2 Corinthians 6:1-13

If you put an ice cube in a boiling pot of water, which one is going to win? Will the ice cube melt, or will the boiling water freeze? If you bring a candle into a big dark room, which will conquer the other? Will the darkness put out the candle, or will the candle bring light to the room?

And which is stronger, God’s grace or the evil of this world? Which will triumph over the other? Will the grace of God smother evil, or will sin and evil defeat God’s grace? If we, as Reformed Christians, really truly believe that God’s grace is irresistible, then what’s the answer? Which will win? Grace or evil? Grace or sin? Grace or suffering? Grace or sorrow? The answer, of course, is grace, God’s grace, the grace that is given to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ. In that moment when we allowed Jesus to take over control of our life, when we knew, we were persuaded, that we were put to death in His death, that we were raised in His resurrection, in that moment, God’s grace was given to us, a grace that is strong enough to stand against any temptation or sorrow or suffering. Grace conquers sin, not the other way around.

So why do we look so scared? What are we afraid of? Why does it seem like Christianity is so weak and helpless, and the world is so big and scary? What’s keeping us from bringing the grace of God into contact with the brokenness of this world? What’s keeping our mouths shut? What’s keeping our programs pointed inward? What makes us avoid certain people? What keeps us from ministering to people who have AIDS? What keeps us from entering certain homes? What fear, what dread, what are we imagining might happen if we actually get out and get involved?

We are 4 weeks out from Pentecost, and we have one of two choices. Either the Holy Spirit entered the church at Pentecost two thousand years ago, and kept going, or the Holy Spirit entered the church, and hit a wall. Either the Holy Spirit has been moving forward, at His speed, for the past 2000 years, or this world was too big, it was too evil, it was too messed up for the Spirit to handle, so He turned around and went back to heaven. Which is it? Will God’s grace, given through the Spirit, win over evil, or will evil triumph over God’s grace.

We know the answer. And so, we agree with Paul when he writes, in verse 1:

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

God’s grace has made you His son, His daughter. God’s grace has snatched you from an eternity of suffering, and brought you into an eternity of wonder and joy. God’s grace has made you a fellow worker with God. God’s grace has made you a friend, a brother, a sister with Jesus. God’s grace has given us everything, everything we could ever imagine. God’s grace was a gift, a free gift.

But how we receive this gift reveals what we think of this gift. We sometimes talk about cheap grace. We treat God’s grace cheaply when we enjoy His forgiveness but ignore His holiness. When we love being love by God, but have better things to do than love Him back, then we’ve thrown out God’s grace with today’s trash. But we will only treat His grace as cheap if we think that His grace is cheap. We’ll only ignore His grace, if we don’t understand the value of His grace.

And when His grace is cheap, when there is no value, then we receive God’s grace in vain. We resist His effect. His grace is given to us, but we don’t pass it on to others. We enjoy His favor, but we don’t let others get a taste. Maybe, we keep His grace to ourselves, because we’re selfish and greedy. We just don’t like to share His grace. We soak it all up ourselves, and we resent anyone else enjoying God’s favor, His grace. We like to be God’s favorite child, not that other person over there. Not that person who is so different from us. Not that person who has such different values from me. Not that Democrat. Not that Republican. Not that person that dresses that way. Not that person that lives in that kind of house. God couldn’t possibly favor them.

We are only stingy with God’s grace when we don’t realize that there is more than enough grace to go around for everyone, everyone who has been saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus. God’s favor doesn’t depend on political party or house address or quality of lawn or clothing or type of hairstyle. God’s favor depends on the blood of Jesus. We accept God’s grace when we extend God’s grace to others.

We can accept God’s grace in vain by being selfishness, and by being scared. We accept God’s grace in vain if we think that God’s grace can’t do anything. His grace, His favor is nice and everything, but what does it actually do? So what? What difference does it make in real life? God’s grace is nice to talk about on Sundays and in Bible studies. We feel good when we talk about grace, God’s favor that He shows to us. And then we come back to the real problems of this broken world. And God’s grace doesn’t really seem to be a match for those suffering from AIDS. What will God’s grace do about a friend of ours that is hit by her husband? What is grace going to do about our neighbor who has tens of thousands of dollars racked up in medical bills? What is grace going to do about the sorrow of losing a child? What is grace going to do about a heart that is so hardened against the church? Will God’s grace triumph over evil, or will evil conquer grace?

Grace will conquer, as surely as Jesus rose from the grave. Grace will have an effect, just as surely as Jesus is alive today. We can accept God’s grace, and then do something with it, because, God says, in verse 2:

“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

In My grace, I’m going to do something. In the time of My favor I’m going to show up. In the day of salvation, because of My love, I am going to help you. And that day, verse 2:

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Today, Sunday, June 21 is the day that God shows up in our community, through us. Today, tomorrow, every day is the day that God works His grace in us, and then works His grace through us to our hurting friends and neighbors.

