The title for this morning's message is Love People and Trust God. Love People and Trust God. And it comes from 2 Corinthians 1, verses 12 to 14. And the word of God says, For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom, but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand, and I hope you will fully understand, just as you did partially understand us, that on the day of our Lord Jesus, you will boast of us as we will boast of you. Join me in a moment of prayer. Gracious God, Heavenly Father, Lord, we pray that as we walk through these three verses, Lord God, The Apostle Paul begins to defend his ministry and his integrity against false accusations, Lord. Father, we pray that you would enable us by your Holy Spirit to rightly understand his words. We pray that you would enable us to learn from Paul, from his words and from his example, the example that he sets not only for the church in Corinth, but for all Christians who have read this epistle over the last 2,000 years. We pray that by your Holy Spirit you would enable us to not only rightly understand the words written here, but we pray that you would enable us to remember them, to retain them, and to rightly apply them at appropriate moments in our lives. And Father, we pray these things in Christ's name. Amen. There will always be people in the world who will just misunderstand you. They will misunderstand your best intentions. They will assume the worst in you. They will impute negative motives to your actions or to your decisions. And when those things happen, when those moments arise in our lives, it can be difficult to endure. Especially when you honestly were trying to do what was best for the other person. You were honestly putting their needs and their interests above your own and before your own, yet for some reason they thought and believed that you had ulterior motives. They thought you were being manipulative deceptive or in some way disingenuous. And when this happens, this happens simply because people are sinful. And because people are sinful, most people, many people, tend to be selfish and self-serving. It's just human nature. It's the way we are. It's the way we are wired. It is the rare person, even sadly among Christians, who truly does something good for someone else out of purely good and selfless motives. So, when you live in a world like that, when you are surrounded by people like that and you do something good for them or you try to help them in some way or you try to minister to them or care for them in some way, often the thought that enters their mind is what's in it for you, right? What's your angle? What are you getting at? This is because subconsciously, Many people think to themselves, I don't ever do anything good for someone else unless I want something in return. So, surely this must be true of you. If you're doing something good for me, you must be angling at something, you must want something in return. It's sad, I think, that people think this way. But, in a world that is filled with totally depraved people, Right? And in a church that is filled with people who are recovering sin addicts, we should not be all that surprised by it. We should not be that surprised. Or should we be surprised by it? Well, I think the answer to that question is both yes and no. Yes and no. We should be surprised by it because within the church where we have people who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, who are made alive in Christ, who are filled by the Holy Spirit, you would expect more of a Christian response. You would expect believers to love in the way that scripture commands us to love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 7 and that is that love always believes. Love always believes. That is that love gives other people the benefit of the doubt. Love believes those whom we love unless they give us adequate reasons not to. Thus, Christian love, biblical love, Christ honoring love, says to the one whom we love, I believe you. If you say that you had no intentions of hurting my feelings with your words, if you say that you had no ill intent in what you did, I believe you. because I trust you, because I love you. This is what we should expect from Christians, right? But alas, the old man dies hard, right? Many Christians will tend to respond to someone's best intentions in a very worldly or fleshly or selfish way. We shouldn't be entirely surprised by this because this is what happened to Jesus. I mean Jesus only ever taught and treated people and ministered to people in a perfectly sinless loving manner. And yet they accused him of performing miracles by the power of Satan. And eventually they crucified him. because they simply did not believe what he said about himself. This is also what happened to the Apostle Paul. Despite Paul's best intentions, despite his loving the church in Corinth, bringing the gospel to them, discipling them, planting that church, pouring himself into them, they accused him of being dishonest. of having ulterior motives and of being disingenuous. So, this is actually what he's going to begin addressing in these three verses that we're going to be looking at this morning. And so, if you've ever been If you've ever been in that boat, if you've ever been accused of being dishonest or having ulterior motives, despite your best efforts, despite the fact that you were truly just trying to do what was best for someone else, well, you're in good company. Because both Christ and Paul were treated much the same way. And so what we're going to see here and what we're going to learn from Paul is how he dealt with it. How did Paul respond to this? Who were accusing him of simply just not being honest. What did he say to them and what can we learn from him? Because some of us have been in that situation before. And if you haven't, some of you will at some point, hopefully not, but likely be in that kind of situation at some point in the future. And so what can we learn from the Apostle Paul? Well, in these three verses, Paul is essentially making two points in these three verses that we're going to look at this morning. And these two points are made in support of one major overarching point in this passage that we're looking at this morning. And that one major overarching point is simply this. Paul is defending his integrity against the church in Corinth. He's defending his integrity. In fact, these three verses mark the beginning of a larger portion in this book where Paul will spend a great deal of time defending his ministry, defending himself against false accusations. In fact, this section will run all the way to chapter 7, verse 16. But this is the beginning of this larger portion where Paul will defend his ministry and his integrity against the church in Corinth. And so notice the first thing, or the first point that Paul makes in verse 12. He says this, for our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom, but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. Now first of all, what does Paul mean when he says, for our boast is this. Because whenever we think of the word boast, we tend to think of boasting as being sinful, as being a bad thing. Christians should not boast. Right? But Paul will often use that word in a negative sense, but he'll often use it in a positive sense as well. Within Paul's writings, it really depends on context. So, for example, negatively, he will use boasting to be synonymous with pride or arrogance. For example, Paul will say in Romans chapter 1, as he describes the kind of people upon which the judgment and the wrath of God will come upon them. He says in Romans chapter 1 beginning in verse 29, he says, they are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, So Paul says that those who are boastful, the judgment and the wrath of God will come upon them. Meaning those who are prideful, those who are arrogant, those who are self-centered and self-focused. But Paul will often use the word in a positive sense as well. For example, in 2 Corinthians, toward the end of the book in chapter 12, verse 9, Paul will say this, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So, in that sense, boasting in our weaknesses, boasting in our shortcomings, so that the power of Christ may come upon us, and God may be glorified through us, and He may use us for His glory and for His honor, Paul says, is a good thing. Boasting in our weaknesses. And thus, our need for Christ is good. So, here in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 12, Paul is using the word in a good sense. Essentially, he is saying, if I am going to boast, if I'm going to boast, here is what I will boast in, something that his conscience bears testimony to, something that his conscience testifies to, or bears witness to, Because the Greek word that Paul is using there when he says the testimony of our conscience is the Greek word martyrion which means to bear witness or to testify to the validity or something or that something is true. So the question is then what does his conscience bear witness to? Notice that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom, but by the grace of God and supremely so, he says, toward you, toward the church in Corinth. In other words, Paul is simply saying this, here's what I know. Paul is saying, here's what I do know. I know that when I was with you, I know that when I ministered to you, when I discipled you, when I taught you the word of God, I behaved among you and towards you and I lived among you with simplicity and godly sincerity. Not by earthly wisdom. but by God's grace. And then he adds, and I did this supremely towards you. That is when we were with you. Paul is saying we were genuine. We were genuine. We were honest. We were sincere. We wanted what was best for you and all we wanted to do was minister the word of God to you and help you grow in your faith and in your knowledge of God and in your love for God. All we wanted to do was bring you the gospel. And then he adds, And we did not do this by means of earthly or worldly wisdom, but we did this by God's grace. We did so by the power of God, Paul says. In other words, Paul wants them to know that he did not try to manipulate them. He didn't try to manipulate them. He did not try to persuade them with smooth talk. He was not trying to get anything from them. He was honest and sincere and genuine and his motives, in his motives for them were pure. Simply to help them grow in their faith and to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And apparently this was a bit of a problem in Corinth. It's something that Paul, it would seem, had to contend with. For whatever reason, maybe the church in Corinth, maybe being in a pagan society where everybody just lived for themselves, didn't trust anybody. Sounds a lot like America today. because Paul has to reference this on several occasions. For example, back in 1 Corinthians, back in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, he begins the book that way. He says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 1 and 2, and when I came to you brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." So Paul says, look, when I came to you, I did not come with flowery, philosophical speech. I wasn't trying to manipulate you. I just brought you the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. That's all I brought you. All I presented to you was Christ and Him crucified. He'll then say, in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 2, verse 17, For