“Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes,” Ezekiel 21:6.
“For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season,” 2 Corinthians 7:8.
In my first study of these two verses, I looked at the message and ministry of Ezekiel the prophet.
I believe it true to say that few believed the message of Ezekiel and the judgment he spoke of fell on the nation.
I turn to the second chapter I read that day, 18th September inst, — 2 Corinthians 7.
It begins with a reference to the cleansing power of the Word of God.
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” verse 1.
The Saviour spoke to His disciples of the sanctifying power of His Word. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you,” John 15:3. He also prayed to His Heavenly Father that He might cleanse His people by that Word.
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,” John 17:15-17.
The preaching of the Word of God and obedience of it, is the means, used by God ,whereby Christians, while in this world, are kept from its evil influences.
Where a people, professing faith in Christ, show a conformity to this world, then it is because God’s Word is not being preached or it is not being obeyed or both!
I. THE SANCTIFYING POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD HAS BEEN WONDERFULLY DEMONSTRATED IN THE RECOVERY OF THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH FROM ITS MOST GRIEVOUS BACKSLIDING.
1. Even though founded by Paul is days of mighty spiritual blessing, the church at Corinth backslid.
It was founded around AD 51-52. “ After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth, . . . And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. . . . Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them,” Acts 18:1, 4-6, 9-11.
Eighteen months under the mighty preaching of Paul gave the Corinthians church a start that few other churches would have enjoyed!
And yet they backslide to a most dreadful degree and the epistle Paul wrote in dealing the sin was written a mere four years later! How quickly a church, blessed of God and experiencing great privileges may fall away?
Great sin
It was not just that there was great sin in the church — drunkenness at the Lord’s table, “For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken,” 11:21 — gross immorality: “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife,” 5:1. There was also a quarrelsome spirit of ‘partyism’. “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ,” 1:12.
The ‘rebellion’ had spread amongst the women as well. They were throwing off their head coverings and displaying an irreverent attitude toward their husband and toward the Lord.
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head (Christ). But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head (her husband): for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered,” 1 Corinthians 11:3-6.
As commentator said of this final words. ‘For if the woman be not covered If she will not wear a veil in the public assemblies, let her be shorn— let her carry a public badge of infamy: but if it be a shame— if to be shorn or shaven would appear, as it must, a badge of infamy, then let her be covered— let her by all means wear a veil.’
Is there not a casting aside of the head covering to be seen today? Sadly, ministers and elders remain silent in the face of this spirit of rebellion! Indeed, our Presbytery leaders seem bent on ignoring the very public sins that have been exposed of late and those highlighted in the past.
Such an attitude offends the Lord, gives the appearance of condoning sin and condemns the church to continuance in backsliding!!
All in the church
That is how it was in Corinth! That virtually the whole Corinthian church was stained by this spirit of rebellion is seen in that such activities were largely tolerated and nothing really done about these awful sins, indeed it seems many gloried in their activities.
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us,”1 Corinthians 5:6-7.
And yet, Paul addressing this backsliding church called it, “Unto the church of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:2. Like the prodigal’s father never gave up his son but remained watching for his return, so the Lord will not give up His erring people but He patiently bears with them.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand,” Psalm 37:23-24.
On hearing of the sate of the church, Paul immediately sets about calling for repentance and a humble return unto the Lord.
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you,” 1 Corinthians 1:10-11.
He begins with the lesser of their sins. He will then move on to deal with their much more serious sins. I think we can say that he thus gradually opened their eyes to their departure from the Lord!
2. However, Paul does use great plainness of speech when dealing with their sin.
He did not ‘pull any punches’, as we say! He showed courage in acting so for it is no easy thing to confront a church with its sin.
God’s servants are to show such courage in a day of departure from God’s truth. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins,” Isaiah 58:1.
To carry out that demand requires the grace and help of the Holy Ghost.
“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee,” Jeremiah 1:17-19.
Ian Paisley
I saw this grace at work in the life of Ian Paisley in my early years of acquaintance of him! He was daily attacked, malign and miscalled. Not just by the enemies of the gospel but by many who claimed to be the servants of God. I lived in his home in my first year as a student for six months and I know what he endured!
Ian Paisley in his earlier days was a giant!
Paul used “great plainness of speech” when dealing with the Corinthians. He called a ‘a spade a spade’ as we say here in Ulster. Such is the preaching that is needed today.
Paul warned that when the came to them he would not spare the guilty.
“I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare,” 2 Corinthians 13:2.
I am sure that the people in Corinth, during the eighteen months that Paul was amongst them, saw displays of the power God had bestowed on His servant, many times! Paul was able to say to them: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,” 2 Corinthians 12:12. They would be most foolish to provoke the Lord and find themselves subject to the sternness Paul was capable of!
Heavenly Father
Such an attitude was required. It was in keeping with the actions of Heavenly Father when He deals with erring children.
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby,” Hebrews 12:5-11.
Ministers and elders who forego proper discipline and not being kind and gentle but negligent and ungodlike!
3. Paul’s treatment of the sinful in Corinth worked.
Even the one guilty of incest was recovered.
“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things,” 2 Corinthians 2:4-9.
When the report of the changes brought about by his admonitions and rebukes came to Paul, who had been awaiting news of Corinth in
“Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all,” 2 Corinthians 7:6-13.
Thus, this church, so sunk down into dreadful backsliding and carelessness, was rescued by the faithful following of God’s Word by the apostle Paul.
There is surely a message today for the Free Presbyterian Church. There is instruction for our ministers and elders and our members.
Sin and worldliness, even the smallest deviations from God’s truth, is not to be fooled with or counted as unimportant or a ‘minor matter that is not to be majored upon’, as one very foolish minister claimed!
There is hope for recovery BUT ONLY if we apply the medicine God has prescribed!
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Wednesday, 24th September 2025