2 Corinthians 3:17-21 - day by day

2 Corinthians 3:17-21 (ESV)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Have you ever seriously read the beginning of this chapter?   Where Paul is SO confident in the work he is doing in the Spirit that he sees the Corinthians church as a letter of recommendation?  "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all."  I read that and it was like wow... what kinds of letters of recommendation do I have in my life?   Where is my confidence in the work that I do?   Do I even have that confidence that Paul has?  Paul is very clear though, his confidence is confidence not in himself but in the work that GOD himself does.    i have to admit it,... I struggle with that.   Though I am getting better!   The more I learn to trust God more deeply, the more I learn to be confident in the work that God is doing in my life and in my family and in my community.   It feels like a painfully show process though.

As I went on through the chapter, reading to get to the verses of the day it became abundantly clear to me why reading verses in context helps make sense of them.   Today's verses talk about God being spirit, and in the spirit of the Lord there is freedom and we can come with unveiled faces to behold the glory of the Lord and that God is transforming us.

Now the whole unveiled faces thing would NOT have made an impact on me if I hadn't just read through Pauls explanation of the difference in how we can approach God and how MOSES had to approach God.  Moses needed to veil his face before the Glory of God, but we don't need to.   We have a boldness that Moses didn't have, but we are functioning under a different revelation.For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.  We live under righteousness.Not death, not condemnation...but under righteousness...that's what Christ's death did for us.     And through it, God is transforming me.   His Spirit moves within me causes me to be someone different than I was years ago.   Isn't that cool?   He is the one helping me to grow and to change, to see more of him than I used to.  

Just consider these verses 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  The veil is removed!   God has given us so much more.    Get to know him folks, see that there is so much more to life than what you've known before.  :)

What does Chuck have to say about these verses?  um.. well.. he talked about his marriage and reaching the stage of transcendent love.   Which didn't resonate with me AT ALL.  it was like what in the world does this have to do with the passage?   ah... Just made a realization... we talking on different passages.. I HATE MY EYES getting old.   I was SUPPOSED to look at 2 Corinthians 5:17-21!17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.    Chucks' words still don't resonate with me in regards to this passage beyond the fact that the Lordship of Christ in their marriage was a pivotal part.

Test Yourselves Therefore

Today as I was reading in 2 Corinthians 13, I came across these words: 5

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.

This verse is found in the closing remarks of Paul to the Corinthian church. The first few verses dealt with how to establish charges. The need for there to be two or three witnesses to make a charge stick.

Then Paul says they need to examine themselves to see if their faith is real.

I have to admit, I struggle with my faith. So often I think to myself, I'm just playing a role. Verses like this I actually find a comfort, because I can look to myself and I can test myself. Do I know that Christ is within me? Can I see the results of his action on my life? But the ultimate test is... do we realize that Christ Jesus is in us?

This is also what the Corinthians, in their struggles to accept Paul had to look for. Was Christ in Paul?

Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.

Paul knew his faith. He knew how the Corinthians struggled. His prayer was for the Corinthian church to do what was right, and to grow strong as a church of God.

7But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

I look at Paul's assurance of his faith, and how he acted upon it, and it encourages me, with my struggles to keep doing what I know is right. To test myself so that I know that Christ dwells within, to keep praying for the needs of others, and to do what is right. This is how I can build up the church of God.

Capture those thoughts

reading today in 2 Corinthians 10.
Paul writes to the Corinthian church. Some have accused the brothers of "walking according to the flesh". Paul denies this accusation saying the following:

1I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

We are in a battle you know. A battle that yes, has been won by the Lord already, but a battle none-the-less. We are in earthly bodies, on a world that has been fully impacted by sin. WE are impacted by sin in all that we do. We can't escape that. All we can do is make our "thoughts captive to obey Christ".

If we capture how we think, we are better able to live in this world the way Christ wants us too. Think about that a bit. How we think influences how we act.

Paul defends himself saying he's not living according to the world, but in fact he is taking his thoughts captive and arguing against those in the world who would deny the truth of the gospel.

Lately Jim and I have been listening to audio from Sovereign grace ministries. EXCELLENT resource by the way. Anyways, been listening to a series by CJ Mahaney on the Idol Factory. Wow.... a man who really makes you think about how you think and how it influences our actions. I have felt convicted more than once.

I want for my life, to be as Paul says it is to be...

17"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

That means I have to look to myself. I have to capture my thoughts. I to have to see what separates me from God and from doing his will. I have to find the idols in my life and repent of them and become what God wants me to be.

Only then can I be approved of by my Lord and Saviour. Otherwise I'm living a life that doesn't show Christ, and that's what I want to live.

I'll stop blathering here. You go listen, you go read. See what God wants of you. :)

Mish Mash of Devotional Thoughts

I have to admit, I had a hard time focusing on my bible reading this morning. All kinds of non-devotional thoughts kept intruding on my mind.

My readings today came from various passages. the first passage is 2 Samuel 16. In this passage David is traveling with his men. First he is honoured by Ziba, and then later is he is cursed by a man of King Sauls' household. Blessing and cursing in the same passage, and David accepts both as given by the Lord.

