“Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves
in the world, and especially in our relations with you,
with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so,
relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace”
– 2 Corinthians 1:12 –
Paul defends his ministry, the church, and the mission in three ways: a clean conscience, a compassionate heart, and a forgiving spirit. What does this mean? Let us take a look.
- A clean conscience (v. 12; 1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3). Paul did not change his itinerary thinking about himself but thinking about God and the church. The word “conscience” means to know what one is doing. A conscience under the dominion of the Holy Spirit condemns sin. It is like a window: the cleaner it is, the more light it lets in; the dirtier it is, the less light gets in. The “glass” becomes dirty as a result of disobedience. The conscience becomes cauterized and no longer fulfills its function.
Our conscience should be clean before God and before men. It is not good enough to be good – we must show it. There needs to be coherence between what is said and what is lived. - A compassionate heart (vv. 3-6). Feeling compassion means to place yourself in the place of another. It is understanding pain, the situation, the need, and the urgency of another. Only a comassionate heart can place itself in the shoes of a sinner. We must feel a sincere pain for those who suffer. Our mission is to disapprove of sin, but always love the sinner.
- A forgiving spirit (v. 23). “To err is human, to forgive is divine” goes the old saying. Forgiving is only natural if we are connected to the Lord; if not, it is impossible. Forgiveness is natural for God and for all those who live in God.
Paul was victorious because he had a victorious faith. When Romans returned from a battle, they brought back spoils from the country they had defeated, as trophies. The vanquished soldiers were chained and humiliated. The general of the army went up front, naked and shamed. When they reached the city, the sons of the winning general entered alongside their father, and the priests lit incense. For the winners it was the perfume of life; for those who had been defeated, it was the smell of death.
Our Commander goes in front.
As His children, we are invited to enter with Him.
The victory is ours. The enemy is conquered and defeated.
God wants to use us to bring the good news to everyone.
It is a matter of life and death; there is no time to delay.
Today more than ever, we need a clean conscience,
a compassionate heart, and a forgiving spirit.
God bless you, have an amazing day…