Widen Your Hearts

2 Cor. 6:11-13

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

Paul pleads with the people not to receive the grace of God in vain. What does he mean? How would it be in vain? He shares the example of His life and the others who worked with him saying that they have put no obstacle in Corinthians way and no fault could be found with their ministry. The problem in these people is not Paul and his team, but in the people themselves. 

Paul illustrates his claims with a massive list of how they ministered to the people. This then was their model or example:by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;  by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;  through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;  as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. How powerful is this! With a teacher such as this you would think they would be on fire for the Lord. But yet not so!

Paul had spoken freely to the Corinthians saying that they were not restricted by him, but they had restricted themselves by their own affections. How revealing! They were not growing and had even gone so far the other way that they treating the grace of God shamefully. Their own affections valued what the world had to offer instead of the grace of God. Paul calls on them to widen their hearts. Enlarge their spiritual awareness and their ability to receive what God had to give them. How would they do this? Apparently the first area was being unequally yoked with the world. He asked some very pointed questions that needed no verbal response. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? NONE!  We are the temple of God. God has made His dwelling place within us. He is our father, we are His children. How glorious is that! How utterly foolish is man's love of the world! How small are our hearts. 

Father,

Widen my heart. Grow my container. Help me to receive all the grace that you have for me. Open my eyes to the snares of the world. Give me Your strength to resist the temptations that the world offers.

In Jesus name,

Amen