An Open Heart

II Corinthians 7:1-16
By Harold D. Dinsmore, M.Div.
Ó 2007 Harold D. Dinsmore

In II Corinthians we discover another important truth about the heart.  Verse 2 in our passage says, “Make room for us in your hearts.”  Another version reads, “Open your hearts to us.”  He had taken a stand for the Lord and had written a letter that was strong on condemning sin among them and heavy on instruction from the Lord.  Read with me now beginning at verse 2. (Turn in your Bible to this passage and read the entire chapter).

            Paul encourages them in verse 3 that he didn’t write those things to condemn them because they were in their hearts.  As I studied this past week, I thought of all the sermons and Bible studies we have experienced so far together.  We have covered many verses and many subjects.  We have made many appeals for repentance and decisions as well.  We have felt the guilt as we have stood before a holy and just God.  And we have felt the freedom and release of being forgiven by God and infused with his Holy Spirit.

            Today my friends I simply want to affirm you.  Today I want to say (verse 4) I have great confidence in you.  I have great pride in you, too.  As I have ministered here at Bethel I have been blessed.  For I have witnessed the Lord at work among you.  I have seen change take place in the hearts and lives of our people.  We have grown in the Lord together.  I want you to know the love that I have for you as God’s people.  Psalms 95:6-7, “Come, let us bow down to worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”  We have tackled some things that has looked insurmountable and we have walked away victors in the Lord’s army.  But we are long from finished.