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Taught by
Greg DriverSo, this morning we will journey back in time to Paul’s second Letter to the Corinthians. As we discovered in the introduction of the letter, 2 Corinthians is believed to be 4th Corinthians, but 1st Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians are the only two letters we have.
We know this to be the case because the other two letters are referenced in Paul’s writings, but as I said, we don’t have them. But why? Well, lucky for you I have a real deep theological answer. God didn’t intend for those letters to be a part of the Cannon of Scripture.
And why? I have no clue, that’s just the way it is. And so there you have it. We only have two of Paul’s letters written to the Corinthian church and they are entitled First and Second Corinthians. And just remember, they are not chronological. They are simply the only two of the four letters we have.
When we last left off, we were right in the middle of Paul continuing to put forth a defense for why this church and these believers should not be listening to the false teachers (primarily the Judaizers), who had been pushing a heretical teaching that said, yes, you can believe in Jesus, but you must also follow and live by ‘The Law of Moses’.
Essentially, you must still stick to the rules. And as I stated a couple of weeks ago, for all of those who found, or still find comfort in the rules, then you’re in luck if you can pull it off. If you can keep the rules perfectly, then you can indeed earn your way to heaven. But that’s a tall order, seeing how there are over 600 rules you must follow.
Paul’s message to these folks is clear. And by the way, the same message holds true today. Jesus died so that you and I could be made clean, without trying in our own power to make it happen. Righteousness, meaning clean, holy, and blameless before a perfect and Holy God.
Jesus was and is our once and for all sacrifice, and our acceptance of His work, coupled with our repentance and baptism, is all that God requires for us to enter Heaven’s Gate.
Now I want to pause here for a moment, and just touch on something. As we have discovered throughout our study of scripture, we know we do not have to keep the rules of the Old Covenant Law (the rules) to clean ourselves up. We are covered by the blood, and we live under grace.
But if you think that’s it. That somehow, you simply repeat a prayer, ask Jesus to save you, and then you can go on living however you want, you are way off course.
And furthermore, if you are okay with that concept, not convicted about the way you might be living, in whatever capacity, specifically living a Non-God-Glorifying life, then you might want to check yourself. Because if you are saved you will be convicted if you are doing something or living in a way that is contrary to God’s Law, to His expectation of your life.
This is addressed specifically in James 2:14-17:
I’m bringing this up because if we are not careful, we move from a place of legalism (rule following) to a place of anything goes by saying, ‘we’re good, we are covered by His blood, and we live by Grace’.
I have had people say this to me before, ‘yes, I did this or that, but you know, praise God I am under Grace’. If that’s your thought process, I can assure you that is the wrong thought process. Instead, our attitude should be, yes, I did this or that and I am ashamed and broken and convicted. I have repented and am desperately trying to change.
Grace is not a license to do whatever we want to do. It simply removes the burden of all the rules following, coupled with the requirements of the sacrificial system. And so, as it relates to Salvation, and God’s New Covenant solution through Jesus Christ, the only question is, do you understand Salvation through Jesus, and have you made that decision?
So, Paul makes his defense for the New Covenant of Jesus, which comes by way of Grace versus The Rules under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, and he continues that same theme moving forward in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, so follow with me as we break down these verses:
There is a whole lot being said in these verses. So, let me unpack it this morning. First, Paul begins verse 12 with the word ‘therefore’, and as we’ve discovered in the past, whenever we see the word therefore, we must ask ourselves, what’s is there for?
This word is referencing back to what he just said in the previous verses. He just told this church why the New Covenant through Jesus Christ was far superior to the Old Covenant and The Law through Moses.
And he begins this verse by making a statement that should ring true for every Christian. And that is, because we have the hope of Salvation, of Heaven, the Blessed Hope as Paul calls it elsewhere in scripture, we should be bold in our speech when speaking about what God has done for us.
