Now Is the Day of Salvation (1 Co 6:2)
2Co 6:2 For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
It is funny that this portion of 2 Corinthians 6:2, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”, is often quoted at the end of a gospel meeting to coerce unbelievers not to delay their salvation but to make a decision to obey the gospel straightaway.
But Paul was addressing the Christians in Corinth who had believed the gospel when he made that statement. Hence, with reference to the immediate context, Paul was warning the Christians not to lose their salvation: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (v.1).
What does it mean by receiving the grace of God in vain? The “grace of God” refers to the gospel of Christ which they had received and were saved (Ephesians 2:8). To “receive in vain” is to receive it and then fall away or a failure to live up to the standards required by it: “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). “These things” refers to the virtues described by Peter from verses 5 to 8.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians in an earlier epistle making the same warning: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:1, 2).
In that context, they would have believed in vain if they had rejected the resurrection of Christ.
Hence, Christians can receive the grace of God in vain as a result of one of the following:
Paul includes all the Corinthians in this appeal not to receive the grace of God in vain (v.1). He says they are all workers for God. Therefore, as God’s workers, the Corinthians, including us, have the responsibility of carrying ourselves worthy of Christians in this world so that the ministry be not blamed. It matters not what talent we have if we are not casting a good influence to the unbelievers. We must conduct our life carefully that it does not hinder the gospel.
Brethren, we must not only accept the teaching of God’s Word, but we must see that it produces adequate moral results in us. How can we live a blameless life? We can start by choosing the right kind of friends: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (v.14).
Light has no communion with darkness (v. 14). Therefore, we must be separate if we wish to be the children of God (v.17, 18). Then, as the salt and light of this world, the grace of God that is in us will not be in vain. We must start walking right TODAY: “Now is the day of salvation” (v.1).
It is funny that this portion of 2 Corinthians 6:2, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”, is often quoted at the end of a gospel meeting to coerce unbelievers not to delay their salvation but to make a decision to obey the gospel straightaway.
But Paul was addressing the Christians in Corinth who had believed the gospel when he made that statement. Hence, with reference to the immediate context, Paul was warning the Christians not to lose their salvation: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (v.1).
What does it mean by receiving the grace of God in vain? The “grace of God” refers to the gospel of Christ which they had received and were saved (Ephesians 2:8). To “receive in vain” is to receive it and then fall away or a failure to live up to the standards required by it: “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). “These things” refers to the virtues described by Peter from verses 5 to 8.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians in an earlier epistle making the same warning: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:1, 2).
In that context, they would have believed in vain if they had rejected the resurrection of Christ.
Hence, Christians can receive the grace of God in vain as a result of one of the following:
- Fall away (Hebrews 6:6).
- Believe in a false doctrine (1 Corinthians 15:1, 2, 14).
- Failure to live the Christian life (2 Peter 1:5-10).
Paul includes all the Corinthians in this appeal not to receive the grace of God in vain (v.1). He says they are all workers for God. Therefore, as God’s workers, the Corinthians, including us, have the responsibility of carrying ourselves worthy of Christians in this world so that the ministry be not blamed. It matters not what talent we have if we are not casting a good influence to the unbelievers. We must conduct our life carefully that it does not hinder the gospel.
Brethren, we must not only accept the teaching of God’s Word, but we must see that it produces adequate moral results in us. How can we live a blameless life? We can start by choosing the right kind of friends: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (v.14).
Light has no communion with darkness (v. 14). Therefore, we must be separate if we wish to be the children of God (v.17, 18). Then, as the salt and light of this world, the grace of God that is in us will not be in vain. We must start walking right TODAY: “Now is the day of salvation” (v.1).
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