The Tall Order For Christians

This passage was in my reading a couple days ago and the first 10 verses just jumped out at me. Paul has quite a tall order for the believers he is writing to at Corinth. Paul begs (beseeches) them not to receive the grace of God in vain. That means empty. In other words, don't be nonchalant or flippant or apathetic towards the grace you have been given. He reminds them that God says He heard them in their day of salvation and (succoured) helped or relieved them. 

Paul then goes on to give some commands. He tells them (and us!) to not give offence in anything, so that the ministry could not be blamed. In other words, so that no one can say they don't want to be a Christian because you are not conducting yourself correctly! --- This would be the case for my dear father-in-law. He sees no need to get saved because he has seen too many so called Christians lie, steal and cheat their way through life and he feels no need for salvation when he does right by others and many Christians have done him or family members wrong.

It may seem a tall order but it is none the less given as command in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Paul goes on to say that we must approve ourselves as ministers of God (not just for preachers but all those who name the name of Christ are ministers of the gospel) and that we must be patient in afflictions, necessities, distresses, beatings (stripes), imprisonment, tumults (chaos or disorder), labours (pain or weariness), watchings (sleeplessness), and fastings (lack of food). Not only are we to be patient but we are to also do all this in pureness (blamelessness), by knowledge, longsuffering (patiently enduring with a good attitude), by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned (sincere affection), by the word of truth, by the power of God, and by the armour of righteousness. 

Verse 8 is a bit confusing for it says by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; -- I think in simplest terms this just means in every way you should be putting forth for the ministry of God as a Christian no matter what others are saying about you. 

Verse 9 says as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and, behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; -- Some don't know us yet others know us well, and even if we die we will live forever in heaven, some will chasten us but we are not killed just because we are chastened.

Verse 10 says as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich: as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. -- even when we are saddened by the world we can rejoice in our Christianity and grace of God, even though we may be poor we can make others spiritually rich by telling them of the love and saving grace of Jesus, and though we may have few or no possessions on earth we are the child of our Heavenly Father who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and everything else! 

To conduct ourselves in the manner that Paul tells us to in this passage, is indeed quite a tall order but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to live it daily! We will fail at times but that's what the grace of God is for! When we ask forgiveness, He gives it! He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west and buries them in the depths of the sea never to be remembered again! WooHoo! Praise God!