The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 10:7b-8,
"If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it."
Paul speaks here of not being ashamed in boasting of the authority, the ministry, God has given him. In speaking of it he notes that it is a work of "building up" believers.
As we all know there seems to be plenty around to tear us down. The world with its own way of exploiting people and taking advantage of them, folks who elbow others out of the way to get "theirs", our own sin natures that have a way of bringing us disillusionment and despair at times, you name it. This is a cursed world filled with sinful people that have the effect of tearing us down on the outside, and on the inside we struggle within and at times make those choices that accomplish quite the opposite of elevating ourselves.
But not so our God. Paul points to the work given him by God, the authority given him is to build up, not pull down. This reminds me of that well-known verse in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." While at times the involvement of God in our lives may be painful, the purpose and end result is to elevate us, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11.
The purpose of all God's activity in our lives can be summed up in the wonderful doxology of Jude, "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Sin and the world tear us down, God and those he has placed in our lives build us up! Imagine! He is able to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Can there be any better elevation for any of us than this?!
Paul speaks here of not being ashamed in boasting of the authority, the ministry, God has given him. In speaking of it he notes that it is a work of "building up" believers.
As we all know there seems to be plenty around to tear us down. The world with its own way of exploiting people and taking advantage of them, folks who elbow others out of the way to get "theirs", our own sin natures that have a way of bringing us disillusionment and despair at times, you name it. This is a cursed world filled with sinful people that have the effect of tearing us down on the outside, and on the inside we struggle within and at times make those choices that accomplish quite the opposite of elevating ourselves.
But not so our God. Paul points to the work given him by God, the authority given him is to build up, not pull down. This reminds me of that well-known verse in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." While at times the involvement of God in our lives may be painful, the purpose and end result is to elevate us, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11.
The purpose of all God's activity in our lives can be summed up in the wonderful doxology of Jude, "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Sin and the world tear us down, God and those he has placed in our lives build us up! Imagine! He is able to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Can there be any better elevation for any of us than this?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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