(2 Co) 6:1, 4, 6 CJB “As God’s fellow-workers we also urge you not to receive his grace and then do nothing with it. On the contrary, we try to commend ourselves in every way as workers for God by continually enduring troubles, hardships, calamities, We commend ourselves by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by the Ruach HaKodesh; by genuineness of love”
Paul makes something unmistakably clear.
Grace is not a decoration.
It is a commission.
Salvation is not something to place on a shelf and admire once a week at religious gatherings. It is not a spiritual trophy to display among other “winners.”
Salvation is a new identity.
We are now children of God—called to live like the Son of God.
Jesus did not come merely to save us.
He came to show us how saved people live.
He reconciled us to the Father.
He modeled obedience.
He demonstrated holiness.
He embraced suffering.
He pursued the lost.
Now, His life becomes our pattern.
Paul highlights three visible marks of this new identity—three marks that reflect Christ Himself.
Mark One: Willingness to Suffer for Christ
Paul speaks first of enduring hardships.
Suffering is not an accident in the Christian life.
It is a mark of it.
Jesus’ obedience led Him to the cross.
Our obedience will lead us into resistance.
When we identify openly with Christ:
We will be misunderstood.
We will be mocked.
We will be resisted.
We may be rejected.
If we live to please men, we will avoid suffering.
If we live to please God, we should expect it.
Many believers silence themselves to avoid conflict.
But truth spoken in love always produces conviction—and conviction produces opposition.
The scars of obedience mark God’s servants.
Mark Two: Christlike Character
Paul points next to character:
Purity.
Knowledge.
Patience.
Kindness.
Love.
Life in the Spirit.
These are not optional traits.
They are evidence of salvation.
Jesus was holy.
So His people pursue holiness.
Not perfection by human effort.
But transformation by obedience and the Spirit’s power.
We do not excuse sin.
We do not make peace with compromise.
We work together to uproot sin because Christ has already broken its power.
Grace does not make us casual about holiness.
Grace makes us serious about it.
Mark Three: Commitment to God’s Work
Paul calls himself a “worker for God.”
Salvation always produces mission.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
Those who belong to Him share His passion.
Every Christian is called to participate in the Great Commission.
Not all preach publicly.
But all witness faithfully.
Not all travel far.
But all live sent.
If we are not working to see God’s kingdom advance, we must examine whether grace has truly taken root.
Scripture never separates belief from obedience.
Words without action mean nothing.
Religious language without transformation is hollow.
Church attendance without mission is incomplete.
God will not be persuaded by our religious resumes.
On the final day, our lives will be weighed by the fruit they produced.
By love for God.
By love for people.
By faithfulness to Christ’s call.
Not to earn salvation—
But to reveal it.
Paul urges: “Do not receive God’s grace in vain.”
It is possible to hear the gospel.
To profess faith.
To attend church.
And still waste grace.
But it does not have to be so.
God saved you for more.
Run Today’s Play:
1. Examine Your Commitment
Ask honestly:
Am I using God’s grace—or wasting it?
Am I growing—or coasting?
Am I serving—or spectating?
Let Scripture search you.
2. Embrace Costly Obedience
Stop avoiding discomfort.
Speak truth.
Live distinctly.
Stand publicly for Christ.
Faith that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.
3. Pursue Holiness Daily
Guard your heart.
Kill compromise.
Practice repentance.
Walk in the Spirit.
Holiness is not optional for God’s children.
4. Reengage the Mission
Pray for the lost.
Build relationships.
Share Christ.
Disciple others.
Make God’s priorities your priorities.
