2 Corinthians is such a personal letter! Paul’s heart and passion for the church in Corinth is so apparent, even as it wrestles through difficult situations and challenges. As we read this week in Woodlands in the Word, Paul is being careful to unashamedly challenge, while also reiterating his love and affection for the church. Paul is modeling living a life after Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
The first verse we read this week, however, should flavor and challenge the whole four chapters we read. Paul started by challenging the church, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor 6:1). The word ‘vain’ is a translation of the greek word κενός, and means, ’empty’ or ‘foolish.’ “Don’t empty grace of its power!” Paul challenges. “Don’t make God’s grace foolish!”
How could that happen? What grace is empty, or foolish, or even worthless? What would lead to ’empty grace?’
In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul speaks of God’s work in his own life, saying, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain (not foolish!). On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” God’s grace wasn’t empty towards Paul, because it made Paul into who he was, in Christ. And this person that Paul was made into required work. Grace – God’s free gift – produced and required work. How should we understand this, and what does this mean for us?
How Should We Understand This Grace?
The first challenge is that Scripture views God’s grace as much more than simply a free ticket to heaven. God’s grace is an invitation and opportunity to live life as God intended that it would be lived. God’s grace – God’s redeeming work in our life – should necessarily change us and cause us to live more and more in line with who God is and what he calls us to.
James said it succinctly: “Faith without deeds is dead” (Jame 2:17)!
But some might object: “Grace is free! And grace leads to freedom! Why does that mean I can’t do whatever I want after receiving God’s grace?” In response, Jesus speaks to our freedom through grace in John 8:36: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” But just three verses earlier, Jesus spoke of His freedom: “I do nothing on my own authority… I always do the things that are pleasing to [the Father]” (John 8:28). For Jesus, true freedom was the power to do only what God desired that He do. For Jesus, grace – God’s free gift – give us the power to do all that God wants us to do.
In fact, God’s grace should change not only what we do, but truly what we want to do: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:31-33). The true work of God’s new covenant isn’t just to save our eternal souls from the punishment for our sins, but rather to transform our wills and desires to love and want to follow God.
Through God’s grace, true freedom means we are freed to do whatever we want, and that we only want to do what God desires we do.
If God’s grace doesn’t change how we live – if it doesn’t bring us into a more transformed relationship with God – then it’s vain. Foolish. Empty. Dead.
What Should This Cause Us To Do?
So what does this vain-less grace look like for the church of Corinth? Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 6:1 is fleshed out over the next two chapters. In 7:7-11, Paul talks about the process of change the Corinthian church was going through, by grace, in response to Paul’s earlier letter. His challenges and exhortations in I Corinthians had created “deep longing” and “sorrow” in the hearts of the Corinthian church. They were “grieved.” Why? Because they were confronted with ways in which their lives didn’t mirror God.
This grief led to repentance, and that repentance led to “salvation without regret” (2 Cor 7:10). What a powerful statement! Because the Corinthian church repented – because they turned away from their sin after being confronted by it – they received salvation without shame.
And this is grace.
Salvation without regret is not a result of grace ignoring our sin – and it isn’t a result of not being grieved by our sin. Instead, salvation without regret, through grace, is the result of being grieved by our sin, opening confessing and repenting from our sin, and then turning towards God in freedom, surrendering to His will. What a powerful truth!
Take a few minutes and ask God if there is sin in your life you need to confess, grieve, and repent from. Ask Him that He would produce in your salvation without regret.
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Read along with us in Woodlands in the Word! Text BIBLE to 888-225-7675 for a link to each weekday’s Bible reading and prayer prompts!