2 Corinthians 12:19-21 says...
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 12:19-21, which read,
v.19 - All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
Lest we think that Paul looks at this situation as damage control of his reputation before the Corinthians because of the slanders of the false teachers, he sets us straight. The false teachers are not the judges and the Corinthians are not the judges but only God is the ultimate judge of Paul's motives and words about the speaking of Christ. All of this "so called defending" was actually used by God to build up the Christians of the church in Corinth. It was used to show again the love of God through His servant Paul speaking of the grace of God through the cross of Christ. If we thought the end game was Paul being exonerated from the false claims of the false teachers than our assessment of the situation falls too short for the power of God to use any situation for His glory.
v.20, 21 - For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealously, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.
Paul's fear is that he will visit them for the third time and after the third letter find them not as he wishes and not as they wish also. He will find them still in the grip of sin that needs to be sought out of God for forgiveness and repented of, "turned from." Paul's fear is that what they have been engaged in through this list of sins will be still going on when he gets there after such warnings and he will have to say something about it.
God will humble him to speak of the sins of strife, jealously, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, and disturbances. Paul is letting them know that his visit is not to come and defend his name in the face of the false teachers or to win them back over to his way but he is coming again with the gospel message and that means dealing with the sin that Christ came and died for.
It breaks his heart that Christians are participating in these activities. It breaks his heart that Christians are sinning and going on sinning as if it means nothing. The sinning Christians are living in impurity and immorality and sensuality instead of God's call for Christians to be holy as He is holy. The Christians are not acting like Christians and Paul is fearful that he is going to find them still acting this way when he comes this third time.
Do we know what sin is? The answer is yes. Do we know what to do with sin? The answer is yes. Do we take it seriously to deal with sin in the proper way? Many times the answer is no. Many times we allow sin to linger and when sin lingers it doesn't just linger but it penetrates our lives to levels that we thought it wouldn't but that is the nature of sin. It is not to be played around with or let to linger. Sin is to be repented of or we are just asking for more trouble and more damage to ourselves and others.
I am fearful that in the church there is much sin that is being allowed to linger. I am fearful that people see the sin that we are not repenting of that has led to more sin of a deeper affect on us and others. I am fearful that if we don't address sin Biblically then the opportunity to share the message of the grace of God through the cross of Christ will not be afforded to us.
A couple of questions to end with. Do you have any sin that you need to deal with today that has morphed into actions that are unbecoming of a follower of Christ? Have you been sinned against but your reaction now has become a sin that needs to be repented of? Sin is serious business that needs to be addressed and not assisted.
"Lord, we play around with sin. We allow sin to linger. We rationalize our sin or give excuse to it especially if it is in response to being sinned against. Help us to remember that You are the judge of our sin and not ourselves. You are the One who sets the standards and the consequences for sin and they do not waiver with our circumstances. May we be reminded by You when we sin, for we will, what to do with it before we allow it to do more than it should in our lives that are Yours. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.19 - All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
Lest we think that Paul looks at this situation as damage control of his reputation before the Corinthians because of the slanders of the false teachers, he sets us straight. The false teachers are not the judges and the Corinthians are not the judges but only God is the ultimate judge of Paul's motives and words about the speaking of Christ. All of this "so called defending" was actually used by God to build up the Christians of the church in Corinth. It was used to show again the love of God through His servant Paul speaking of the grace of God through the cross of Christ. If we thought the end game was Paul being exonerated from the false claims of the false teachers than our assessment of the situation falls too short for the power of God to use any situation for His glory.
v.20, 21 - For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealously, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.
Paul's fear is that he will visit them for the third time and after the third letter find them not as he wishes and not as they wish also. He will find them still in the grip of sin that needs to be sought out of God for forgiveness and repented of, "turned from." Paul's fear is that what they have been engaged in through this list of sins will be still going on when he gets there after such warnings and he will have to say something about it.
God will humble him to speak of the sins of strife, jealously, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, and disturbances. Paul is letting them know that his visit is not to come and defend his name in the face of the false teachers or to win them back over to his way but he is coming again with the gospel message and that means dealing with the sin that Christ came and died for.
It breaks his heart that Christians are participating in these activities. It breaks his heart that Christians are sinning and going on sinning as if it means nothing. The sinning Christians are living in impurity and immorality and sensuality instead of God's call for Christians to be holy as He is holy. The Christians are not acting like Christians and Paul is fearful that he is going to find them still acting this way when he comes this third time.
Do we know what sin is? The answer is yes. Do we know what to do with sin? The answer is yes. Do we take it seriously to deal with sin in the proper way? Many times the answer is no. Many times we allow sin to linger and when sin lingers it doesn't just linger but it penetrates our lives to levels that we thought it wouldn't but that is the nature of sin. It is not to be played around with or let to linger. Sin is to be repented of or we are just asking for more trouble and more damage to ourselves and others.
I am fearful that in the church there is much sin that is being allowed to linger. I am fearful that people see the sin that we are not repenting of that has led to more sin of a deeper affect on us and others. I am fearful that if we don't address sin Biblically then the opportunity to share the message of the grace of God through the cross of Christ will not be afforded to us.
A couple of questions to end with. Do you have any sin that you need to deal with today that has morphed into actions that are unbecoming of a follower of Christ? Have you been sinned against but your reaction now has become a sin that needs to be repented of? Sin is serious business that needs to be addressed and not assisted.
"Lord, we play around with sin. We allow sin to linger. We rationalize our sin or give excuse to it especially if it is in response to being sinned against. Help us to remember that You are the judge of our sin and not ourselves. You are the One who sets the standards and the consequences for sin and they do not waiver with our circumstances. May we be reminded by You when we sin, for we will, what to do with it before we allow it to do more than it should in our lives that are Yours. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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