It was possible that Paul might make a third visit to Corinth, but he knew there were outstanding issues that needed resolution. He did not want to make another visit and have to confront “those who sinned before and all the others…that if I come again, I will not spare them” (2 Corinthians 13:2). Such a strong statement shows that the issues were serious.
What makes this last chapter so important is that Paul gives them the opportunity to take a careful look at themselves. “Examine 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!” (13:5). The word “examine” means to learn the character of something. There is a divine ‘gauge’ that God has placed in every believer at new birth - the Holy Spirit. If He is not acting on our conscience or producing any conviction of sin, we may have to answer Paul’s question with a very sad score - we failed the test. He did not want them to fail the test and that is the purpose of the challenge. For this reason, we must not be afraid of self-examination. In fact, we should desire the Spirit to always be refining us and making us more certain of the hope and guarantee of our salvation.
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There is one thing that the Church is slow in doing and weak in performing when it does, and that is confronting sin in others in the body of Christ. Some say it is unloving or judgmental to call out someone who is openly violating the will of God. Yet, some are so severe in dealing with issues like this that they misrepresent the Lord and the Scriptures that address these matters.
I point to one Scripture on this subject that helps all of us do what is right in such cases. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). Notice the scope of this verse:
While there are other Scriptures that apply to his situation (James 5:19-20; Matthew 18:15-16), Paul helps us to confront a sinning brother or sister in a way that gains their cooperation, restore them, and make sure we are learning to keep ourselves pure as well. Israel had a history of disobedience. When their slavery became unbearable, God provided the means of deliverance, but only through obedience. Failure to obey meant death of the firstborn. Israel obeyed and was delivered from Egypt and king Pharaoh’s oppression.
The real test came after God brought Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness where they had nothing to support them except what God gave them. God wanted them to experience more than food, drink or safety. His presence was rest for them as well as light, direction and comfort. As so often happens, they fell into disobedience and God uses them as a warning; “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11). From my own experience and from watching others, we fail to experience the presence and power of God in our lives because we live in direct disobedience to His Word. This passage goes on to say, “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (4:12). We are very skilled at ‘shades of disobedience’ but God’s Word knows when we are dishonest about obedience. It will bring real conviction, correction, and healing if we let it. This is an interesting subject because we find conviction of sin working in persons throughout Scripture in different ways. God often confronted persons directly with what they had done, as with Adam and Eve, Cain and Jacob. David was brought to confession by Nathan the prophet. We do not know timewise how long it took God to humble Job, but at least 42 chapters.
When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, something changed. At the end of Peter’s preaching that day, “they were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37). This literally means ‘to pierce the heart,’ to experience acute emotional distress, implying both concern and regret; ‘to be greatly troubled, to be acutely distressed.’ In just three chapters, the conviction of the Holy Spirit was so powerful that Ananias and his wife Sapphira immediately died (5:5, 10) because of their sin. One thing that should be very clear in all these cases is that when God brings conviction of sin to the heart, it is unmistakably His work. Why is this so? We come face-to-face with the righteous and holy standard in God and see how far short we have fallen. This is the argument Paul makes in Romans 1:18 to 3:23. We should be very thankful for stark, real conviction because it helps us realize better the grace and mercy of God provided through the sacrifice of Jesus to make us righteous in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). There are times as a father, grandfather and great grandfather that emotions have unbelievable swings. We can be filled with anguish and feel helpless when someone in our family makes sinful decisions that we thought would never happen. Job had deep concerns for his children and “consecrated them and would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all” (Job 1:5). It was his way of committing them to God in prayer.
