Examine Yourselves to See if You Are in the Faith Handling Conflict When Perfecting Holiness and Reverence to God 2 Corinthians 7

Examine Yourselves to See if You Are in the Faith

Handling Conflict When Perfecting Holiness and Reverence to God

2 Corinthians 7

How do you handle conflict?

Conflict touches our emotions

Wrongs can make us very angry

Resolving conflict comes through Godly sorrow

Not worldly regret that we got caught

As wrong as the Corinthians were Paul in conflict never intended to harm them

The road to resolution was painful but they did it together

Paul even boasted of them

Because Paul never lost sight of them

On the highest platform of holiness and reverence

Handling Conflict When Perfecting Holiness and Reverence to God

2 Corinthians 7

How do you handle conflict?

Conflict touches our emotions.

Wrongs can make us very angry.

We know the Bible tells us to be angry

and sin not, but what does that mean? 

 

Anger is a real emotional.

 We have the ability to become angry,

 because we are created in the image of

God, who has the ability to be angry.

There were things going on in the

Church in Corinth that were not holy.

There was a lack of reverence to God.

The division in the church was destroying

the church and killing its effectiveness

to be what God intended it to be.

Chapter 7 gives us some great

insight to handling conflict.

Paul starts with the objective…

  

Perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Because we have the promises

of God’s Salvation we should…

Purify ourselves from everything

that contaminates body and spirit

Holiness and reverence effects

everything we do in body and spirit.

When your thoughts and actions are

not holy and reverent there is conflict.

Paul, to deal with the conflict,

addresses the heart of the people.

His first point is…

We have not wronged anyone.

As angry as Paul got over the sin

and personal rejection and attacks,

he did not resort to vengeance.

He did not let his personal hurt

become an eye for an eye.

He goes on the say he loved and had confidence

in them to stand with them in life and death.

That is not an easy thing to do when you see

others doing wrong and doing you wrong.

But Paul put them on a high

platform, a platform of respect.

Many times we want to say things that put

those we are in conflict with on the lowest level.

We want them to know how

disgusted we are with them.

Paul does not do this.

Paul assaults the issue –

 not the people.

Paul gave room, and with great hope, that they would repent

and they will again walk in holiness and reverence.

Paul reminds the church this was no

light matter for him or the church.

Both had suffered, they were in

the boat of suffering together.

Paul points out how the suffering

was a good thing because…

— I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—

 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry,

but because your sorrow led you to repentance.

We should all remember…

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation

and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Worldly sorrow is the regret we got caught,

not the regret for actions of our heart.

So many of us play the game

of what can we get away with.

Godly sorrow comes when as much as we

enjoyed the wrong, our heart is grieved

when we see we have grieved God

because God has something better for us…

The joy of living in holiness and reverence.

 

Look at what Paul says Godly

sorrow brought out in them…

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you:

what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation,

what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.

 At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

It was not law that changed

the hearts, it was love and grace.

We think we should not boast,

but here Paul is boasting.

He is boasting to Titus of the Corinthians.

This is amazing with all the problems, Paul shows

his confidence he has and has gained in the Corinthians.

 

This shows the Corinthians Paul is not holding any grudges.

He again shows them he hold them on a high platform.

It is better to motivate people showing confidence –

showing them you see them on a high platform… 

Rather than motivating others to get off a

low platform of shame and disgrace, a place of

no expectation to see them amount to anything.

   

Always see holiness and reverence as

the platform we all should stand on.

Whether in thought or action, seeing

 others are living on a lower level.

Recognize you are both in the same

boat of pain, sorrow and suffering.

You feel their pain.

  

Always show confidence in the other person

to live a life of holiness and reverence.

In fact, let them know you see

them on that high platform.

Remember, it is Godly sorrow that leads to repentance

and God’s grace to become holy and reverent.

Boast of others positive abilities, rather

than putting them down for their failures.

The goal is, we are all on the same team

even when some on the team are failing.

Work together – so all win.

Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 7 NIV

7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn — conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.