2 Corinthians 6 & 7, Marks of the Ministry, Repentance

 

2 Corinthians 6 – Marks of the Ministry

Jesus told His followers to “make disciples.” Matt. 28:19. Clearly Christians are not to hide from unbelievers but should be having an impact for God in their sphere of influence. God needs people everywhere who are ready to serve Him. Paul does set a boundary line, however. As much as we are to seek to influence the unbelieving world, we must not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” To be “yoked” pictures harnessing two animals together. It was against God’s law to yoke together animals of different strength, for they would pull against each other and would not accomplish anything worthwhile. Believers who are “yoked” with unbelievers, through close partnerships such as business or marriage, will find that they are pulling in different ways toward different goals. Believers should seek to be yoked only with other believers, so that they can strive together toward glorifying God and then achieving other common purposes.

 

2 Corinthians 7 – Repentance

Ture repentance begins when people understand the weight of their sins and the great sacrifice Christ made to cover them. Only then will they move to turn away from their sin. Moreover, they need to turn to God for salvation. As Paul wrote, “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” Repentance is more than saying, “I’m sorry” it carries with it the desire to change one’s ways. When people accept Christ and ask Him to forgive their sins, He does so right away. He wipes the slate clean. Does that mean that those Christians will never sin again? Certainly not. Repentance is an ongoing daily process as we seek to live for Christ despite our failures. We need not itemize every sin, fearing that if we forget to repent of one we will be forever lost. But we do need to have a constant attitude of godly sorrow and repentance. Seeking to let God change us to become more like Christ.

 

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Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible