2 Corinthians 12:20-21

2 Corinthians 12:20-21  For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.  I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.  I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. 

For most of 2 Corinthians, Paul has been defending his apostleship to the church of Corinth and his strong letters to them, especially a second letter that we do not have in the Bible.  Paul knew false prophets and licentious living were corrupting the Corinthian church.  Therefore, his concern for them was great.  He did not want his work in Corinth to come to nothing.  His letters to the Corinthians were strong and straightforward, but enveloped in love.  Yet he was still afraid that when he got to Corinth, his coming would expose great strife amongst them: quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.  He was also afraid he would find them not having repented of their licentiousness: impurity, sexual sin and debauchery.   

When the gospel of Christ is perverted in us or in a community of believers, sin flowers.  Sin takes advantage of strife.  As Christians we have to be careful when we find our spirits teeming with dissension, anger, arrogance, and disorder.  We have to be careful when we find ourselves impatient with people deserving our love and respect.  The Bible indicates we should possess the peaceable works of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), not the disrupting, corrosive spirit of the world.  When we allow sin in the door through our emotions, we allow all kinds of damage to enter our families, the church, and the world.  We allow Satan to have freewill in damaging our lives and the lives of others.  Such choices will surely lead to destruction and hopelessness outside of Christ and the power of the cross.  

Paul is also talking about licentious behavior in the church.  He is telling the Corinthians that they should repent of these kinds of sins (impurity, sexual sin and debauchery), for they are sins against the body of Christ.  All sexual sins announce infidelity to Jesus Christ to the world.  When we are "saved," we are married to Christ.  We become his bride.  We establish a covenant with him when we say yes to Jesus Christ.  Therefore, when we participate outwardly in sexual sins, we directly violate our covenant, which says we are one with him.  The children of Israel were severely chastised for this sin of whoring after other gods.  God's love towards the wayward Israelites was so great that He kept forgiving them and restoring them to himself, but finally He allowed them to be dispersed throughout the world as a punishment for their infidelity.  In the New Testament the church is described as the bride.  The bride is holy because of the work of the cross, but sexual impurity brings a lie to that work.  Sexual sin announces to the world that we are not ONE WITH CHRIST, that we do not want to keep our covenant to him.   Our "yes" to Christ becomes a "no."  

Paul beseeches the Corinthians to repent of sexual sins, for they represent separateness from Christ.  Of course, Paul knew repenting would bring holiness again to their lives, for Christ' love is so great that it covers a multitude of sins.  However, repenting means saying, "Yes," to Christ, saying to him, "I am yours.  You are mine."  Without repenting, the covenant is broken.  The covenant breaker has said overtly before the world, "I want another lover, not you."  Paul is begging the Corinthians to rid themselves of the sin in their midst, for it is dangerous to their souls.  Of course, we are found IN CHRIST only if we want to be there.  Just as in a marriage, we are found IN A MARRIAGE only if we want to be there.  Without being in Christ we are lost, under the horrible judgement of God.  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love."  (John 15:9-19)  God's plan and perfect will is that we remain in him and He in us.  We must not fail to enter in to him, our Sabbath Rest, because of sin or unbelief.