Now is the Favorable time

2 Cor. 6:1-2

Working together with Him, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold now is the favorable time; behold now is the day of salvation. 

Paul was so committed to the gospel that he and his team did nothing to create obstacles in any person's way. They wanted nothing to be the fault of their ministry. Such commitment is honorable. I wonder if we are concerned about getting in the way of the Holy Spirit. Do we value our personal freedoms so much that we don't even allow the thought of an obstacle enter our brains. Regardless it was very much in Paul's thoughts. 

As servants of God they commended themselves in every way:  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.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. As I read this list, I am overwhelmed and shamed. Many of these areas I have not even considered. But Paul's conclusion said it all, Their heart was wide open. They would do any and all things so that someone might find Jesus as their savior and then grow in Him as believers.

So what would be the hangup? You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. It was not the team, but the Corinthian's own affections. They were hanging on to affections that consumed them before they knew Christ; and consequently, they desired to have their foot in both camps. But Jesus is not that way. He is a one-way Savior.! There is no yoke between believers and unbelievers, no accord with Jesus and Satan, and no agreement with the temple of God and idols. Whatever they were hanging onto was compromising the temple of the Holy Spirit, their own bodies. As they indulged the flesh, they were negating Jesus Christ. Paul's heart was grieved by this so he reminded them of this great truth. Will they  listen enough to stop their fleshly behaviors? Do they love Jesus enough to live like their bodies are the temple of the Spirit? The same goes for me. I must take a hard look at my heart and make sure no idol [no matter how small or big] is taking up residence where it has no right to be.

Father,
Thank You for this word. Reveal to me my heart. Help me to live every moment in the reality that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name,
Amen