We've Wronged No One

“Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (2 Corinthians 7:2-4 ESV).

What does it mean to wrong someone? It means to maltreat, abuse, oppress, cheat, defraud, and/or dishonor someone, particularly with willful and deliberate intent. And what does it mean to corrupt someone? It is a willingness to act dishonestly, to do what is unscrupulous, and to make deliberate alterations to something, i.e. to manipulate and falsify information. And what does it mean to take advantage of someone? It means to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from someone or to use someone unfairly for personal gain or to exploit (abuse) someone.

These were the kinds of things the apostles were being accused of and which we might also be accused of when we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, and when we are speaking the truth, in love, to others, and when we are addressing sin issues in others which need to be resolved, which is what the apostles were apparently doing when they were falsely accused of wrongdoing. For we can have all good intentions, but sometimes when we try to help others it will backfire on us, and we may be treated as though we are the enemy while the true enemy is brought under no scrutiny at all.

There seemed to be some concern here that the Corinthian believers were perhaps believing and accepting the lies, and that they may have been withdrawing from the apostles to some extent, because of the rumors which were flying about them. And so Paul was asking that they make room in their hearts for the apostles and that they accept the fact that they had not done evil to anyone. For just because some people might take us in the wrong way or make judgments about us based on their own perceptions, it does not necessitate that any wrongful acts have been committed at all.

But he did not say this to condemn them. He was not accusing them of anything, but he definitely had cause for concern, which is why he was asking that they make room in their hearts for the apostles. And he did encourage them that they were in the hearts of the apostles, to die together and to live together. And then he commended them for something, and as we read further on down in the passage, it appears it had to do with their response to a letter he wrote them previously, which could have been the fact that, although grieved by his letter, it led them to repentance.

It is always great when things like this turn out in a good direction and not a bad one, when people who accuse others wrongfully of things they did not do, in the way they are being accused of doing them, when they are finally able to see clearly that no harm was intended, but only good, and no evil took place, and no lying, misleading, manipulation or dishonesty took place, but only what had good intentions for the good of others, and not to harm them. Sadly, it doesn’t always turn out that way, but it is wonderful when others can lay down their swords and relent from unfounded accusations.

But even if we are being accused falsely of things we did not do, we can rest assured that God is still sovereign over all he created, and he has a plan and a purpose for it all in our lives, and that if we are following him with our lives, he is working it all out for our good. And good doesn’t mean necessarily that we will no longer suffer, but that we will learn what we need to learn through our suffering so that we can grow to maturity in Christ through the things that we suffer and can be used of God in ways he could not use us before he took us through these trying times.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

The Prayer

Written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, 

Alberto Testa and Tony Renis

I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know

I pray we'll find your light

And hold it in our hearts

When the stars go out each night

Remind us where you are.

Let this be our prayer

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

To a place where we'll be safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqFCbtRz1Z0

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