ANGUISH AND TEARS
II Corinthians 2:4-6
"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent – not to be too severe."
Paul had written the first letter to the church at Corinth, not with anger, but with a heart filled with grief and eyes filled with tears. And the anguish was not so much toward the offending sinner (a man who was committing incest), but because God's people did not address and correct the problem. Instead, they excused the sin and allowed it to continue in their congregation. How it must grieve the Lord Jesus when He sees the sin the modern church allows to continue in His Church. He loved the church and gave Himself for her in order to cleanse her and have a holy people without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27). Yet we accept sin in our midst with no corrective discipline. May our hearts be filled with anguish, not just because of sin in the congregation, but because we allow it with no correction. God will have a holy people.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The church congregation has a responsibility – even an obligation – to address flagrant sin in its midst so that the Church of Jesus will be holy.
[end]
Have a holy day. Love you.
www.wordpress.com
II Corinthians 2:4-6
"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent – not to be too severe."
Paul had written the first letter to the church at Corinth, not with anger, but with a heart filled with grief and eyes filled with tears. And the anguish was not so much toward the offending sinner (a man who was committing incest), but because God's people did not address and correct the problem. Instead, they excused the sin and allowed it to continue in their congregation. How it must grieve the Lord Jesus when He sees the sin the modern church allows to continue in His Church. He loved the church and gave Himself for her in order to cleanse her and have a holy people without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27). Yet we accept sin in our midst with no corrective discipline. May our hearts be filled with anguish, not just because of sin in the congregation, but because we allow it with no correction. God will have a holy people.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The church congregation has a responsibility – even an obligation – to address flagrant sin in its midst so that the Church of Jesus will be holy.
[end]
Have a holy day. Love you.
www.wordpress.com
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