2 Corinthians 12:14-21

Love that Longs for Repentance

Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 12:14-21. That is on page 1152 in the provided Bibles.

The apostle Paul is wrapping up his defense of his apostleship. And in these verses, he lets the Corinthians know that he will be visiting them again, soon. This will be his third visit.

Paul’s first visit was when he established the church in Corinth. He was there for 18 months. Paul’s second visit was the painful visit he made a few months prior to writing this letter.

And this third trip would be to check in on them and if necessary, deal firmly with their ongoing sin.

As you will hear, Paul hopes they will repent, but fears they won’t.

Reading of 2 Corinthians 12:14-21

Prayer

In 1962, Dick and Judy Hoyt gave birth to a son, Rick. Rick was born with a severe case of Cerebral Palsey. He was unable to move his legs, had limited use of his arms, and he was unable to speak.

The Hoyts loved their son. They worked with him, and he learned to communicate through gestures and a rudimentary keyboard and screen.

When Rick was 15, he communicated to his dad he wanted to race in a 5 mile road race. It was to raise money for a high schooler who had become paralyzed in an accident.

So, they did it! Rick’s dad pushed Rick in his wheelchair for 5 miles, and Rick loved it. It made him feel like he could walk and run. Dick Hoyt would end up not only pushing his son in road races, but he made a special seat to carry him on a bicycle. He would also row a boat and tow Rick behind him, as if he were swimming. They competed in over 1,100 races including triathlons and marathons. In fact, both Rick and his dad are in the Ironman hall of fame. They have inspired many many others. Rick’s dad would do anything for his son.

In the same way, the apostle Paul would do anything for the church in Corinth. He considered himself their spiritual father. Not their Heavenly Father, but their spiritual father on earth.

And it’s true. Paul brought the Gospel to Corinth. He labored for months and months to teach them about Jesus and God’s promises fulfilled in him. Paul discipled them in their daily walk with Christ. He organized the church in Corinth. He brought the new believers together and taught them how to worship the Lord well. He modelled for them how to witness. He, in a sense, carried them.

He loved them like a father would love a child. And that is why he wrote multiple letters. It’s why he visited them twice up to this point. And it’s why he sent Titus and Timothy, to minister on his behalf when he couldn’t be there.

Paul loved them.

Let me ask, what would a loving father do in such a situation? Some of his spiritual children were not living the life that he taught them. Some of them had been believing in false doctrine – worldly philosophy. Others were even questioning his motives.

What would a loving father do?

Even if you never knew your father, or even if your father was abusive or overbearing or didn’t seem to care or was mostly absent, even if one of those things, I think you can still probably imagine what a loving father would do. Maybe you saw it in someone else.

Here’s what I think.

A loving father would #1 express his unconditional love to them in no uncertain terms.

#2 a loving father would need to correct them. If people had been accusing him of things that were not true (like what was happening in Corinth) a loving father would make it clear what was true and why. If they believed in something that was not true, he would seek to instruct them in what is right.

So, love and correction.

Then 3rd. A loving father would be firm. A loving father disciplines his children. That discipline may include warnings of consequences if their behavior persists.

And lastly, and not least, #4 a loving father would grieve. All these things would weigh heavily on him.

These verses display all of those things. Paul was acting as a loving father for his spiritual children in Corinth.

There are three progressions in his fatherly communication. You’ll see them in the outline.

1. Seeking and sacrificing (12:14-15) – Paul displays a fatherly love that pursues no matter the cost

2. Dispelling deceit (12:16-19) – He speaks the truth in love to build them up

3. Fearing the fallout (12:20-21) – Paul warns them and grieves the devastation of unrepentant sin.

1. Seeking and sacrificing

So, let’s work through those.

Number 1, seeking and sacrificing. That’s what the apostle was doing. He was pursuing them no matter the cost.

We see that right there in verse 14. He was saying to them, I’m ready to come to you a third time and there’s nothing about my visit that will materially burden you. You don’t need to financially support me. No, rather, I’m coming soon to help you.

And then, he makes this beautiful declaration to them. “I seek not what is yours, but you.” I want you. I love you. I care about you.

Isn’t that what we all want to hear? It moving.

I want you to know here that your spiritual fathers and brothers love you. I’m talking about our elders. We love you. I love you. We pray for you. We seek to spiritually care for you. Yes, our love for you is imperfect. We’ll get to the perfect love of our heavenly Father in a moment. But we desire to care for and minister to your souls as your earthly spiritual fathers.

