Originally posted: 7/19/2020

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain… ¹¹ Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide, (6:1, 11).

I wondered about that, how one receives the grace of God… in vain.

Vain:
From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: “2756. κενός kenós; fem. kenḗ, neut. kenón, adj. Empty, hollow. Contrast mátaios (3152), meaninglessness, aimlessness.”
From Louw- Nida Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament” “89.53 κενός^c, ή, όν: pertaining to being lacking in results—‘without result, without effect.

When His Grace is received, it is meant to be full of meaning and purpose, and to cause His intended result. Paul had spent much time explaining his own life and ministry, and it could really be summed up in one of my husband’s most oft repeated sentiments, “It’s not about me.”

Paul continually exhorted the Corinthians to spend their lives for Him: sharing His comfort, trusting His triumph; seeking the eternal, and carrying on the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 1 through 5).

His Grace is never meant to be hoarded and internalized for self-gratification. His Grace is meant to Open Wide Our Hearts to overflowing, that we would follow His sacrificial life and leading.

Consider His Grace that Opens Wide Our Hearts

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to move us out of self.
  • … we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain, (6:1).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to receive salvation.
  • for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you,
    And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
    Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation,” (6:2).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to serve Him well.
  • giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, ⁴ but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God… (6:3-4).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to endure, by faith in His power and purpose.
  • …in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, ⁸ by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; ⁹ as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, ¹⁰ as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things, (6:4-10).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to selflessly love others.
  • Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. ¹² You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. ¹³ Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also, (6:11-13).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to set our affections on Him alone.
  •  Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God… (6:14-16).

• His Grace Opens Wide Our Hearts to believe His Word.
  • …just as God said
    “I will dwell in them and walk among them;
    And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
    ¹⁷ “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
    “And do not touch what is unclean;
    And I will welcome you.
    ¹⁸ “And I will be a father to you,
    And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
    Says the Lord Almighty, (6:16-18).

How do we respond to His Grace that Opens Wide Our Hearts?

The truth is, what has His Grace not Opened Wide to us? And the truth is, we are desperate for His Grace. We are desperate to have our Hearts Opened Wide. For apart from His Grace, our hearts would stay closed and wrapped up around self. Apart from His Grace, we would be restrained and controlled up by our childish attractions to all that benefits us, to what we determine feels good, like a spoiled toddler.

Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. ¹² You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. ¹³ Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also, (6:11-13).

It is only the Heart Opened Wide by His Grace that is able to grow to maturity and die to self in order to live for Him and others.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).

Oh let us pray that we would never receive His Grace in vain. Let us pray that we would cooperate with His Holy Spirit as we seek Him in His Word, that His Grace will accomplish His aim, meaning and purpose in our lives

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? … ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:1-2, 6-7).

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, (Galatians 5:24).

As we, by faith, take Him at His Word and unite ourselves with His crucified life, we can depend on His Grace to Open Wide Our Hearts and fill us with the fruit of His Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law, (Galatians 5:22-23).

As His Grace fills us with the fruit of His Spirit, He will Open Wide Our Hearts to free us from the tyranny of self, to boldly and honestly proclaim, “It’s not about me!”

Oh, may His Grace grow and mature us to put the needs of others before ourselves, that Our Hearts would be Opened Wide to serve one another through love.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Galatians 5:13).

Let’s Grow Together!