Meaning, we shouldn’t be mousy, or shy, or reserved. We should be bold but not arrogant. Not prideful or haughty or holier than thou, but bold and confident in our faith. So bold and so confident that we can’t wait to share the Good News with others about Jesus Christ.
And I’ve got to be honest with you folks. In a world that is so prosperous, yet so poor, our message should resonate loudly with those around us. Because even though people are doing so well (financially speaking), they are still dying inside.
Day after day, I run into these people. People that appear to be doing fine on the outside, but privately they are hurting and suffering. Which means, your boldness, if displayed correctly (which is in conjunction with the Holy Spirit in humbleness), will resonate and reach people at an alarming rate. And I am not just talking about lost people. I am talking about Church people as well.
This morning, I want to give you just a little bit of insight into exactly what I am talking about as it relates to the church of today. Specifically, its position in time before God. Now, what do I mean when I say, its position in time before God?
The church was established on the day of Pentecost, reflected in the 2nd Chapter of the Book of Acts, and from that day moving forward, it found itself operating in different ways, with a different purpose throughout history. Meaning, as society evolved and changed, the church changed with it.
More specifically, it took on a different persona or reacted differently to the world around it. Many theologians believe that the Church was depicted (at different intervals of time), by and through John’s seven letters written to the Seven churches in the Book of Revelation in Chapters 2 & 3. (See slide in video)
So the 7 letters to the 7 churches, from Ephesus to Laodicea, also see a progression in time. Starting with the Apostolic church, then the persecuted church. The Roman Empire church then the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformation church (when the Protestants broke off from Catholicism). Then we moved to the Missionary church which was all about seeing people saved through missions.
In the end times we have the Apostate church. Apostasy means “fallen away”. There are a lot of interesting descriptions of this church.
The church began at Pentecost and throughout history it evolved and changed and served a purpose according to God’s divine plan. And so, when we read John’s letters, we can clearly see certain characteristics of that church at that point in the history of mankind.
Which is why I say the letters represent the ‘Church’ throughout history. Which should leave us asking a question, and that is, which church in John’s seven letters best fits the church of today? That would be the church of Laodicea.
When you study this church and its characteristics, you can definitively know that there has never been a church throughout the history of the church that more closely mirrors Laodicea than the one that exists in our day. We’re talking about the body of believers, not the buildings.
Let me turn to Revelation, read and explain the descriptors of this church, and see if this appears to be the case. Now before reading this, I would like to point something out. John wrote these 7 letters to the 7 Churches that resided in Asia Minor, or what is modern-day Turkey.
And in those letters, five of the churches received a commendation, an opening statement about what they have done right, followed by correction, what they needed to improve on. But two of the churches, which happen to be ‘Sardis and Laodicea’, received no commendation, only correction. Because they hadn’t done anything right.
Laodicea is the seventh and final church that John writes to, and as I said it receives no commendation, no pat on the back. It simply receives rebuke and correction. I want you to listen to what John writes about this church:
We could spend two or three weeks unpacking just these eight verses. But we are in 2 Corinthians, so I don’t want to do that. But let me say, this description of this church fits perfectly with the church of today and let me explain why. Look at John’s description of this church.
They are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, which causes God to vomit them out of His mouth. They say they are ‘rich’ and have become wealthy and have no need of anything. But they do not realize they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
And God says to them, “I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and then this is key, they need eye salve to apply to their eyes so that they may see.
Now, paraphrasing for you, I want to work backwards first. This church is full of people. We know this to be the case when we do a deeper dive into the history of this church. It is indeed full of people, but these church people are much different than any other church people in any of the other letters. And what’s the difference? They are not saved. But how do we know that? We know it from verse 18, where he says:
Buying gold refined by fire means purchasing something that is pure. But what is it that John is specifically referencing? Well, we get the answer midway through the verse, they are purchasing ‘white garments’, which is always a reference to Righteousness or Salvation in Scripture.
