Skip to main content

2 Corinthians 6 Devotional – Day 1

ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness

God is Beautiful God is the sum of all desirable qualities. All of our good and righteous desires, all of the desires that really ought to be in us or in any other creature, find their ultimate fulfillment in God.

The beauty of our lives is so important to Christ that his purpose now is to sanctify the entire church “that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Thus, we individually and corporately reflect God’s beauty in every way in which we exhibit his character.

Praise God that He is Beautiful
Praise God for the beauty in creation, in humanity, and in relationships. Look outside at the beauty of creation, or consider the beauty of a sunrise. Thank God for that beauty. Think about a close relationship with a friend or family member. Praise God for the beauty and joy you experience in relationships. He is the source of beauty.

CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100

SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.

  • Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
  • Pray for Austin and Jenni as they share the truth. Pray that they would live the truth consistently.
  • Ask God to give hold to the truth and live the truth consistently today.
  • Ask God to speak to you as you read the scriptures.

SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Corinthians 6 New International Version

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,

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

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

Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Warning Against Idolatry
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:

Have you ever or do you currently struggle with your faith? If not, maybe you are close to someone who has or is struggling. What do you perceive to be some of the root causes? Everyone lives by faith. It may not be faith in God or the gospel but it is faith in something or someone. The only one who doesn’t live by faith is God because he knows everything, there is no mystery for him. So, my original question is a bit of a trick one because everyone struggles and everyone lives by faith. But do we have to struggle with believing or having confidence that the gospel is true? No, I don’t believe we do. We will struggle with how to live our faith more consistently. We may struggle to make sense out of things that happen. But we can, and ideally should, get to the place where we need no more evidence or time, we have determined that the gospel is true. We may struggle with how to live out the gospel in our lives but we do not have to live permanently wondering if the gospel is actually the truth of God. So where is the struggle in your life? Is it in how to live the gospel more consistently? Is it whether you will believe, once and for all, that the gospel is true? Talk to God about this now. Talk to a friend who believes about this as soon as you can. Do what you can do to move to a more confident belief in the gospel. Know it is possible to become more confident in the gospel so that you can choose to head that way.

Leave a Reply