(2Co 7:4) “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.”  Did you catch the secret to being joyful in tribulation? It comes as a blessing from the Lord as a result of where the mind is placed. Joy comes when the mind is focused upon His glory rather than our trial.

(2Co 7:4) “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.”  Why? Because Paul had received word that they had responded rightly to the rebuke and instruction of First Corinthians (v.6-7). When God’s people demonstrate their love and desire to do right before God, it is a wonderful thing to behold!

(2Co 7:3) “I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.”  The preacher has to keep in mind that his people may not be as spiritually minded as he thought. Therefore they should be reminded that correction of action’s motivation is not self’s desire, but their good.

 (2Co 7:2) “Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. (3) I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.”  There are all types of people in among the saved, the family of God. The pride of some when lovingly rebuked will cause them to react wrongly. The desire to please God in others will cause them to love you more.

(2Co 7:1) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”    If one chooses to see the word “fear” as a deep reverence, shouldn’t that reverence be demonstrated in searching God’s Word, seeking to adhere to its teaching throughout?

(2Co 7:1) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  The promise is this: If you and I will keep ourselves from close bonds with the lost:  (2 Cor 6:17) “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,…”, this will be the result, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”. Therefore work  not only to keep oneself holy, but also to increase in holiness.

(2Co 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:…(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,…(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”  We have a tendency to see verse 18 only from a benefiting  view towards self. But it is also an informative view of responsibility. Being saved brings with it a desire and need to separate from this old rebellious world. Does that speak of your own experience? If not, maybe you are yet to be truly saved.

(2Co 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:…(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”  Who is the Lord speaking unto? Answer: the saved. So, the receiving is not that of “to be saved” but that of blessing and communing with. An unequal yoke can hinder our walk with the Lord.

 (2Co 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:…(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”  The “temple of God” is referring to the body of the Believer in which the Holy Spirit dwells. To join it to a lost person is to join it to those who are not children of God but children of the devil (idols).

(2Co 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:…(15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”    If one carefully considered the Words before  us, they would conclude that such a union would be offensive to God. The union of He Who lives inside us with one who does not love Him, that lives in rejection of His sufferings for them, is insulting to His mercy.