Exemplifying the Message of Holiness

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:16

Jim Davis

If you have studied the Bible much, you have probably learned that the Bible is the best commentary on itself. It is amazing how something is said in one book of the Bible and is fully illuminated in another portion. It’s amazing how Bible teaching is exemplified by real life experiences of those doing the writing. The writers endeavor to give those receiving the written message a living example of what is written. 

You may have a difficult time understanding the teaching of the Old Testament until you see it exemplified in the life of Christ. Jesus came to demonstrate the very spirit of God’s law. God gives us his written word, then he sends someone to exemplify its teaching in a real life situation. The sacrifices the writers of the Bible ask us to make are exemplified in the lives of those doing the writing. 

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians we see Christ love motivating every word written. The promise of Christ’s love motivates his holy attitude toward the Corinthians. There is no better commentary written on the love of which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 than what is exemplified by Paul as he writes the second letter to Corinth.

Promises of God Motivate Holiness

The greatest encouragement to living pure lives is for us to study how the great people of the Bible were motivated to holiness through the promises of God. The promises of God motivated them to holiness. Their faith in the promises of God motivated a practical a practical application of God’s word to their lives. Paul quotes from the book of 2 Samuel from the promise God made to David about the kingdom of God. 

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1
God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."  

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."  

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.  (NIV)

It was God’s promises that motivated David to be a man after God’s own heart.  

2 Samuel 7:8-16
"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. 

"'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'" (NIV)

Those of us in the kingdom of God today, must understand the relevance of this promise to our lives. The kingdom God promised to David is a reality for us today. The church is the kingdom promised to David in the long ago. As Christians we are living within the kingdom promised to David.

God’s promises to David motivated many of the Psalms written by David. In the Psalms you can see David constantly reflecting upon the promise made to him, as he sought to understand the practical implications of the promises. 

Psalms 1:1-6
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NIV)

Psalms 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (NIV)

The Relevance of God’s Promises To David

As Paul quotes the promise of God to David, he reminds the Corinthians and us that those promises are very much a reality for our lives. Paul writes, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

A pure heart motivated Paul’s positive approach to addressing the problems in Corinth. He does not seek to condemn or accuse by attacking them on a personal level. He is careful to do three things as he writes the Corinthians. 

2 Corinthians 7:2-4
Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. (NIV)

First, Paul made room for the Corinthians in his own heart.  This is a letter of affirmation not condemnation. When you make room for someone in your heart you live and die with them. When they do wrong, you feel the weight of it in your own heart. Have you ever felt the weight of your child’s problems within your own heart? Their problem becomes your problem. He didn’t rip into them to give them a piece of his mind. The message reveals his love for them regardless of how they behave. 

2 Corinthians 2:4
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 7:8-9
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. (NIV)

Have you ever sent a letter that you later regretted that you sent? You may question what you wrote. Later, after you receive a positive response, you are glad you did send it. This is how Paul felt. He loved them too much to hurt them, but he loved them too much not to hurt them. When we love someone too much to hurt them we are usually more concerned about our own feelings than theirs. 

Second, Paul examines his own conscience. Paul had not wronged the Corinthians. He had not taken advantage of them. He was searching his own heart and mind before seeking to correct them. He was making sure that there was no mote in his own eye that would blind him to the good in their hearts.

Third, Paul expresses his confidence in them. Paul writes, “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.” 

The Promised Love Exemplified 

It was God’s promised love that made David a man after God’s own heart. Today God’s promises are kept alive through the promised love of Jesus Christ who now reigns on the throne of David. His love promises the best for each of us. God’s love is designed to bring out the best in each of us. His promised love motivates our relationship with those around us. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails. (NIV)

Paul exemplifies his message of love to the Corinthians. Paul not only writes a good message, but he exemplifies it in his own life. The true test of love is what it does when we are experiencing difficulties. Paul was harassed at every turn with conflicts from without and fears within. When you place these passages in the context of the Corinthian letters, you can begin to understand how each principle is exemplified in Paul’s life. Paul’s loving perseverance, patience and kindness to the Corinthians was motivated by the love of Christ. 

