0531 YES AND NO

MAY 31 = 2 CORINTHIANS 1

SAYING YES AND NO

Paul had made plans to return to Corinth, that church he had planted, and which had so many interpersonal problems in its ranks. He wanted to come and rebuke some, encourage others, and equip them all. But, as we all know, life can get complicated, and Paul’s plans were changed. He tells them it just didn’t work out. Then Paul clarifies a detail:

“Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?”

A worldly manner, Paul? What do you mean? 

Well, you know how it goes. Someone invites you to their party, and you don’t really want to go, but you say yes. But hidden inside, you know that you will just be looking for an excuse that sounds viable. Because you know deep down that you are not going to go. When the day comes, you tell your friend that “something” came up, and you weren’t able to be there. Nice and neat. You give the impression that your friend is important to you, and you didn’t exactly lie about the thing that came up. Everyone wins.

Except for that little matter of integrity. Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Anything beyond that comes from the evil one.”

Anything beyond that, Jesus? You mean, like, pinky promises, right? Or cross my heart and hope to die? Or swearing on a stack of Bibles? Like that, right?

Not just that. Jesus says to let your yes be yes. Let your no mean no. In other words, don’t say it if you can’t do it. If you say it, then keep your word. Anything beyond that comes from the evil one. That’s because anything other than your word being your bond is evil. Simple and true.

That’s why Paul says that making plans that he doesn’t really intend to keep is “worldly.” In Paul’s case, it really was an unexpected interruption, which sometimes actually does happen.

Then Paul goes on to add another layer to this matter of planning and scheduling and doing life. He says that in Christ, the answer is always “Yes.” Here’s how he words it:

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

How I understand this teaching is that the Holy Spirit does not (usually) guide us by saying “No.” In Christ, if I am saying no to one opportunity, it’s because I am called to a “yes” in another. The leading of God is a positive call, not a lack of hearing anything. (I understand that in Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas trying to go to Asia, but the Spirit would not allow them. That’s actually how they ended up in Corinth to begin with. So maybe this is a general tendency and not an absolute. I’m not sure.)

This matter is far more difficult than it seems on paper, of course. Emergencies and changes of plans come up. James tells us that the proper wording for such things is, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” So we are always in submission to the active working of God in our lives.

May the Holy Spirit guide your next plan, or your next answer, and may he do more than give you a red light. May he give you a green light in a different direction. And may all your “yeses” mean “yes,” as you prove yourself to be a person of your word.