2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NASB) says, “And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— for He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you’. Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’— giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited.”
When you think of a ministry that has lost its credibility, what comes to mind? I know what initially comes to my mind. Such examples include a pastor who has entered moral failure, a ministry that once preached the truth of the gospel has suddenly embraced false doctrine, or churches who “fabricate” testimonies of healings and miracles which simply did not happen. These examples do not point the lost to Jesus Christ. If anything, it deters people away from the truth of the gospel as we seek relevancy instead of maintaining a posture of humility and realness. Nonetheless, while these may be just a few examples, the Apostle Paul does not list them in regards to a ministry that has become discredited!
A ministry that will not be discredited is one who gives “no cause for offense in anything.” It is the church who refuses to live in the fear and opinion of man but instead abides fully in the Word of God. It is one who refuses to hold grudges and cause division but chooses to “love their neighbor as themselves.” They surrender their right to be offended so they will not be robbed of the grace of God, knowing “today is the day of salvation!”
Hebrews 12:15 (NASB) says, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” When bitterness takes root in our hearts, it will cause us to fall short of the grace of God! How can God in heaven extend the grace to forgive when we refuse to extend the very same word and hand of grace to those who have wronged us? It not only discredits the ministry in which we function, but it also causes others to question the validity of God’s grace in general. We must be stewards of God’s grace, knowing today is the day through our ministry that someone can encounter the grace of God in a supernatural way, leading them to salvation through Jesus Christ!