2 Corinthians 13:5-10 says,...
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 13:5-10, which says,
v.5, 6 - Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
In the last passage Paul spoke again of his coming a third time and that he would be addressing sin that had been allowed to linger in the church. He would love to come and see repentant hearts but his two or three witnesses have let him know that at this time it was not going in that direction. Paul keeps pleading in this letter.
The false teachers had been accusing Paul of not being "in Christ" and now he turns the tables on them. He is calling for them to test and examine themselves to see if they are "in Christ." Paul has been making a defense through the pages of Scripture and the actions of himself and his companions that they line up with Christ and not opposed to Him.
Sometimes we can fall for the trap of being very critical of others for the very things that we are not doing ourselves. Paul has tested and examined himself in light of the Scriptures and his motives to love God and love others even at his expense.
Isn't that reality? If I am going to love God and love others then it will be at my expense. Am I spending any of myself to love God and love others? How much am I spending of myself? I think the only way to know is to test yourself in some way or have others examine you and your actions to let you know if your words and actions reflect an "in Christ" person.
v.7-9 - Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak, but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you may be made complete.
Paul is not calling the Christians in the Corinthian church to be happy but to be holy. He wants to see them leading lives pleasing onto God and he wants this not so he can say "See I told you I was right and those false teachers were wrong" but so even in the face of Paul being painted as the bad guy, the Christians followed what was right.
It doesn't matter to Paul of how he is painted in light of the world but what matters is that he is following the truth and not going against it. He rejoices that though the world think of him as weak, or from the false teachers as a weak leader, but the strength of the message that the so-called weak ones are giving is reaching those who strongly hold onto it. Those who strongly hold onto the message of the grace of God through the cross of Christ have repented of the sin that lingers among them. This repentance is leading them onto greater completeness in their walk with the Lord.
v.10 - For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
Here is a summary of the whole book that we have been slugging through for two months. Paul writes a letter prior to his coming to warn them of sin and the need for repentance. If repentance is not sought, then Paul in person will exercise his position as an apostle of Christ and discipline those in the church who are doing harm to her. The discipline would be done in light of the church to build her up and not tear her down. The sin and the lingering of sin was tearing down the church. His actions would be to remove the tumor of sin from the body so that it can recover properly.
Sin is like a tumor. It finds a place in the body and it starts to grow. It is small at first and sometimes undetectable with tests but tumors build a system to continue to feed itself and it will get to a point were it can be seen and detected. A treatment plan is needed at that point or the tumor will destroy the body. The tumor needs to be removed or killed. Sin if it is not removed will do great damage to you and to the body of Christ. The most natural way to removal the tumor of sin is through repentance. If repentance is not sought then a type of surgery is needed to remove what is harmful to the body. We know it is for our best but it will be painful and there will be a time of recovery that is needed but to not do the surgery of the sin will never lead to wholeness.
Having had a physical tumor, I focus a lot on being proactive to not have another. Having had a spiritual tumor, am I proactive to lead a life that closely follows God and His ways and if I detect the start of a tumor of sin or someone points it out to me that I take the natural route to remove it through repentance supplied through the cross of Christ? Or do I let the tumor of sin grow and allow it to feed itself to the point that surgery is needed and much pain and agony have been experienced because I didn't do what God says to do with tumors of sin?
"Lord, thank You for Paul's call for repentance of the Corinthians. Thank You that this call for repentance was more important to him than his reputation before the world. He could be called mud but that mud was going to keep telling others about the grace of God through the cross of Christ and the salvation that He offered to our souls. Help me to detect any tumors of sin that I have not dealt with naturally. Help me to listen to trusted brothers and sisters in Christ who are put there by You to help me see my blind spots so those tumors of sin don't grow. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.5, 6 - Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
In the last passage Paul spoke again of his coming a third time and that he would be addressing sin that had been allowed to linger in the church. He would love to come and see repentant hearts but his two or three witnesses have let him know that at this time it was not going in that direction. Paul keeps pleading in this letter.
The false teachers had been accusing Paul of not being "in Christ" and now he turns the tables on them. He is calling for them to test and examine themselves to see if they are "in Christ." Paul has been making a defense through the pages of Scripture and the actions of himself and his companions that they line up with Christ and not opposed to Him.
Sometimes we can fall for the trap of being very critical of others for the very things that we are not doing ourselves. Paul has tested and examined himself in light of the Scriptures and his motives to love God and love others even at his expense.
Isn't that reality? If I am going to love God and love others then it will be at my expense. Am I spending any of myself to love God and love others? How much am I spending of myself? I think the only way to know is to test yourself in some way or have others examine you and your actions to let you know if your words and actions reflect an "in Christ" person.
v.7-9 - Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak, but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you may be made complete.
Paul is not calling the Christians in the Corinthian church to be happy but to be holy. He wants to see them leading lives pleasing onto God and he wants this not so he can say "See I told you I was right and those false teachers were wrong" but so even in the face of Paul being painted as the bad guy, the Christians followed what was right.
It doesn't matter to Paul of how he is painted in light of the world but what matters is that he is following the truth and not going against it. He rejoices that though the world think of him as weak, or from the false teachers as a weak leader, but the strength of the message that the so-called weak ones are giving is reaching those who strongly hold onto it. Those who strongly hold onto the message of the grace of God through the cross of Christ have repented of the sin that lingers among them. This repentance is leading them onto greater completeness in their walk with the Lord.
v.10 - For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
Here is a summary of the whole book that we have been slugging through for two months. Paul writes a letter prior to his coming to warn them of sin and the need for repentance. If repentance is not sought, then Paul in person will exercise his position as an apostle of Christ and discipline those in the church who are doing harm to her. The discipline would be done in light of the church to build her up and not tear her down. The sin and the lingering of sin was tearing down the church. His actions would be to remove the tumor of sin from the body so that it can recover properly.
Sin is like a tumor. It finds a place in the body and it starts to grow. It is small at first and sometimes undetectable with tests but tumors build a system to continue to feed itself and it will get to a point were it can be seen and detected. A treatment plan is needed at that point or the tumor will destroy the body. The tumor needs to be removed or killed. Sin if it is not removed will do great damage to you and to the body of Christ. The most natural way to removal the tumor of sin is through repentance. If repentance is not sought then a type of surgery is needed to remove what is harmful to the body. We know it is for our best but it will be painful and there will be a time of recovery that is needed but to not do the surgery of the sin will never lead to wholeness.
Having had a physical tumor, I focus a lot on being proactive to not have another. Having had a spiritual tumor, am I proactive to lead a life that closely follows God and His ways and if I detect the start of a tumor of sin or someone points it out to me that I take the natural route to remove it through repentance supplied through the cross of Christ? Or do I let the tumor of sin grow and allow it to feed itself to the point that surgery is needed and much pain and agony have been experienced because I didn't do what God says to do with tumors of sin?
"Lord, thank You for Paul's call for repentance of the Corinthians. Thank You that this call for repentance was more important to him than his reputation before the world. He could be called mud but that mud was going to keep telling others about the grace of God through the cross of Christ and the salvation that He offered to our souls. Help me to detect any tumors of sin that I have not dealt with naturally. Help me to listen to trusted brothers and sisters in Christ who are put there by You to help me see my blind spots so those tumors of sin don't grow. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Comments
Post a Comment