How I Live and How I Reconcile with Others -Study 3/29/12
How I live and how I reconcile with others
Someone said that “an unexamined life is not worth living”. How do I really live? How do you live? How do people we consider great men and women of God live? There comes a time in our lives when we have to look deep within and evaluate ourselves - the way we live in light of God’s word and in the eyes of others. We can fool others but we cannot fool ourselves. This is where we are today and this is where I am in my relationships.
Apostle Paul has been pleading with the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. Paul understood very well that the vertical reconciliation must be followed by the horizontal reconciliation. We must love God who is above but we must also love our fellow human who is with us.
Apostle Paul was direct to the Corinthians knowing that all has not been well between him and them. There have been accusations and counter accusations and hear says by the false teachers. Paul took a deep breath and poured out his heart to the Corinthians. He says “11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also”. 2 Corinthians 6:11-12. Can we look people in the eye and be vulnerable enough to have honest conversations that lead to reconciliations? You and I can blame the other person as much as we want but we must be willing to look within and engage. You can withhold your heart all you want but it will not change the situation where there is need for reconciliation. We all offend one another in many ways.
Paul recognized that he is a co-worker with God vs.1). Paul does not want to be a stumbling block to anyone in his attempt to preaching the gospel of reconciliation by not living it out. How we live matters and Paul gives us an honest evaluation of himself (vs. 4-10).
How do you and I know that we are living lives of reconciliation? It is simple. When we use the same standard God has used for us then we know. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Are we holding people hostage in our relationships while we want God to free us? Are you living a life of “holier than thou”? We must stop using two different lenses – one for me based on grace and one for others based on perfection and pay back.
Most of us are waiting for people to reconcile to us. Imagine God waiting for us to take the initiative to reconcile to Him. It never would have happened. Can you today take the initiative like God did and Paul lived out? The pity party should be over by now please. God loved and died for us while we were still sinners. Most of us are waiting to love people who have never sinned and will never sin. It is impossible and unfortunately we will be miserable the rest of our lives here on earth if that were our only criteria. Are we reconciling people to us now or are we still waiting? Tomorrow may be too late.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13:
1 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. God is the one who is at work in our lives and all lives. It is a privilege to be invited by God to partake in this great work of reconciliation. God’s means of reaching us is by His grace. It is by grace we have been saved. Apostle Paul is appealing to the Corinthians, “we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain” vs.1. We can live and act in ways that look like we have received the grace of God in vain. One sure way is when we are not extending the same grace to others. Can we please be gracious with one another especially in our closest relationships – marriage, children and the extended family? We are nicer to strangers (by pretence) than we are to the ones closest to us. May God help me and help you to be authentic. Amen.
2. Paul also tells the Corinthians that today and now is the day of salvation and time of God’s favor. I believe the same applies to our reconciliation with others. Today is the day to make that reconciliation. Tomorrow may be too late. Many a times people have regretted not making peace with a loved one before he/she passed. This is our chance to do the reconciliation. How long do we want to drag it on instead of calling cease fire and reconcile?
3. In addressing the Corinthians, Paul also looked inside himself. First he said I do not want to be an offense or stumbling block to any. Jesus said offense will surely come. It depends on what we do with offenses. Paul goes on to evaluate himself in three areas – his character and sufferings, his use of God’s resources and provision in living and thirdly his evaluation of what others are saying about him and what the truth of God’s Word say about him.
4. First, Paul’s sufferings and character build up. He said as “servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger” vs.4-5. These are proven facts of Paul’s life and the Corinthians knew about it (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-11). Paul suffered both inside and outside of the Church. Everyone suffers injustice so we are not unique.
5. Next, Paul evaluates himself based on the requirements of the word and God’s resources available to him. “In purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” vs.6-7. Paul did his best to walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit such as patience and kindness. He was not perfect but tried to live it out with results.
6. The last area of self evaluation by Paul was in how people viewed him and how he viewed himself in light of the truth of the word of God. “Through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” vs. 8-10. Paul experienced dishonor, bad report, called an imposter and unknown; characterized as dying, beaten, sorrowful and having nothing. Paul however saw himself differently based on the Word of God namely in glory, of good report, genuine, known as living and alive, not killed but always rejoicing even in hardship and rich in God but not in this world’s goods. Even Jesus had his critics that said he was a sinner and glutton and etc. To the extent there is truth to the criticism coming to us, we should repent and seek change.
7. How do I evaluate myself? How do you evaluate yourself? Paul has given us a good example. We must live exemplary lives above reproach but keeping in mind that people will always have something to say about us. It would even come from those we love dearly so let’s not be bent out of shape. Like Paul, when we have a chance to clarify ourselves and motives to others we should. This is good communication. But at the end we must resign ourselves to God who judges rightly and He will vindicate us.
Paul opened his heart and poured it to the Corinthians in an effort to reconcile himself to them. Will you and I open our hearts to the ones we have wronged or who have wronged us? At the end, it does not even matter who struck John first but that we have reconciled. Can we take the first step toward reconciliation? “Now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation” and reconciliation to God and our fellow people.
You are saying but you don’t know what terrible/hurtful thing he/she did to me. Yes I do not. But I know what you and I did to God that caused him to allow His only Son to be killed so that He can forgive us. Who comes to your mind first on this issue? Please go to him/her soon like today. I will do the same too by God’s grace.
Lord, forgive me for the many times I have used a different standard of vengeance for others while seeking and abounding in your grace. You have been gracious to me countless of times. May your grace never be in vain in my life. Lord, I forgive all that have hurt me and help me to reach out to them. Lord, help me also by your Holy Spirit to reach out to those I have hurt. Thank you Lord for reconciling me to you. Help me to do the same for others and allow your Holy Spirit to live through me. Amen.
