2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Now is the time!

 1 Colossians 3:9

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

Washed clean in the precious blood of the Lamb of God we are workers together with Christ. In the unity of Holy Spirit we show others the way to the Father. His fruits resonate in our lives and day by day we are changed. The love of God gifted to us in the new covenant of salvation in Jesus conquers sin and restores our relationship with God. He sees Jesus in us and in His righteousness we abide. Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these? LOVE. Carla

2  Corinthians 6:1-10

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. NKJV

The Greek word used here for grace, charis, refers in this instance to the unmerited favor God demonstrated in the sacrificial death of Christ (5:14–19). Christ’s death is the reason why people can freely enter into a relationship with God. Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 to appeal to the Corinthians and emphasize God’s readiness to receive them when they turn to Him. Just as God restored Israel from exile, He now reconciles people to Himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3). The day of salvation refers to the present period of time (between Christ’s first and second comings) in which reconciliation with God is available to all people.

Weapons of righteousness refers to weapons that equip believers to live righteously and resist the work of evil forces. Faithlife Study Bible

In 5:20, Paul describes God as pleading for people to be reconciled to Him. Here Paul pleads (the same Greek word occurs in 5:20) with the Corinthians also. If believers live for themselves (5:15), they will have received the grace of God, but they will miss out on a heavenly reward for their service to Him (5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:15). In Philippians 2:12 Paul encourages those who have been saved to work out or develop their salvation. The Corinthians were failing at this very point. They were saved and stuck, so to speak. They were not continually working out their salvation. Paul was encouraging them to consider their lives and realign them more closely to Christ.

Paul quoted Isaiah 49:8 to remind the Corinthians that God was ready to listen to them and to help them. He would deliver them, if only they turned to Him in faith.

Offense means “an occasion of stumbling.” Paul did not do anything that would cause others to stumble in their faith. The word be blamed means “to find fault with” and implies ridicule. In other words, no one could find fault with Paul’s work among the Corinthians. In many different types of situations Paul and his coworkers conducted themselves as righteous ministers of God. These verses list the different types of experiences in which Paul and his fellow workers found themselves. The NKJV Study Bible

Isaiah 49:8

Thus says the LORD:

“In an acceptable time I have heard You,

And in the day of salvation I have helped You;

I will preserve You and give You

As  a covenant to the people,

To restore the earth,

To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;

In a world where disarray too easily dominates our information and media feed, Sabbath Moment is an invitation to hit the pause button. To see in the power of pause, the restorative gift of paying attention. To see. To welcome goosebumps and joy. To embrace the Sacrament of the Present.
I am writing this on my flight to Dublin, Ireland, where tomorrow I will be savoring the moments in a scenic city with a remarkable history, strolling the grounds at Trinity College, founded in 1592 and steeped with moments of wonder.
And yes, I will embrace the permission to pause.
To pay attention.

But here’s the forewarning: To pay attention, we must slow down.
I can give you the part line that slowing down is a tonic for the heart and pretty much a necessity for our blood pressure. It is restorative for our emotional well-being and nourishment for our soul you pick the word: tonic, sustenance, nutriment, curative, balsamic, sanative. I have no doubt that they all ring true. People who know a lot more than I do tell me so. While we’re sorting it out though, let’s wander through the back garden and I’ll tell you what I do know for certain.
I can tell you that there is a direct correlation between slowing down and joy. You know, that felling which expands your chest and slows the world’s carousel, so that everything and everyone around you is in crystal-clear focus, and your mind has no need for approval or scheming or regret. You are content merely to be. Just to be. As if the very emotion resides in that realm of time where the heartbeat slows.
I can tell you that when I slow down, I pay attention, and I give up my need for control.
I can tell you that Quaker theologian Thomas Kelly got it right when he wrote, “listening to the eternal involves a silence within us.”
And I can tell you that when I slow down, I begin to live more openly and relaxed. Sabbath Moments