As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.” vs. 1
2 Corinthians 6:1-5
Paul loved the Corinthians. He had lived among them for many months and he knew many of them personally, and now as he writes to them, we can see his passion in his words. He believes that they are his brothers and sisters in Christ, and that in Christ they are a new creation. But he worried about them too. He’s afraid that the gospel he has preached among them is in danger of becoming mere words, and that it may not be touching their hearts. That continues to be a troublesome reality in our communities of faith. We have become quite adept at using the word “grace” in a variety of circumstances. We affirm the grace of God regularly and even call grace the foundation of our life together—and we particularly love singing about it! But sometimes it can seem as though this amazing grace is purely a doctrinal matter, one we affirm with our minds, but fail to receive in our hearts. If that’s so, all our talk about grace is in vain, and we haven’t come close to allowing its power to be unleashed in our innermost being. The Holy Spirit is certainly capable of inspiring transformation in us even without our consent or cooperation. But we do have some agency, and some have become adept at neutralizing the power of grace. And it really is a shame when grace is no longer irresistible!
Thought for the Day: What happens when grace is resisted?
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