From the Pulpit...

What should you do if there is a problem of hard feelings that develop between you and someone else? What did Paul do here? He addressed it head-on by mentioning all the problems and responding straightforwardly to them. That is a model for us. We do not deal with problems by ignoring them, or hiding from them, or not talking about them as if that will make them go away, or by isolating from the person with whom we have the problems. Those things will only make the problem worse over time.

The main point of this message is that we must conduct ourselves in sincerity--not just "I tried" but "I did." There is no excuse for not carrying through with what you say; no excuse for saying things you do not mean; no excuse for duplicitousness. The bottom line is that we must, like Paul, live "in simplicity and in godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God."