Later on in this passage we learn that while David was out, his wayward son Absalom, on the advice of Ahithophel, "went in" to David's concubines. Not exactly the appropriate thing to do. A good way to make yourself a stench to one's father. What I found interesting in these verses was this:

Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.

It struck me at how easy it would be for a man of God to, if he turned from God, to continue to influence people. It was so easy for Ahithophel to give advice to Absalom, and then for Absalom to take it. After all, Ahithophel was a godly advisor so why not take his advice?

Something to wary of.

My Next passage was from 2 Corinthians 9. Paul is commending the Corinthians for their readiness to give to brothers in Christ needing help. He reminds us that

6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

God gave us all that we have. Giving back to him is something we should want to do freely, and this giving to God helps to spread the good news, and shows our gratitude to God.

Then I read Ezekiel 23. Now I have to admit, I did NOT like reading this passage. The images of how Samaria and Jerusalem played the whore, and God's response of disgust towards them bothered me. As God says:3

5Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring."

Yes, they got what they deserved, and yes, God gave them oodles of chances to turn back to him, and he gave them what they repeatedly showed him they wanted. But it just sat ever so poorly with me this morning. Not a passage I will return to quickly, it just really bothered me.

The last passage was from the Psalms, chapters 70-71. Both these Psalms speak to how God will come and help us if we call upon him. From Psalm 71:

1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
3Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

If Samaria and Jerusalem had turned from their wickedness events would have gone so much better for them. But they persisted in their evilness, and God let them get caught up in it. Oh that I may not be like them. May I be like David and call out to God to rescue me, even if sometimes it's just from myself.

Weak and Powerful

Today I was reading the last chapter in 2 Corinthians, and I came across this section of scripture:

1This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them-- 3since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

Paul tells us that Christ was "crucified in weakness" and he "lives by the power of God". He links that to our weakness .. for we are a weak people. Look at how often we give in to sin, even without wanting to? BUT we live with Christ THROUGH (or by) the POWER of God!

When we do what God wants us to, we are not doing it on our own, we are doing it through the power of God. Paul was dealing with sinners in the Corinthian church... he had warned them of their sin before, and was coming now for the third time. He will not spare them when he comes again to them. They need to be aware of their sin, and by implication, STOP what they are doing which is wrong. Just as Christ is not weak when dealing with us, so Paul will not be weak in dealing with offenders either.

We should be like Paul. When we see Christians sinning, we need to speak to them about it. We need to go in God's strength, not on our own, but with 2-3 witnesses. We need to be strong in Christ....after all, it is by his power that we do such things. Show our weaknesses, admit to them, but don't use it as an excuse to allow wrongness to continue.

Paul was not shy in showing his weaknesses, but neither was he shy in proclaiming the power of God working through him.

I also found this section of interest.

5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7But we pray to God that you may not do wrong--not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.

There are times when I think I will never "feel" secure in my salvation, that I will always wonder if my longing after God is real, or just a thing that I do. I know in a sense that God dwells within me. I know that I strive after the things of God, but there is always this part of me that wonders....am I just fooling myself? The number of times that I repent of such thoughts is amazing, and I so often wish that it was just not part of me.

So when I read verses such as these, I wonder...well....how do I test myself in a way that I know if I have passed or failed? Do I have to forever test myself? What type of test must I devise to know it is fool-proof (me being the fool)? I am just left with all these doubts again.

Maybe what the true test is, is this....do others see Christ at work within you?

I don't know....what do you think?

Devotional Ramblings

Different passages to read today. And none of them really jumped out at me...but each of them made me think just a bit.

First from Exodus 23, we find God telling the people how they are to live. As I read through the list I thought.... God is telling these people what it means to be good. Stand up for what is right; don't be a liar; don't pervert justice; if your neighbour needs help...whether you like him or not, render him aid; don't treat travelers poorly; help the poor; rest your land; remember the Lord your God; and so on and so forth. God tells them the right way to live.

He also promises to help his people. To drive out their enemies, but not so fast that it becomes dangerous for them.

28And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. 29I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. 30Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

I have to admit that... I liked that! Made me think of how I have had besetting sins in my life. And when I ask God for help with them (took a while at first), God didn't immediately take it away, but gradually gave me the skills to not fall under them. If he had just taken it away, I wonder what would have come in its' place? I still sin, but through God's help, I have learned that I can do/be different. It's been a more gradual change which makes it a more (for me) lasting change.

I then read from John 2. Jesus was a guest at a wedding. His birth family was there with him. And horrors, they ran out of wine. Not the thing to do. Mary mentions the problem to Jesus who says... what I am to do? I found it interesting that Mary did not respond to this, she merely told the servants to obey him.

The story continues:

6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

This miracle occurred. It was his first sign. It was a sign that showed his glory. It caused his disciples to believe in him.