Paul loved the Corinthians and he wanted their hearts. And this is where he uses the parent/child analogy. He says, “For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.”

All parents should care for and provided for their young children’s needs – you know, a place to sleep, a roof over their head, clothing, education, guidance. Parents should save and sacrifice.

Now, when a child becomes an adult, that child typically should take on many of the responsibilities for themselves. There are, of course, special situations. If that adult child comes to have a family of his own or her own, they should then sacrifice for their own children.

This is what Paul is alluding to in a general sense.

Essentially, he was saying that as their spiritual father, he was pouring out his life for them.

Another beautiful phrase is right there in verse 15, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”

He has given himself. As we’ve gone through 2 Corinthians, you’ve heard over and over about his love for them and his desire for them to mature in Christ. He would spend whatever it took for them - his time, his emotional energy, his own resources. He would endure all the risks and suffering to minister to their souls.

That is the level of sacrifice that Paul was making for them

He wants them to know of his sacrificial love.

And he ends verse 15 with a question. “if I love you more, am I to be loved less?” He did love them, that’s very true. And so, it was a gentle appeal to them that they return his love. I’ve poured out my life for you. Will you love me in return.

He’s sought them and sacrificed for them, and he desired that they respond to the love he’s displayed.

2. Dispelling deceit (12:16-19)

Which brings us to verses 16-19. Dispelling deceit.

There were a lot of issues in the church in Corinth. We know from the letter of 1 Corinthians that the church struggled with sexual sin. The church also struggled with disunity. We’ll see that spelled out in verses 20 and 21. In this letter, 2 Corinthains, we’ve seen how the false apostles perverted the teaching of Christ. Paul had to correct that. They were also arrogant. These so-called super apostles boasted in worldly credentials. They lived lives unbecoming of faithful believers. And they undermined Paul and his ministry.

They even claimed that Paul was deceitful. That’s what verse 16 says. They claimed that Paul was somehow taking advantage of them (verse 17). Now, we’re not given specifics, but since he just talked about not being a financial burden, it’s likely they claimed Paul was in some way profiting from his relationship with them. But it was all false.

Let me ask a difficult question. When someone makes a false accusation against you and is actively spreading it around, should you make a defense?

Do you defend yourself?

It’s a difficult question because Jesus, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When Pilate questioned him, he didn’t speak. When slander was heaped upon him, he received it. Furthermore, Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek which means to not retaliate.

Does that mean we should not defend ourselves when someone is lying and spreading that lie?

It’s a hard question. Generally, I believe we should stand for what is true.

When rumors or lies are spread about you or the church, depending what they are, they may bring undeserved shame upon the name of Christ. False public claims and distortions of the truth may cast dishonor on the name of Christ.

If they do, then in those situations, I believe we should be clear about what was said or done or happened. We should not do that in a retaliatory or vindictive way, but for the sake of Christ and his bride, the church, we should make the truth known.

Again, I’m speaking about slander that is being spread. In most cases, we should defend the truth because it seeks to restore honor to Christ. But it needs to be done in a way that is honorable and loving.

Look at verse 19. Paul had just defended Titus and himself. He makes it clear that they were not taking advantage of the Corinthians. And then he says this (verse 19), “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ…”

Much of this whole letter has been a defense. Paul has not been ultimately defending himself, rather he’s been defending the reputation of God. God is the one who had called Paul to his role as an apostle. Paul self-defense and his defense of the Gospel is a defense of Christ and his ministry.

And verse 19 ends with another affirmation of Paul’s love for them. He says, “all for your upbuilding, beloved.” The truth of the Gospel and the truth of Paul’s ministry is what the church needed to hear. It was all done with the goal that they return to faithfulness. And so, Paul defends what is true.

We need to dispel deceit in loving and clear ways to bring honor to Christ and his bride.

3. Fearing the fallout (12:20-21)

Ok, #3 Fearing the fallout – verses 20-21

So far, the apostle has affirmed his fatherly love for the church in no uncertain terms. I do not want what is yours, but you. And I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls.

He’s furthermore defended himself against deceit. In defending his reputation and his love for them, he was defending Christ. It was all for their building up.

And now, in these last two verses of the chapter, Paul firmly warns them. It’s a fatherly firmness that they needed to hear.

Let me ask the kids, her. Do your parents ever warn you? I’m guessing they do.

Maybe you did something or said something that was disrespectful or selfish, and your mom or dad had to sit you down.

What did they say? Well, from experience (on both sides), your mom or dad probably gave you a warning and some reasons. Right?