Someone said that “an unexamined life is not worth living”. How do I really live? How do you live? How do people we consider great men and women of God live? There comes a time in our lives when we have to look deep within and evaluate ourselves - the way we live in light of God’s word and in the eyes of others. We can fool others but we cannot fool ourselves. This is where we are today and this is where I am in my relationships.
Apostle Paul has been pleading with the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. Paul understood very well that the vertical reconciliation must be followed by the horizontal reconciliation. We must love God who is above but we must also love our fellow human who is with us.
Apostle Paul was direct to the Corinthians knowing that all has not been well between him and them. There have been accusations and counter accusations and hear says by the false teachers. Paul took a deep breath and poured out his heart to the Corinthians. He says “11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also”. 2 Corinthians 6:11-12. Can we look people in the eye and be vulnerable enough to have honest conversations that lead to reconciliations? You and I can blame the other person as much as we want but we must be willing to look within and engage. You can withhold your heart all you want but it will not change the situation where there is need for reconciliation. We all offend one another in many ways.
Paul recognized that he is a co-worker with God vs.1). Paul does not want to be a stumbling block to anyone in his attempt to preaching the gospel of reconciliation by not living it out. How we live matters and Paul gives us an honest evaluation of himself (vs. 4-10).
How do you and I know that we are living lives of reconciliation? It is simple. When we use the same standard God has used for us then we know. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Are we holding people hostage in our relationships while we want God to free us? Are you living a life of “holier than thou”? We must stop using two different lenses – one for me based on grace and one for others based on perfection and pay back.
Most of us are waiting for people to reconcile to us. Imagine God waiting for us to take the initiative to reconcile to Him. It never would have happened. Can you today take the initiative like God did and Paul lived out? The pity party should be over by now please. God loved and died for us while we were still sinners. Most of us are waiting to love people who have never sinned and will never sin. It is impossible and unfortunately we will be miserable the rest of our lives here on earth if that were our only criteria. Are we reconciling people to us now or are we still waiting? Tomorrow may be too late.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13:
1 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. God is the one who is at work in our lives and all lives. It is a privilege to be invited by God to partake in this great work of reconciliation. God’s means of reaching us is by His grace. It is by grace we have been saved. Apostle Paul is appealing to the Corinthians, “we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain” vs.1. We can live and act in ways that look like we have received the grace of God in vain. One sure way is when we are not extending the same grace to others. Can we please be gracious with one another especially in our closest relationships – marriage, children and the extended family? We are nicer to strangers (by pretence) than we are to the ones closest to us. May God help me and help you to be authentic. Amen.
2. Paul also tells the Corinthians that today and now is the day of salvation and time of God’s favor. I believe the same applies to our reconciliation with others. Today is the day to make that reconciliation. Tomorrow may be too late. Many a times people have regretted not making peace with a loved one before he/she passed. This is our chance to do the reconciliation. How long do we want to drag it on instead of calling cease fire and reconcile?
3. In addressing the Corinthians, Paul also looked inside himself. First he said I do not want to be an offense or stumbling block to any. Jesus said offense will surely come. It depends on what we do with offenses. Paul goes on to evaluate himself in three areas – his character and sufferings, his use of God’s resources and provision in living and thirdly his evaluation of what others are saying about him and what the truth of God’s Word say about him.
4. First, Paul’s sufferings and character build up. He said as “servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger” vs.4-5. These are proven facts of Paul’s life and the Corinthians knew about it (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-11). Paul suffered both inside and outside of the Church. Everyone suffers injustice so we are not unique.
5. Next, Paul evaluates himself based on the requirements of the word and God’s resources available to him. “In purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” vs.6-7. Paul did his best to walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit such as patience and kindness. He was not perfect but tried to live it out with results.
6. The last area of self evaluation by Paul was in how people viewed him and how he viewed himself in light of the truth of the word of God. “Through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” vs. 8-10. Paul experienced dishonor, bad report, called an imposter and unknown; characterized as dying, beaten, sorrowful and having nothing. Paul however saw himself differently based on the Word of God namely in glory, of good report, genuine, known as living and alive, not killed but always rejoicing even in hardship and rich in God but not in this world’s goods. Even Jesus had his critics that said he was a sinner and glutton and etc. To the extent there is truth to the criticism coming to us, we should repent and seek change.
7. How do I evaluate myself? How do you evaluate yourself? Paul has given us a good example. We must live exemplary lives above reproach but keeping in mind that people will always have something to say about us. It would even come from those we love dearly so let’s not be bent out of shape. Like Paul, when we have a chance to clarify ourselves and motives to others we should. This is good communication. But at the end we must resign ourselves to God who judges rightly and He will vindicate us.
Paul opened his heart and poured it to the Corinthians in an effort to reconcile himself to them. Will you and I open our hearts to the ones we have wronged or who have wronged us? At the end, it does not even matter who struck John first but that we have reconciled. Can we take the first step toward reconciliation? “Now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation” and reconciliation to God and our fellow people.
You are saying but you don’t know what terrible/hurtful thing he/she did to me. Yes I do not. But I know what you and I did to God that caused him to allow His only Son to be killed so that He can forgive us. Who comes to your mind first on this issue? Please go to him/her soon like today. I will do the same too by God’s grace.
Lord, forgive me for the many times I have used a different standard of vengeance for others while seeking and abounding in your grace. You have been gracious to me countless of times. May your grace never be in vain in my life. Lord, I forgive all that have hurt me and help me to reach out to them. Lord, help me also by your Holy Spirit to reach out to those I have hurt. Thank you Lord for reconciling me to you. Help me to do the same for others and allow your Holy Spirit to live through me. Amen.
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