We are not told about the parting emotions of the father in Luke 15, but you can be certain that agony was real and deep as he watch his son take his possession and walk away “into a far country and there he squandered his property in reckless living” (15:13). What father who loves his children would not experience the gravity of the moment and impending consequences. The other side of these situations is when a family member ‘comes to themselves’ in open confession that leads to repentance. The following verses in Luke 15 give us the other side when the father extends forgiveness and celebrates in extravagant joy. We need to understand better the quality of God’s forgiveness to each of us so we can extend the same to those who repent and seek our forgiveness (see Colossians 3:12-14). How easy it is to respond to difficult situations with natural thinking, emotionally charged attitudes and our human flesh. Paul was careful not to allow any of these to motivate him regarding the many issues he faced at Corinth. He makes this point in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power.” What is “divine power”? Since this “divine power” can destroy strongholds, arguments, and “lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God,” it is critical that we learn how to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (5).
In my personal experience, rushed responses rarely provide a Christ-like resolution. Here is a simple way to remember three important steps in making the correct response. S - STOP - God usually gives us enough time in every situation to take the following two steps. A - ASK - In the trial we face, James tells us that “if we lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Y - YIELD - Surrender every thought and motive to the Holy Spirit and let Him lead through these moments. If we do this, our flesh will not draw us away from obedience to Christ. Even if others are quicker to respond to a difficult moment, take time to receive “divine power” and wisdom from God! “So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him (the Lord)” (5:9). There are phrases, verses and whole chapters written by Paul that should capture our attention and teach us valuable lessons. This is particularly true when we scan the American church landscape. So many ministries are known by a pastor’s name or prominent leader. This seems fine until a scandal happens that brings disgrace on the ministry and dishonor on the Lord they claim.
When Paul wrote to Corinth the first time, he heard there was “quarrelling…jealousy and strife” (1:11; 3:3) among them which created divisions and following ‘men’ rather than the Lord. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:5–7). Notice what Paul says about himself and Apollos. They were just “servants” and nothing in their own eyes. Pride is always at the root of sin. It is far easier to root it out early than to wait until there is public exposure, shame and disgrace. Keep a close relationship with the Lord and be accountable to Him for everything. I am so thankful for our team! As we gathered for our weekly Zoom Prayer time, I explained how I was struggling with my health. They immediately went to prayer.
This is the working of James 5:15-16, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” If you have prayed for this ministry or for us as individuals, we thank you! God has heard and answered so many prayers! Every prayer is treasured! How can this be? Someone with no name, that we know of, but well-known to Paul as “famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel” (2 Corinthians 8:18). This brother was sent along with Titus to Corinth to receive the collection that was taken for the struggling church in Jerusalem. There is a lot more to this than just taking an offering to a needy church.
Integrity and honesty were no doubt part of the decision so these two men would keep each other accountable for making the delivery. More than that, Paul added this brother to the transaction because of his maturity that came from knowing and proclaiming the gospel. This would complement Titus and his known character and ministry. This man’s reputation did not come from being an accountant or banker. He was known for preaching the gospel with integrity. How does the gospel impact every human transaction? The selfless purity of Jesus is what marks His life and sacrifice for our sins, all on the basis of grace and love. Those principles must shine through in any and every aspect of ministry so that those drawn to Christ through the gospel are also attracted to the character of the man Jesus. Take a moment and examine yourself and your ministry in the light of this example. As I write this blog, Randy is on his way home from Nigeria. It is difficult using words to capture the magnitude of what God is doing there and in Burkina Faso. Both countries, but particularly Nigeria, are places of intense persecution. Almost daily we read of Christians being killed because of their faithfulness to Jesus, yet they press on to know Him better, to know His Word better so they can teach others with greater power and effectiveness by the Holy Spirit. Just to give you a visual, I have included a picture of the last graduation in Saleja, Nigeria of 125 students that happened Monday. Can you imagine what God is going to do through these devoted lovers of Jesus as they are released into the harvest field? This is only one of about 18 places Randy and Jonathan visited over the past five weeks. Please pray for these students and those who have been trained with GPHD and GPHC, that God will empower them to use His Word with the accuracy of the Holy Spirit. Because you and others take an active interest in what God is doing, these events cause great joy and praise! |
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