For example, “yesterday you said that your homework was done so you could play with your friends. I found out that you were lying. It may seem small but lying breaks trust. It dishonors God because we are called to be people of truth and walk in the light. So, I will be checking your homework, and if you lie again, you will lose the privilege of playing with your friends for a week.”

Does that sound familiar? That is a warning from a loving parent to a child.

That is what the apostle Paul was doing here. He was sternly warning them about their actions and warning them about his upcoming visit, but he does it in a gentle way.

He uses the word “fear.” Did you notice that at the beginning of verse 20 and 21? “I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish…” and verse 21, again, “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented.”

He uses the word fear because he does not want to see the Corinthians enmeshed in sin. He knows the near term and long term consequences of their sin, and he doesn’t want to see his children experience those consequences. And so he makes clear their need to repent, which means to see their sin, to grieve over it, turn from it, and back to God.

Ok, briefly, let’s look at the two lists of sin here. The first list in verse 20 includes relational sin within the church. “quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” Those are all things that destroy the body of Christ.

The second list are sins related to the purity of their minds and bodies. “impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality.” These are sins that destroy the body and pollute the mind. Each of those lists is destructive in different ways. Those two lists are essentially what Paul’s first letter focused on. That sin still plagued the church at that time.

Paul loved them and longed to see them repent. But he feared that that they wouldn’t. And so, as a loving father, he mourned.

I don’t know a godly parent who doesn’t mourn and grieve and pray for their wayward child. They plead with the Lord and they pray. They love their child or children children by seeking them, sacrificing for them, being clear about their sin, but reminding them of the mercy of God if they turn from it back to him.

You see, these are the words of a loving father, the apostle Paul, to his wayward children, some in the Corinthian church.

1. He sought them with all his heart and sacrificed for their souls. 2. He defended the truth with grace and love, and 3. He longed to see them repent, firmly warning them of their path.

The Love of the Father through Christ

This is fatherly love. And this love that the apostle Paul displays is patterned after the love of God the Father for you and for me.

God’s love is the love that underlies this whole section of 2 Corinthians 12. Every single aspect of fatherly love here reflects the love of God for his children.

First, he is seeking you. verse 14. God “seeks not what is yours but you.” That’s true. The Father doesn’t want your gifts to him or your sacrifices. No, he wants you. He seeks you. He wants your heart. We read from Micah 6 in our call to worship this morning. “With what shall I come before the Lord…? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” And then Micah says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

He seeks you and your heart.

Second, he has sacrificed for you. Verse 15. “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” God the Father has made an infinite sacrifice for you and for your soul. The Father sacrificed his eternal Son as payment for your sin. Jesus gave his life that you may live.

Paul’s life as an apostle is patterned after the ministry of God in Christ. Paul suffered and would eventually be killed bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But God gave infinitely more. Jesus endured the wrath of God, which you and I deserve, so that we may know him and be reconciled to him by faith. What more could God spend than himself for your salvation.

Third, God has given us his Word of truth. This Word is for all the world to see and know. This Word condemns deceit. It stands against injustice. It reveals truth and righteousness. God has lovingly given us his Word that we might know him and pursue him. And all of it, to use the words of verse 19, are for our upbuilding.

And fourth, and finally, God longs for us to repent and turn to him. This is the call to all humanity that is found all through the Bible. God calls all to repent and turn to him by faith. All through the Old Testament God displayed his mercy and lovingkindness. But his people rejected him and his commandments. They were unfaithful to him. God justly warned of his judgment, but all the while he mercifully sought their return to him.

This is the same fatherly love that he gives us

The apostle Peter captures it well in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

As we come to a close, I want to ask you to evaluate your own heart and life. Each of us falls into one of three categories (related to these verses).

1. God is your loving Father and with a repentant heart, you are pursuing him by faith. Is that you? If so, press on by faith, continue to rely on him, continue to know his Word, and be reminded of his love for you in Christ.

2. God is your loving Father, but you, like some of the Corinthians, have wandered away from him. Maybe an unrepentant sin has taken hold of your life. Or maybe you’ve bought into a worldly philosophy like what the false apostles taught. If that is you, know that God loves you and longs for you to return to him.

3. Or maybe you fall into a 3rd category. God is pursuing you as a loving Father would pursue a wayward child. But you have yet to embrace his love. If that is you, know that God himself is seeking you. He has sacrificed his Son for you. He has spoken the truth to you with the firm resolve of a loving Father. And he desires you to submit your life to him by faith.

Whichever category you are in, may God be at work in you because he is the loving Father.