we are not like so many peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God in the sight of God, we speak in Christ. In other words, again, Paul is saying, I'm not selling anything. I'm not peddling the gospel. I'm not trying to get something out of you. I just want you to know Christ. Just wants you to know God. He'll say again in chapter four, verse two, but we have renounced disgraceful underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. So Paul is continuously defending his integrity against the church in Corinth, saying, look, I didn't bamboozle you. Just gave you the word of God. Just presented Christ to you. And so, in our text, 2 Corinthians 1, verse 12, Paul is essentially saying to them, look, my conscience is clear. That's what he's saying to them. My conscience is clear. Regardless of what you think of me, regardless of what you think of my motives, what you think my motives were or are, I know that I came to you with simplicity and godly sincerity and not with earthly wisdom. And so Paul slept well at night. Paul slept well at night. because he knew that his heart was in the right place. He knew that his motives were pure. He knew that he had done the right thing for and toward the church in Corinth. So I think there's an important lesson that we can learn here from the Apostle Paul. The only person whose opinion of us matters is God's. God's opinion is the only one that matters. So long as we are always striving to please God, so long as we make it our aim, as Paul will say in 2 Corinthians 5-9, so long as we make it our aim to glorify God, to do what is biblically and spiritually best for others, then it doesn't matter, or at least it should not matter, what people think of us. we can sleep well at night. Being able to say with the Apostle Paul the testimony of my conscience. That is, my conscience testifies to me that I behave toward you with simplicity and godly sincerity by the grace of God and supremely toward you. And isn't this what Jesus actually himself commanded us to do, tells us to do. In Luke chapter 12, for example, verses 4 and 5, Jesus says this, I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will tell you whom to fear. Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you to fear him. In other words, Jesus is saying, don't be afraid of people. Don't be afraid of what people might think. Don't be afraid of what people might say. Don't be afraid of what people might do to you. Rather, be in fear of God. Strive to please God and not please people. Do what is right, do what is biblically true, do what is best for other people from a pure heart, with pure motives, and know that God is smiling upon you. And who cares what everybody else thinks? The late Christian artist Keith Green once said, I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to point them to Christ. I would rather have people hate me in the knowledge that I tried to point them to Christ. But you know, there's not a lot of people who think that way. There's not a lot of Christians who think that way. So oftentimes we get so worked up We get so stressed. We become so concerned. We lose sleep worrying about what someone else might think of us. What someone else might say about us. Paul said, I don't care. Paul said, my conscience is clear because I know that my motives are pure. I know that I am going to sleep like a baby tonight. because Paul did what was right for the church in Corinth. Paul made it his aim to please God. That's what he says in 2 Corinthians 5, 9. And thus, a lesson we have to learn from Paul is that this approach only works if we truly make it our aim, make it our goal to please God in every aspect of our lives. to please God in the way that we think, in the way that we speak, in the way that we interact with people, in the way that we treat people or engage with people. If we make it our aim to please God, then like Paul, we can sleep well at night saying, my conscience is clear. The second thing that Paul is doing in this passage is in verses 13 and 14. He says, therefore, we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand, and I hope you will fully understand. Just as you did partially understand that, or we can say so that, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will boast of us as we will boast of you. In other words, Paul is saying to them that just as he was when he was with them, the way that he behaved when he was with them in simplicity and in godly sincerity, so now he is writing to them in the same manner. With simplicity, I'm writing to you in godly sincerity. What I was then, I am now. I don't change. My behavior with different people. And so he says, I hope you will fully understand this. I hope you'll see this. I hope you'll see that I am being sincere and honest in my writing, just as I was sincere and honest when I was with you. I hope you will fully see this and know that I am being straight with you. Just like I was when I was with you and you partially understood that then, I hope you'll fully understand that now. And Paul does this because he says, look, I'm writing to you in the same manner that I spoke to you when I was with you, so that, here's the reason, so that, look at the end of verse 14, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will boast of us, as we will boast of you." So here again, he's using the word boast in a positive sense, in the sense of praising or rejoicing. In other words, Paul's hope is that someday, someday, even if not now, someday, possibly on the day of judgment, he's hoping that they will look back and someday they will see that Paul's behavior was sincere toward them. They'll look back and see that Paul really did love us. That Paul really was trying to do what was best for us. And