And to prove that this is happening right now, here, today, Paul makes this huge list of how God has worked. Paul says, “You don’t think that God’s grace does anything? You don’t think that it has a real effect on people? Take me for example,” he says. “I was an accomplice to murder, as guilty as if I had hurled the rock at Stephen’s head myself. I rounded up men and women and little children because they believe in Jesus. And now, look at what God’s grace and favor has done. Verse 4:

As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Through all of this, with every beating, every cold rainy night out in the wilderness. Every hard, sleepless night in jail. Through all of this, not once have we dropped the ball. That wasn’t us, says Paul. That wasn’t because we’re so tough, or we’re so holy. That was God’s grace having an effect over the harshest evil. That was God’s grace conquering evil.

And if God can do that in Paul, then God can do that in us. If God’s grace was enough to keep Paul faithful through beatings and stonings, while people were talking bad about him for no good reason, while they were being mobbed…if God’s grace could have that kind of an effect in Paul, there is absolutely no reason God’s grace can’t have the same effect on us. If we accept God’s grace. If we accept His grace unselfishly. If we accept His grace without fear. If we accept His grace, not in vain but with gratitude.

When Paul accepted God’s grace, God moved His feet and opened His mouth and poured out His grace to the known world of that time. From Turkey to Spain, from Rome to Jerusalem, Paul went anywhere and everywhere talking about the grace of God shown to humans in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Verse 11:

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.

Think about Paul, walking into the city of Corinth, not really sure how the people were going to accept him. Imagine him walking into the synagogue, a Jewish place of worship, and telling them that they missed their messiah and that they needed to repent. But that’s exactly what Paul did, he opened up his heart wide to the people of Corinth, because God had opened up His heart wide for Paul. Paul shows God’s grace to the Corinthians, because God had shown His grace to Paul.

But the Corinthians hadn’t kept the grace going. Verse 12:

We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.

Whether selfishly or fearfully, the people of the church in Corinth had accepted God’s grace in vain. They hadn’t let God’s grace do anything through them. They hadn’t even returned Paul’s love and affection by loving him back. And they hadn’t loved each other, either. The rich mistreated the poor, taking advantage of them instead of helping. The church was dividing, rather than uniting, over issues that never should have driven them apart. They loved being saved, they loved receiving God’s grace, they enjoyed the favor of God, they just didn’t want to show that love and favor and grace to each other and to others.

So Paul offers them a deal. Verse 13:

As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

God opened His heart in giving His only Son to die for us. Paul opened up his heart to risk starvation and beating and jail time so that we could know Jesus. How about us? Will we open wide our hearts, or will we receive God’s grace in vain? Will we let God’s grace continue to be shown to others, or will we keep it to ourselves? Are we afraid of the sin and evil and brokenness around us, or are we going to be the ones to bring the healing, soothing grace of God, the love that so many are looking for?

If we know that God’s grace triumphs over evil, if we know that His love is stronger than sin, then our eyes will be open, we’ll be paying attention, we’ll notice the evil, we’ll notice the sin that needs to come into contact with God’s grace. Our friend is going through a rough time in their marriage, and we have to make a choice. Do we keep our distance, because, you know, what can we really do about the problem anyway? Or do we call them and get involved? Do we spend time listening and encouraging them to find help? Do we show God’s grace, the grace that can heal? We drive by that house on our way to church, that house that needs so much work, that house that is so run down. Do we just keep driving by, shaking our heads in sadness and scorn? Or one of these times, as we’re driving by, we pull in and we go up to their door, and we introduce ourselves. Or if we know who they are already, we ask how things are going? We even ask if there is anything we help them with? We open wide our hearts in response to the gracious heart of God. We notice the person sitting all by themselves after church. And it looks like they spend a lot of time alone already. Or we notice that person who almost runs for the door after church, they can’t wait to get outside and in their car and away. Do we let them? Do we just mind our own business? I mean, if they wanted to talk, they could come to us, but they’re not, so we’ll just spend time with our friends. Or do we make sure that they never spend another lonely Sunday again? We make sure we step out of the worship service before they have a chance of heading toward the door. We call them on Saturday, just to let them know that we’re looking forward to seeing them on Sunday. We communicate to them that they are one of our favorite people in the world, because God has shown His favor to us.

And that kind of grace, that kind of favor, opening wide our hearts and showing a love like that will melt the hardest heart and soothe the deepest wound. Now is the time, today is the day. Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Don’t receive God’s grace in vain. Share it. Don’t close your heart. Open it wide. Let His grace do to others what it’s done for you. Let His grace heal and soothe and comfort and strengthen. Let His grace triumph.