“Love is patient, love is kind.” As you read the letters to the Corinthians there is no way you can deny Paul’s persevering patience and kindness as he addresses the problems. Paul’s love for them made him seek a place in their hearts because he had given them a place in his own heart.

2 Corinthians 7:2-4
Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. (NIV)

Love “does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” Paul’s opponents in Corinth are boastful. In their boasting they seek to commend themselves (3:1; 5:12). However, Paul chooses to boast of others as he takes pride in them. 

Love “is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” Paul’s love was not rude, self-seeking, easily angered and he kept no record of wrongs. Christ’s love motivated Paul to sacrifice his feelings for them as he sought a proper attitude. How we see others is important because we usually get out of others what we see in them.

Traveler:  What does this pigsty cost?       
Innkeeper:  For one pig, $5.00; for two pigs, $9.00.  

Paul saw the Corinthians ardent concern for him. The result was a joy greater than ever.

2 Corinthians 7:5-7
For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. (NIV)

Love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Paul’s love persevered in the mist of problems. Paul was so proud of them that he failed to be discouraged about how they felt toward him. He practiced the love of Christ because he believed Christ’s love would conquer the sin in their lives. They have died together by sharing in the death of Christ (5:14), now they live together because they no longer live for themselves (5:15); now Christ love motivates them to live for each other. 

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” It is not easy to confront wrong in the lives of others unless you do it with an unloving heart. When we do it with an unloving heart we rejoice because we get a chance to tell-them-off. Paul regretted having to correct the Corinthians, but he was encouraged by their response to his correction.

2 Corinthians 7:8-13
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged. (NIV)

Results of Experiencing Christ’s Love

Christ’s love for the Corinthians not only brought out the best in Paul, but it brought out the best in the Corinthians. 

Christ’s love motivated Paul to see their innocence. Paul writes, “At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” A professor I had in college said, “A Christian is a person who obeys the truth as soon as it is discovered.” Being a Christian has to do with a willingness to obey the truth as soon as you discover it. This is what determines our guilt and innocence. We can sin in innocence, but the moment we discover that it is sin we are no longer innocence if we persist in it.

Christ’s love brought the Corinthians to godly sorrow. “For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” 

The love of Christ is designed to lead us to sorrow. It is not the kind of sorrow that seeks to condemn. Worldly sorrow seeks to condemn, but godly sorrow brings joy. 

Discovery of truth should lead every person to be sorry because each of us has offended God’s love. We can’t be sorry for what we have done to God without repenting of our sin. His sorrow is designed to lead us to repentance. It only brings his judgment when we refuse to repent of evil. If we desire to turn from evil the moment we discover it, God does not count our sins against us. 

Paul’s love for them forced him to believe in their innocence. Paul’s confidence in the Corinthians came from the disposition of his own heart toward them. He was proud of them (v. 4). His pride was motivated by the fact that he chose to believe they would repent when they were confronted with their sin. He knew the evil that was in the Corinthian church, but he was thoroughly convinced they would do what was right.  

Paul’s love for them forced them to recognize their own devotion to God. Paul writes, “So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.”  Paul didn’t write to them because of the man guilty of sin. He wrote to them about the man in sin so that they could prove their devotion. 

Their obedience to Paul’s instruction proved their high regard for the truth Paul preached. 
What better way to motivate others to grow than allowing them to prove themselves to themselves? Have you ever refrained from helping someone do something because you wanted them to prove to themselves that they could do it? I bought my grandson, who will be in the first grade, a first grade computer program this past week. I loaded it on the computer and stood back to let him figure it out for himself. I wanted him to prove to himself that he could do it.  This is the greatest motivation to those learning and to those teaching. It instills confidence in student and teacher alike.

2 Corinthians 7:13-16
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. (NIV)

Conclusion:

What better commentary on the subject of biblical love than the passages of this chapter of second Corinthians. This chapter gives us insight to handling troubles in difficult times as we are motivated by the promises of God to keep our heart pure.

Paul was a credible messenger of the gospel in that he exemplified what he taught. "The problem today is not that we lack a credible message, but rather that we so often lack credible messengers, those whose lives are irrefutably in harmony with the gospel and who are thus able to carry it with authenticity and power." (Peter Kuzmic, quoted in Church Disciple, Wint 1993)