Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 9Uzorak

“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. ” ― Max Lucado

In 2 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul passionately appeals to the Corinthian believers, and to us today, to live lives that reflect the grace they have received from God. He calls them to embrace holiness and separation from the ways of the world, emphasizing the urgency of the present moment for salvation and transformation.

Key Verses:

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (CSB): "Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!"

• “Vain” in this passage is translated as empty, without content, without result, useless.

• Paul challenges us with this: We don’t work for salvation; we live from it. In the same way, we don’t work to receive God’s grace, it’s because of His grace that our lives are now changed, and we live our lives in Grace, Godliness and Righteousness.

We are reminded in these verses, as Paul echoes the words of Isaiah, that God's grace and salvation are available to us in this present moment. He urges us not to let this grace go to waste but to respond to God's call with urgency. This call to embrace salvation and respond to God's grace is just as relevant for us today. We, too, are called to seize the opportunity to turn towards God and live in the fullness of His grace.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (CSB): "Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?"

Paul invokes the Old Testament promise of God's fatherly relationship with His people. He emphasizes the need for believers to live lives distinct from the world's ways – to be set apart for God's purposes. As we strive for holiness and separation from the world's influences, we are promised a close and intimate relationship with God, who receives us as His own.

Jesus didn’t oppose sinners; He opposed sin. So we are reminded that we, too, should live holy and Godly lives that reflect the grace and dalvation that we have come to know.

An Application Question:

As we reflect on 2 Corinthians 6, let's consider our response to God's grace and the call to holy living. Are there areas in your life where you have been complacent in receiving God's grace? How can you actively embrace God's grace and live out a separated, holy life in a world that often pulls us away from His purposes?