service, and involuntary, due to want or poverty. There were many times in Paul's ministry when he went without because he had little. The ambassador of Christ endures hardship to fulfill the work to which God has appointed them.

Furthermore, they exhibit certain qualities in the ministry. In verse 6, Paul lists these qualities: by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, and by the armor or the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. Paul emphasizes that in this work and ministry, he has exhibited enduring purity.

This is why Paul would exhort his younger protégé in the ministry, Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4:12, he said, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity." Speaking to a younger believer in the faith, Paul stresses the importance of being an example in purity. The ambassador of Christ seeks to exhibit an enduring purity in their conduct. The root of the Greek word translated as purity here is the same root from which we translate the English word "saint." Therefore, he says, you need to live.

In such a way that you are a saint, a lot of people instantly project upon that word a very Catholic, Roman Catholic understanding of the term "saint." If you ask most Christians, many of you here today, "Are you a saint?" many will respond, "Well, I'm a Christian, but I'm not really a saint," because we think of all the requirements, like having to perform a miracle and so forth. However, the Bible says Christians are saints. A saint is a set-apart one, one who has been consecrated.

The idea of consecration is similar to when you receive your check for your labor, your salary. There is a certain amount of money that you consecrate, setting it aside for specific purposes, and it is for that purpose only. For me, I pay my taxes quarterly, so when I get my check, a portion of it goes to taxes, and it's set aside. When you look at the bank account, it may seem like there is a lot of money there, and my wife might say, "Oh, we can buy that," thinking there is a surplus. But no, that money is consecrated for the United States Treasury. I wrote the check on Friday to the United States Treasury, and it's no longer in the account. It's consecrated.

So, we understand this idea of consecration as being set apart. We are to be set apart, consecrated. Look at this very same chapter; we will get there next week. In Chapter 6, verse 17, actually look at verse 16 first: "What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.'" This is what God has done.

Therefore, this is our responsibility: "Come out from among them and be ye separate," says the Lord. In a sense, we are separatists, but it doesn't mean what it might imply in modern language. We are saints, set apart. Our lives are to be lived differently and in purity. Not just purity, but Paul says, by knowledge—an enduring knowledge. The ambassador of Christ is to be a seeker of sound knowledge as it relates to the things of God.

Thus, Paul again exhorted Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show yourself approved unto God as a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This is the exhortation to all Christians. We are to live in such a way that we represent the kingdom of God well, which means we are set apart and live in purity. Not only that, we are to live in a way that exemplifies sound knowledge.

Paul was not one who was excellent in speech. There are many in this room today who, if I came up to you after the service and said, "Hey, next week I'd like you to come and stand up here and give a 10-minute devotion," you might pass out and fall over. You might say, "I'm not excellent in speech." And you know what? There are many like that. Paul was not one who was excellent in speech. He says to the church at Corinth, "When I came to you, I did not come with excellence of speech." In 2 Corinthians 11:6, he states, "But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge." My speech may not be polished, but I know the truth.

It's one of the things I love about Pastor Eric. When you sit down and talk with him, he'll tell you, "I'm not great at speaking. I don't have all the words right. I can't tell you about missiology and eschatology and all the different ologies of seminary." However, he can explain them because he has the knowledge; he has rightly divided the word of truth. This is what we are called to as Christians: to possess knowledge and also to exhibit long-suffering.

The word "long-suffering" has synonyms such as patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, slowness, and avenging wrongs. It is the very same word used as "long-suffering" in Galatians 5:22-23, where we are told of the fruit of the Spirit, which is the evidence of God's Spirit in us. One of the evidences of God working in us is that we would be patient, steadfast, and slow in avenging our wrongs.

He also mentions kindness, which is another word used in Galatians 5 in the fruit of the Spirit.

Gentleness speaks of moral goodness, integrity, and kindness. Paul seems to be explaining the fruit of the Spirit. He says that these qualities ought to be present in the life of the ambassador of Christ, the disciple, the Christian: long-suffering, gentleness, and so on. He wraps it all up by saying that this is by the Holy Spirit. The evidence of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such, there is no law.

In chapter 6, verse 6, Paul mentions love unfeigned, which means sincere, genuine love. Again, the fruit of the Spirit is love. These are the credentials of the minister of Christ; these are the qualities that ought to be evident in our lives. These are not self-manufactured. You don't go to a college class at Palomar to acquire these. They are produced in us by God through His Spirit.

How does He do it? Look at the next verse, verse 7. It is by the word of truth, by the power of God, and by the weapon of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. Where do these qualities come from? They are the fruit of God's Spirit. Oh, that God would work these things into my life and into our lives, so that people would see in us patience in the midst of afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleeplessness, and fasting.

We are to demonstrate purity, knowledge, long-suffering patience, kindness, and the evidence of the Spirit of God. This comes from genuine, sincere love that is rooted in the word of truth and empowered by God, along with the armor of righteousness. The armor of righteousness is that which we are clothed with by God, not by ourselves. It is external to us. God works these qualities into us for a purpose: giving no offense in anything so that the ministry may not be slandered.

Amen? Let's stand and pray. Amen. Father,

It is absolutely essential that you work in us these things because there is no possible way we can work them into ourselves. Enable us by your power to be witnesses of you and not to take for granted or receive in vain your grace.

But God, in my life and our lives today, this week, Lord, help us to earn it. Although we are not given your grace because we earned it, now that we have received your grace, help us to live in such a way that shows we honor it. Amen. In Jesus' name, Amen.