We also get another clue to their Spiritual State when John says, become rich. In other words, you are not rich, which is not a reference to finances. It’s a reference to Salvation.
God has no use for money and that’s not the context of the verse. We get even more confirmation of this at the end of the verse, when he says, ‘you need eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see’.
Once again, this is a clear reference to Salvation, which tells us something. It tells us that the previous references of them being neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, is a direct reflection of their Spiritual State. Their salvation.
Hot means someone is saved, and Cold means they are not. And Lukewarm means that they are what? Well, many preachers throughout history have said it means these people are backslidden, but that’s not the case, because there is no such thing as it pertains to Salvation. You are either saved or you’re not. There is no in-between. It’s like pregnancy. You are either pregnant or you are not. Same is true for salvation. You are either saved or you are not.
But wait a minute, because I don’t know if I agree with you Pastor. I know plenty of people (including myself) who have fallen off or backslidden spiritually at different times in their lives. I don’t disagree with that statement, but at no time did they lose their salvation.
But what could it mean when someone says they have backslidden? It could mean that are at a spiritual low in their walk with God. But salvation is an event, sanctification is a process.
These verses give us descriptors of what salvation looks like and what it doesn’t look like. Hot is a picture of salvation and cold is a picture of someone who is not saved (No Salvation). So, what is lukewarm, kind of saved? No such thing.
Look at the other language John uses to further confirm he is speaking about salvation. You need to be refined. You need white garments, you are blind, you think you are rich (a reference to salvation) but you are not. These descriptors all paint a picture of unbelief. Those without salvation.
And so, John is clearly painting a picture of what salvation looks like versus what it doesn’t look like, and if that’s the case, then what’s Lukewarm? It represents those who think they are saved, but they are not. But why? What causes this? There is something that causes this, but what is it? Wealth. The world’s wealth, money, stuff, prosperity.
Look at verse 17:
Wealth creates self-reliance. What a powerful statement. Wealth creates self-reliance. But why? Because when we prosper, we have no need for God. And once again, why? Because we seemingly have no problems. But what else creates self-reliance? Knowledge, specifically false knowledge. The wisdom of the world, which is foolishness to God.
Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19:
At no other time in history has the church been so wealthy (I didn’t say the world, I said the church). Also, at no other time has the church been so seemingly wise. Wise because we live in the information age. Once again, notice I said, ‘The Church’. I am not talking about corrupt churches of the past that stole people’s money.
I am talking about the believers themselves, which make up the ‘True Church’. At no other time in Church history have the people who make up the church been so financially prosperous and seemingly wise and would say we don’t need God. Today more than ever, people are doing extremely well, saying to themselves we are rich and have need of nothing.
But the fact of the matter is, they are dying inside, and I run into it every day. Let me digress on this point by leaving you with the following thoughts:
Number 1: if the church of Laodicea is a picture of the end-times church, and I believe it is, then that means our churches are full of lost people.
Number 2: The greatest opportunity for evangelism is inside the walls of the buildings we call the church.
Number 3: It also means although people appear to be doing good on the outside, they are not.
And so, what are we to do? Well, first, we must get to the core root of the problem if we ever hope to improve it. And we do that by asking ourselves why is the church in such a poor spiritual state? Specifically, how in the world could churches be full of people who are not saved.
I mean, isn’t that the purpose of the church, to get people saved? Yes, it is, but no it’s not. You see, we don’t save anyone. That’s the problem. The church has gotten good at counterfeiting the work of the Holy Spirit. Creating emotional, amped-up church services that lead people into an emotional experience.
But the question is, is that how people are saved? No. So how are they saved? Romans 10:17 tells us:
But what is the word of Christ? The scriptures. God convicts people through His word. Not through great and wonderful human stories or motivational messages.
Which means, we as a church must return to teaching the scriptures if we want people to be truly convicted, and consequently saved. God gave us the prescription for Salvation. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.