on that day, they will rejoice in Paul's sacrificial ministry to them. He says, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will boast of us And then his hope is that at the same time he will rejoice in their spiritual growth and in their sanctification. He says, and we will boast of you on the day of judgment. And so Paul does what is right for those that he ministers to. He does what is right and what is best for the church. Corinth. He does not shrink back from declaring to them anything that is profitable. Which is what he says in Acts chapter 20 verse 20. He does not shrink back from declaring to them the whole counsel of God. which is what he says in Acts 20, 27. Regardless of how it may land on his audience, regardless of how it may land on the readers, he does not shrink back from teaching them anything that would be profitable to them. Because he is hopeful that someday, when all is clear, they'll look back and they'll know that Paul really did love them and did what was best for them. And if you're a parent, you understand what Paul is talking about. Right? Because this is every parent's hope. That as we raise our children, and as we butt heads with them, and as we wrangle with them, and as they say unkind words to their parents from time to time, we hope that someday they'll grow up and they'll look back and realize, mom and dad really did love me. Mom and dad really were trying to do what is best for me. And we hope that and we think that because many of us have grown up to do just that, right? We get to our 30s or our 40s and we look back at our childhood and think to ourselves, I know I do. Man, I really was a knucklehead. And we go back to our parents, and I've done this, and said, you know, thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for not packing me in a crate and shipping me off to Timbuktu. Because I see now that you were doing what was best for me and that you really did love me. This is what Paul thinks. This is Paul's hope. that someday they will look back and they will rejoice in Paul's ministry. They will boast in him and he will boast in them because of their growth and of their sanctification. So a lesson that we can learn from Paul's example here is that if we are faithful and careful to do what is right, to love people, to do what is truly pleasing and glorifying to God, that even though, even though, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, 12, that even though now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, we can hope that someday, that someday when everything is clear, then our reputation will be vindicated. God will be glorified and we will rejoice with those that we minister to and loved and served and maybe even suffered at the hands of. In other words, our hope should be in this, that though there may be some who will question your motive. There may be some who will question your honesty, they will question your integrity, so long as you make it your aim to please God in all that you do. And in the way that you treat people, so long as you make it your aim to please God, someday you will stand at the day of judgment with them and God Christ will say to you, well done, good and faithful servant. Because I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. I was naked and you clothed me. I was a stranger and you welcomed me in. I was sick and in prison and you came to me. For as much as you've done it to the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me. And in that day and at that moment, Those who falsely accused you at some point will rejoice in the love that you shared toward them. And you will rejoice with them. And together everyone will glorify Christ for all that He has done in our lives and through the church. We will cast our crowns at the foot of the throne and worship forevermore. So, Paul is hopeful that someday his motives, his godly sincerity will be revealed and will be made known to the Corinthians. But again, Paul can only be hopeful of that if his motives are truly pure. And thus, the lesson here in the end is that we must always strive to make sure that our aim, our aim is to please God. It is not to please people. It is not to make them happy. It's not to please ourselves and it's not to have other people in our debt or to angle for something from them, but ultimately, we must always strive to please God, make it our aim to please God, to be sure that our motives are pure and sincere. And then, not care what people think, knowing that someday, Maybe in this lifetime, maybe not, but someday all will be revealed to the glory of Christ. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord God, for your amazing grace and mercy and love, Father. We thank you for these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul, that in light of all that he went through, in light of all that he experienced and wrongfully so, but not only his example, but we thank you for the example of your son, Jesus Christ, who also was falsely accused, whose motives were misunderstood. Father, we thank you for the examples that you have given us in scripture. We pray that we would find hope in these truths, Lord God. We pray that like Christ, like the Apostle Paul, Lord, we pray that you would enable us to simply live our lives striving to please you, to do what is right, to bring you glory and honor, and then trusting you with the results. knowing that so long as our Heavenly Father is smiling upon us, that's all that matters. And so, Father, we pray that you would give us the strength and the guidance by the Holy Spirit to live that way, to sleep well at night, knowing that we did all that we could to please you and not to please others and not to please ourselves. And we pray this in Christ's name, amen.