Today Is The Day Of Salvation
TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION
2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-2
Paul urges his readers not to miss out on the full benefits of God’s wonderful grace.
Having given a clear statement of reconciliation, Paul then offers a practical and positive application (6:1-2). This is a timely reminder to us today, whether as preachers or hearers, that it is not enough to hold correct doctrine, or even to preach it objectively: the gospel must be applied, ie brought home to men and women and presented in such a way that they realize they have a personal choice to make and a personal responsibility that may not be evaded.
Earlier (5:20) the apostle had spoken of his pleading, offered as though it were God himself who was making the appeal. 6:1-2 inform us what the content of this appeal was: it was “Do not let the grace that you have received from God be for nothing” (ncv). In this appeal Paul is conscious of cooperating with God who entrusts the task of evangelism to his servants (see 1 Corinthians 3:9). He is concerned to make sure his Corinthian friends grasp the full importance of salvation only by grace. How could this possibly happen? Which other congregation gave Paul concern because of this very danger?
The answer to the first question is along the following lines. If they imagined that they could make any contribution to their salvation (as the Galatian Christians were fondly supposing, egged on by the Judaizers), then grace loses its distinctive character as a gift offered freely and so would be received “in vain,” ie to no effect. For if we can be our own savior, or can put forward a claim of merit in the hope that on that grounds God will be favorably disposed to us, we have no real and desperate need of God’s grace, and Paul’s readers—and all who read this—must take to heart James Denney’s pointed words: “The kingdom of heaven is not for the well-meaning; it is for the desperate!” Any other attitude to the gospel’s provision smacks of pride and self-sufficiency.
Moreover, this is no speculative issue. There is an urgency about it, as Paul clinches his point by quoting from the Old Testament. We, like the New Testament church, live in the gospel age of privilege: “the acceptable time, the day of salvation” is the present hour which will soon pass away (1 Corinthians 7:29). What are the destinations—death (Hebrews 9:27)? The end of the age (Matthew 13:24-50)? The taking away of God’s saving influence upon a human soul (Hebrews 3:12-19; 46,7; 12:17)?