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 10:1-5,
"By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am 'timid' when face to face with you, but 'bold' when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Paul describes both his experience and his assets in spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians 6:4-7, "as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…"
As God's apostle to the gentiles, this man of spiritual warfare who bore "weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left" made his appeal to the church in Corinth "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ". Having made his appeal he reminds his readers that he didn't wage war the way the world does or use the weapons the world uses.
These weapons are powerful. They are effective at demolishing arguments and pretensions against the knowledge of God; they are effective in turning thoughts that oppose God to obedience to Jesus Christ. Having fought in combat, I have seen some powerful weapons in my life, but the weapons that can take a life pale in comparison to those which can change a life. Paul wielded weapons this rebellious world was neither prepared for nor capable of defending itself against.
And yet this apostle says, "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness", 2 Corinthians 11:30. Why would Paul make such a claim? In Chapter 12 of this same letter we read, "he [the Lord] 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Fascinating, isn't it?!
Paul describes both his experience and his assets in spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians 6:4-7, "as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…"
As God's apostle to the gentiles, this man of spiritual warfare who bore "weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left" made his appeal to the church in Corinth "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ". Having made his appeal he reminds his readers that he didn't wage war the way the world does or use the weapons the world uses.
These weapons are powerful. They are effective at demolishing arguments and pretensions against the knowledge of God; they are effective in turning thoughts that oppose God to obedience to Jesus Christ. Having fought in combat, I have seen some powerful weapons in my life, but the weapons that can take a life pale in comparison to those which can change a life. Paul wielded weapons this rebellious world was neither prepared for nor capable of defending itself against.
And yet this apostle says, "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness", 2 Corinthians 11:30. Why would Paul make such a claim? In Chapter 12 of this same letter we read, "he [the Lord] 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Fascinating, isn't it?!
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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