UASV’s Daily Devotional All Things Bible, Friday, April 25, 2025

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How Should We Respond as Fellow Workers with God?

A Daily Devotional on Christian Living Based on 2 Corinthians 6:1

“And working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” — 2 Corinthians 6:1

In his second letter to the Corinthians, written around 56 C.E. during his third missionary journey, the apostle Paul passionately appeals to the believers in Corinth to remain faithful to the gospel they had received. Situated between his defense of apostolic ministry and his call for reconciliation with God, 2 Corinthians 6:1 stands as a serious and sobering exhortation. Here Paul identifies himself and his fellow laborers as “working together with him”—that is, with God Himself—and pleads with the church “not to receive the grace of God in vain.”

This verse encapsulates two essential truths that govern the Christian life and ministry: first, that those who labor in the gospel are not independent agents but active participants with God in His redemptive work; and second, that grace, while freely given, demands a response. It can be nullified, not in its availability, but in its intended effect, if one receives it carelessly, superficially, or disobediently.

In a religious culture today where grace is often reduced to sentimentalism or assumed as automatic and unconditional, Paul’s words stand as a strong corrective. Grace is not merely a gift to be admired—it is a power to be received rightly, responded to through obedience, and lived out in faithful perseverance. Paul’s charge is not directed to outsiders but to those already within the church—people who had heard the gospel, believed in Christ, and had access to the benefits of divine favor. The danger was not that grace was insufficient, but that it might be rendered fruitless in their lives through neglect, compromise, or rebellion.

This devotional will examine the meaning of being “fellow workers with God,” the serious warning against receiving grace in vain, and the practical implications for living a life worthy of the calling we have received.

“Working Together with Him” — The Nature of Christian Ministry

The phrase συνεργοῦντες (sunergountes), translated “working together,” comes from συνέργος (sunergos), meaning “fellow worker” or “co-laborer.” This is the same term Paul uses elsewhere to describe his fellow preachers and teachers (e.g., Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Philippians 4:3). But here, the emphasis is higher—“working together with him,” referring to God Himself. The apostolic ministry, and by extension the work of all faithful Christians, is not self-directed. It is partnership with divine initiative.

This does not suggest equality with God in power or authority but describes participation in the plan of salvation that God has established. Paul clarifies this in 1 Corinthians 3:6–9: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth… For we are God’s fellow workers.” The effectiveness of the gospel is God’s work, but He uses human agents as instruments to proclaim His message.

This truth shapes how we view evangelism, teaching, service, and daily Christian living. Our labor is not independent nor optional; it is part of God’s sovereign design to bring the message of reconciliation to the world (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). Those who preach, teach, encourage, and serve in the name of Christ do so as God’s appointed instruments. This partnership calls for humility, faithfulness, and diligence.

It also emphasizes the serious responsibility attached to such work. To be a co-worker with God is not a casual or part-time assignment. It demands integrity, perseverance, and alignment with the message and character of the one we serve.

“We Also Urge You” — The Apostolic Plea for Right Response

Paul’s tone in this verse is urgent and pastoral. He does not simply instruct; he pleads. The verb παρακαλοῦμεν (parakaloumen), “we urge” or “we appeal,” reflects heartfelt concern. This is not coercion but sincere exhortation—a loving call to heed the truth and respond appropriately.

The recipients of this plea are not pagans or outsiders; they are Christians, members of the church in Corinth. This indicates that the danger of receiving grace in vain is not limited to unbelievers who reject the gospel outright, but applies to believers who fail to live according to its demands. It is possible to profess faith in Christ while rendering His grace ineffective in one’s life through disobedience, complacency, or moral compromise.

The message is clear: grace requires a response. It is not simply a status but a call to action. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace empowered Paul’s labor—it did not replace it.

“Not to Receive the Grace of God in Vain” — The Danger of Fruitless Grace

The central warning of this verse is against receiving the grace of God in vain. The word for “vain” is κενός (kenos), meaning empty, hollow, without result or fruit. This does not mean that God’s grace is powerless or deficient. Rather, it emphasizes that grace can fail to accomplish its intended purpose in the life of the one who receives it, if that reception is not accompanied by faithfulness and obedience.

Throughout Scripture, the grace of God is described as not only forgiving but also transforming. It teaches us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12). To receive grace in vain is to separate forgiveness from transformation, to claim the benefits of grace while rejecting its demands.

This danger was particularly pressing for the Corinthians, some of whom were tolerating sin (1 Corinthians 5), engaging in lawsuits against one another (1 Corinthians 6), and dividing over personalities (1 Corinthians 1:12). The possibility of grace being ineffective in their lives was not hypothetical—it was a real threat.

Paul’s words echo the warning of Hebrews 12:15: “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” Grace must not be received superficially. It must take root and bear fruit.

The Broader Context: Ministry of Reconciliation

The warning in 2 Corinthians 6:1 follows directly from the preceding discussion in 2 Corinthians 5:17–21, where Paul describes the ministry of reconciliation. God reconciles the world to Himself through Christ, not counting their trespasses against them, and has entrusted the message of reconciliation to His servants.

Paul’s appeal flows naturally from this context. Since God has acted so graciously in Christ to reconcile sinners, the only appropriate response is wholehearted reception of that grace—a reception that results in obedience, holiness, and perseverance. To receive such grace and then live as if nothing has changed is to receive it in vain.

Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 immediately after this verse (2 Corinthians 6:2), emphasizing the urgency of responding to God’s offer: “At a favorable time I listened to you, and on a day of salvation I helped you.” The point is clear: now is the time to respond rightly, to ensure that grace bears its intended fruit.

Application: Living as Faithful Partners in God’s Work

This verse calls every believer to serious self-examination. Have I received the grace of God in vain? Am I living in a way that reflects the transformative power of grace? Am I laboring faithfully as a partner in God’s work, or am I passive, indifferent, or compromised?

Grace is not passive acceptance—it is active participation. It calls for repentance, commitment, and endurance. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This daily discipleship is the evidence that grace has not been received in vain.

For those involved in teaching, preaching, or any form of Christian service, the phrase “working together with him” is both privilege and responsibility. It demands that our message aligns with the truth, that our lives reflect the gospel we proclaim, and that we urge others with the same love and urgency as Paul.

Conclusion: Grace Requires Response

2 Corinthians 6:1 stands as a vital reminder that grace, though freely given, calls for faithful reception. To receive it in vain is not to lack opportunity but to waste it. God has provided the means of reconciliation through Christ. He invites all to respond, and He calls His servants to labor alongside Him in making this message known.

Let us, therefore, not receive His grace in vain. Let us labor diligently, live obediently, and respond wholeheartedly to the gospel, so that the grace given to us may bear the fruit of holiness and eternal life to the glory of God.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).