But more interesting was this, after Jesus cleared the temple,

18So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" 19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Do you see it? Here at the beginning of Jesus' ministry he already is telling people that he will be raised up again. His enemies will be thinking that they have destroyed him, but they will be wrong. Jesus will be raised up again. Early in his ministry the disciples are already hearing the hope of the gospel. He is giving them something to remember so they will continue to believe in him when things are hard.

We then come to 2 Corinthians 11. Paul is talking to the Corinthian people, telling them all that he has gone through, and how concerned he is for their continued growth as believers. Near the end of the chapter he says these words

28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

It made me ask myself, am I concerned for the body of Christ?

D0 I get mad when the body of Christ is hurt? When people are made to fall away from the faith?

When others are feeling weak, does it affect me?

I have to admit, I don't always know what to do so therefore I often don't act. And I just stop. I have to not do that. When the Holy Spirit moves my heart, I need to move my body and brain and ACT! I need to allow my anger to have a purpose, otherwise...what's the point?

Just what is the point if I do nothing?

Light and Treasure

Today I was reading from 2 Corinthians 4, finding it an interesting chapter to read. it's one of those things that I like about following a bible reading plan, I read books of the bible that I am not as familiar with. Gives me more knowledge of the Lord I serve. And that is always a good thing.

Anywho... back to chapter 4.

This chapter starts off with a connector word "Therefore". this means we have to understand what comes before it, to know the importance of what comes after it. In chapter three Paul talks about how his ministry is seen through those he teaches.

And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

he goes on to say, how we are being changed by God. God changes people through the work that he calls us to do.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

So therefore.....Starts chapter four.

We know that we have our ministry because of the mercy of God. So we should not lose heart in what we are doing.

Since we should not lose heart and since our ministry is from God....

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.

Those who will hear our message from God, will hear our message from God. God will make sure it reaches the hearts and minds of his people. The message is only veiled from those who

are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

After all, what we teach is not something that we have made up. We teach Christ!

5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Did you know that we possess (because we are the Lord's) a treasure. Christ is in us. He lives with us. Our frail human bodies carry this treasure of God with us. Because of this treasure, we can be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and so forth, and not be destroyed! The Lord God sustains his people.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.

This means that, the more grace is extended towards us, the more God's glory is seen.
It means that we don't need to lose hope or heart.
Even when things are tough, we know that Christ is still within us. Strengthening us. Helping us. Keeping us from despair, from being crushed, from being forsaken, from death.

What we go through now, merely prepares us for

an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Wow!
This is the God that we serve.
He helps us all the time. Keeps us from getting bogged down by the events of life.
So that even when it feels like everyone is beating up on us, he is still there.
Keeping us, helping us, sustaining us.

May all the glory be to him!

Thorns?

I've been attending a bible study group on Wednesday mornings. It is held at the Chrisitan Reformed Church down the street from us. It is part of Coffeebreak ministries. They provide child care services as well. What we have been studying this session is a series on "Comfort".

One of the areas we talked about was how to handle Stuff in our lives that we don't want in our lives.

For instance Paul talks, in 2 Corinthians 12, about a thorn in the flesh. "

1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I've been thinking a lot about that, because I have things in my life that I really wish weren't there. And since really reading this and thinking about it, I have come to understand that if I didn't have this "stuff" I would be so much more reliant upon myself. Because of this "stuff" I know the importance of daily devotions, I know the importance of saying "God I can't handle this, here... you take it", I know the importance of having good Christian friends and so forth.

Then this morning I read from Deuteronomy 8

1"The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. 2And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every wordthat comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. 6So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

It just seemed to all pull together a bit more for me. God gives us "stuff" in our lives that we need to deal with. This "stuff" tests us. It shows where our hearts truly lie. Do our hearts lie with our "stuff" or do they lie with God?

My prayer is that more and more, that my heart will lie with God and with the things of God and not with my "stuff". Sometimes I fear that I am far, far away from that point. But through God's help...I'm getting closer.

False teachers and standing for truth

I've been Studying from 2 Corinthians, this morning I was in chapter 11. Paul was talking about how the Corinthians were so easily led astray by false prophets and it seemed like he was defending his actions against them.

It must have been hard for Paul to deal with. He has spent so much time and energy on the Corinthians only to find that they are so easily turned aside by false teachers, finding himself wanting to defend himself, and yet knowing that his best defence is to continue doing things as he has been doing them. That only by doing so will he show these other people up for what they are ... false prophets/teachers.

Makes me think that it must be hard for Jim as well. To work so hard with these people here in Exeter, and within the Reformed Church, bringing the truth of you and then finding that people turn aside for other reasons. And then I look at some of the denominational issues that are facing us, and it makes me wonder, how do men (and women) of God who strive so hard for the truth of scripture deal with it all.

I find it rather frustrating myself. But I do like Paul's response where he says:

12And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

He is not going to change his stance for the truth. God will show these false people for what they are. "The Truth will out" so to speak. Helps me to understand Jim better too when he says that he will continue to focus on the preaching of God's word, regardless of what the Church growth movement says about it or not.

Through the direct preaching of the word, the truth will be heard .... sometimes I find... regardless of whether or not people really want to hear it.