“Overflowing Grace: God’s Unchanging Yes”

Sermon Title: Overflowing Grace: God’s Unchanging Yes

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4 ESV

Introduction

We’re currently going through the book of 2 Corinthians which was written by the Apostle Paul. For those of you who don’t know, Paul was chosen by Jesus Christ to be the apostle to the gentiles, the non-Jewish world. Paul became one of the greatest apostles whom the Spirit of God used to write 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament, almost half. And the church at Corinth was a church that he had given at least 18 months of his life to plant. Yet, it is this church that was attacking him.

Last week, we found the apostle Paul defending his authority and authenticity as an apostle of Jesus against the Corinthian church who were roused up by false teachers and others who joined them, and their genuine doubt of Paul because of how his life demonstrated weakness and suffering which did not meet their expectations of what an apostle of Jesus Christ should look like.

In today’s passage, Paul is defending himself against those who were now making accusations against his character.

(2 Cor. 1:15-17)

Paul’s original plan was to travel from Ephesus to Macedonia and then to Corinth (1 Cor. 16:5–7). Instead, he made an unexpected visit to Corinth which turned painful and confrontational (2 Cor. 2:1). After that painful visit, he wrote a severe letter filled with tears (2 Cor. 2:3–4). Then he went to Macedonia, where he eventually wrote 2 Corinthians and explained why he delayed returning.

From their perspective, Paul looked inconsistent. He changed plans. In the ancient world, especially for someone claiming apostolic authority, your word carried tremendous weight. If he said he was coming, he should come. To them, his delay suggested he was unreliable — a man who says “yes” and “no” in the same breath.

But Paul says, “No.” His decisions were not according to the flesh. They were not impulsive or self-serving. There was a higher reason.

The issue was never about travel plans. It was about trust. If Paul cannot be trusted in small things, how can he be trusted in preaching the gospel?

(2 Cor. 1;18-22)

Paul anchors his defense not in himself, but in Christ. As surely as God is faithful — that is his foundation. The gospel he preached was not inconsistent. Jesus Christ is not “Yes and No.” In Him, it is always Yes.

All the promises of God — forgiveness, restoration, covenant mercy, new heart, resurrection life — find their Yes in Christ. In the Old Testament, God promised to put His Spirit within His people (Ezekiel 36:27). In Christ, that promise is fulfilled. God has established us, anointed us, sealed us, and given us His Spirit as a guarantee.

Paul’s argument is simple: I have spoken nothing but the truth of the gospel and my conscience is clear. My life and ministry are anchored in the God whose promises are unchanging. The same God who saved you is the God guiding me. I have done nothing of my own accord but only by the Holy Spirit. It is God through the Holy Spirit who has given me the seal of approval.

Paul does not point to himself, his authority or leadership for the Corinthian church to fix their sights on. He points to the authority, leadership, and lordship of Jesus Christ.

(2 Cor. 1:23-24)

Paul calls God as witness. In the ancient world, invoking God’s name was no light matter. This is not poetic exaggeration. He is saying: God knows my motives. It is him saying, “If I am lying, may God curse me!” Paul does this so that the Corinthian church would understand and believe his words - that the changed plans and delay was for their benefit.

Paul delayed in coming to the Corinthians from Macedonia to spare them - from what? From a second painful visit. It was never Paul’s intention to lord over their faith and control them like a spiritual tyrant - this isn’t his, and it most certainly isn’t God’s way. It was about love and servant hood. It was the purpose of God and it was the desire of Paul to serve them and love them and pour his life unto them, so that they may grow in their faith and joy in Jesus and the message of the gospel.

After the painful visit and the severe letter, another immediate confrontation may have deepened wounds that were still healing, that had yet to accept the truth that Paul had spoken to them. Sometimes people need time to process, they need time to accept the truth and be transformed by it. Sometimes, giving time, waiting, delaying, and saying “no” is love and mercy. This reflects the very character of God. The Lord is patient with us. He does not always answer immediately. He gives time for repentance, healing, and growth. His delays are not abandonment; they are overflowing grace. The Lord does all this knowing it is necessary for us.

Paul brings the Corinthians back to this truth: God’s promises are Yes in Jesus. The Lord invites us as individuals and as a church to remember the promises of God that are Yes in Jesus Christ as we reflect on where we are at right now in our lives.

Application

1. We must be doers of the Word who walk in obedience.

While Paul’s case was different in that it came out of lies and misunderstandings, there is a simple truth that we can know from today’s passage: The world is watching us to see if we are people who’s Yes is in Jesus Christ or not. Are we people who participate in the mission of God by bringing people to Christ? Are we people who participate in the comfort and healing that God desires for the world? Are we people who live out the gospel, who love others as Christ loved us, who show love and care to the stranger or are we people who are simply content on being in our own circles.

If Christ is God’s Yes, then our lives must echo that Yes in obedience.

2. We must fix our reassurance and trust in Christ alone.

We’re not very different from Corinth and the ancient world. We evaluate the church, pastors, elders, deacons, by outward measures of what we value as success — numbers, programs, stability, momentum. But God who looks at the heart is not impressed with these things. He cares for the heart of the one who kneels before Him in humbleness. He blesses Christlikeness.

Proverbs reminds us:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Prov. 19:21)

These passages remind us that we plan, we calculate, and strategize. But the Lord is at the center of the process and He is Lord over the outcomes. What sometimes feels like instability and shaky ground to us may be the work of the Holy Spirit. We may not notice because we are people who plan and with those plans we have expectations.

Christ is the Yes of our church. Christ is our Rock. His love for this church has not changed. His purposes for His glory through this church have not changed. God’s unchanging Yes in Jesus Christ is the evidence of God’s unchanging faithfulness to us.

May we fix our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ — the unchanging Yes of God, the foundation upon whom our faith stands.

Amen.

Reflection

Brothers and Sisters, is the Lord part of your everyday discern and planning? How do you respond when the things that your planned don’t go the way you expected? How do you as a follower of Jesus Christ respond in those situations? Is your life and faith anchored on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ in whom the promises of God are always Yes?

The love of the Lord is such that he allows us to participate in His mission by letting us make plans using all that He has given us, but as His people we must humbly submit the guidance of our steps to the Lord. He is the light on to our feet, He is the Good Shepherd who will not lead us astray, but goes to find us and set us back on the right path.