Get rid of all the bells and whistles and return to solid foundational, unaltered Bible teaching, because that’s what saves people. And once salvation sets in, it’s then, and only then, that we as a body of believers, the true Church, will become bold and confident, living out what we know to be the truth. And so, there it is, there’s the answer to the problem facing today’s church.
Pressing on let’s close. Verses 13-17. Let me read them once more time as a refresher.
Paul says, we are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away. As I said a couple of weeks ago, many times when Moses would speak to the Children of Israel (The Jews - Gods Chosen People), he would cover His face.
In verse one, Paul said we are to be bold. The word boldness here in Hebrew means barefacedness. Paul was saying that he could be barefaced (without a veil) in his confidence because of the permanent character of the covenant under which he ministered.
Moses on the other hand, in contrast, could not. He ministered with a literal veil over his face much of the time. That’s what Exodus 34:29-35 tells us. The only time he would remove it was to speak to the people, the children of Israel (Exodus 34:33), and when he spoke with God in the tabernacle.
But he wore it at other times, evidently to teach the Israelites their unworthiness to behold God’s glory.
Paul used this difference in ministry to illustrate the superior nature of the New Covenant under Jesus Christ, to that of the old nature of the Old Covenant under Moses. Next, in verse 14, Paul says, that their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
Even today Jews do not believe in Jesus Christ, and still adhere to the Old Covenant - their eyes are closed. And until they cry out, which will happen at the end of Tribulation, they are under this hardening. This veil cannot be lifted until they accept Jesus Christ.
And then to further confirm what Paul is saying, he says this in verse 15-17:
Meaning, if they try and adhere to the Old Covenant and the Law of Moses, a veil lies over their heart. Which is another way of saying they are blind and can’t see the truth. But, having said that, verse 16 says:
Freedom, what an interesting word that Paul uses here. Paraphrasing, he’s saying, if you have the Spirit of the Lord living inside of you, you are free. You have freedom. Real freedom. But freedom from what? Bondage and slavery - to sin! The thing that separates you from God.
This morning, the question is, do you have freedom? Are you free indeed? Or do you walk around feeling bound up, enslaved, with a sense of jeopardy about your future? You see, when you know that you know you are good, meaning, when you know that God has got you, that you’re one of His, and that He’s got your family, your loved ones, there is no better sense of Freedom.
My prayer for all of you here today is that each one of you has that feeling that you walk in, in a place of freedom. Meaning, you carry with you a sense of peace wherever you go, because there is no better joy or peace on earth.
Guys, a few months back I received a bad diagnosis. That journey all started with a Primary Care Physician, which led to a CT scan, which then led to an ENT who then sent me for an MRI. From there, the ENT sent me to Vanderbilt, where I met with a Neurosurgeon, to discuss cutting me from one side of my head to the other. I had a bone cyst (fancy way of saying tutor) behind my frontal sinuses above my left eye. I was told it was growing inward and was touching my brain and causing edema (swelling) to the brain.
When I first received the news from the ENT, he tried to candy coat it, but I wouldn’t let him do it. I could tell by his face that he was worried about what he saw.
I remember going out to my truck and thinking to myself, well, I need to make sure my wife and the kids don’t have to deal with business messes if something happens to me. Honestly, it was really my first time facing immortality. I didn’t realize it at the moment, but later, as I reflected on it, at that moment, when I received the news from the ENT, at no point did I remember feeling scared.
Instead I had a peace which surpassed all understanding. I had a boldness in my faith, because of the blessed hope of knowing that my life is temporary and being with God is forever.
Let’s close with 2 Corinthians 5:6-8:
So what that means is when I breathe my last breath here on earth, I will breathe my first breath there in Heaven with my Savior.
This teaching is provided by a contributing Bible teacher who is not employed by Verse By Verse Ministry International. The Biblical perspectives beliefs and views of contributing teachers may differ, at times, from the Biblical perspectives this ministry holds.