Do Not Receive the Grace of God in Vain (2 Cor 6:1-13)
Psa 116:12 What shall I repay to the Lord. For all His benefits to me?
People say they will believe, but they do not attend churches because of their emotions. God knows about such humans, yet He still comes with the voice of love, urging us not to receive His grace in vain.
Following God’s will, Apostle Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus, speaks right now to the members of PKCC through this passage about making good use of the time God has given us. He emphasizes the importance of using time wisely and valuably and how God is so deeply concerned about us, unchangingly working on His plan of salvation for us every day even though we commit many wrongdoings. God does not sleep but continually strives to find His forgotten image from Adam’s fall to today and we can see this through the scriptures.
- This is an exhortation that tells us about the time of the final gospel
Behold! Now is the acceptable time. Behold! Now is the day of salvation. This is clearly stated in 2 Cor 6:2. My first main point is this, the final period of the gospel for you and I are at the end. It’s no longer being spoken about.
- The time of grace and salvation indicated by ‘now’ in 2 Cor 6:2
So more specifically, it refers to the lifetime of individuals born until this time. It speaks of the period when we are born until we die.
- How long an individual lives
It even more specifically refers to the very moment we are receiving the apostle’s auscultation right now as we worship before God. This very moment refers to the moment when we are receiving the apostle’s advice.
- God’s plan of salvation is inevitable and purposeful
Even if you don’t want to believe, He will pursue you through dreams and revelations, causing you sufferings, tribulation, freezing, discipling you, loving you without regard for water or fire or time or seasons, providing opportunities for you to hear His words through His messengers and yet, some people say they don’t care even if they go to hell.
The ’now’ unfolds into the gradual process of history, occurring within the realm of time and space. Even if we don’t believe in God now, it’s still set before us. It’s right beside our ears, for us to hear. And we have to hear the voice of the word now. So, this is what the author of Hebrew states in Hebrew 1:1-2. Also, Apostle Paul tells the Galatians in Galatians 4:4. Jesus is born of a woman because the time has come. Moreover, Jesus Himself says in Mat 21:37 :- He sent His son as a final messenger to mankind and there was no one else left to send. In other words, He sent His son and said, Look! Jesus Christ was born of a woman.
What’s the point of attending church for 100 days without understanding the meaning of His words? Behold. This is the final period. His son is the last person. This is the last train. The endpoint of history is being revealed. It is precisely described in Dan 9 and 11. The end time is spoken of in the Old Testament. In began when Jesus was born of a woman. This is when the end times began. So, it mentioned earlier in Heb 1:1.
God is a Holy being. He is Holy. So do not receive God’s grace in vain. God is not deceived by human beings who are easily swayed by human deceits as He understands human hearts. God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7). Now is the time to receive the grace of salvation through the gospel. It must be believed today, not tomorrow. Human beings cannot even foresee a moment ahead. Therefore, you cannot know what is going to happen in a single day (Proverbs 27:1).
You need to receive grace. You must receive grace. God also requires those who receive grace should pray to be heard. If you live as you pleased as if you are on your own, that means God says in the time of salvation grace, you need to pray (2 Cor 6:1). God helps those who have received grace.
The word ‘grace’ is repeatedly continuously (Eph 2:8). Grace is given freely without a charge. It’s unconditional. It’s simply given to anyone who believes in Christ. The son sent by God freely, just given. Jesus took our sins and paid a price for them. Additionally, He imputed His righteousness to us. God has transferred the sins of people to His son who died on the cross and the blood of Jesus has washed away those sins and declared them righteous. So, it says, do not receive this grace in vain. God does not speak to people who doubt Him (2 Cor 5:21).
Jesus came as Immanuel, meaning God with us, born of a woman through the Holy Spirit. He is with us; He is the word made flesh. Missing out on Him means missing out on eternal salvation. Believe in Him, it’s truly astonishing. So, you receive forgiveness of sins, and the result is reconciliation with God (2 Cor 5:20).
Christ’s death for us proves God’s love for us even by sacrificing His son. Since Adam and Eve sinned, the ancestors built a wall between God and the people. As soon as they open their eyes, they only look at the ground like snakes, what to eat and what to wear. When Jesus came, He broke the wall. The wall is gone, we can see God and the words through the prophets, we can hear and understand the words that are given (Eph 2:14). It re-establishes a connection with God.
When it’s time to study the Bible, study. Those who study the bible do not fall into temptation. They do not (Gal 6:3-4).
Conclusion: We must not miss the last opportunity. Have you evangelized your parents and your grandparents? Have you preached your gospel to your own children? When your children grow up, you can’t even speak to them. You are their father and mother; you have parental authority (Rev 20:15).
Receive grace when you can. If you don’t receive grace, you will be in big trouble (Mat 25; Luke 25). God will say, I don’t know you at all. Why? Because when the grace was given you did not receive it (Luke 13:25-27).
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 