Good morning and Happy Aloha Friday! Aren’t Fridays great? Its always interested me how the different days of the weeks have different feels, and Friday is one of the best. I’m not sure why but Friday just ‘feels good’.
I had a student chapter meeting at SMU yesterday evening and the day was so nice I decided to take the Miata top down over and back. It was little chilly but if any of you know me and my journey with convertibles and their tops you know I can be a little stubborn at putting the top up. I’d rather put on a thick hoodie and go top down than put the top up. Last night about 8:30 I’m heading back to Ft. Worth on I-30 and I’m crossing the new ‘Hunt’ bridge. You know the one, it has the two huge white arches with all the cables shoring it up. As I drove underneath these huge arches the view was unbelievable. All encompassing. With no top to interrupt the view it was quite awe inspiring. The arches towered over me and the gentle curves followed me as the perspective faded as it began again. You see, a convertible can make the mundane extraordinary.
Well this morning we move a little further into 2 Corinthians to chapter 2. In this chapter Paul’s personal plans and reasoning unravel before us. He tells the church a little more about why he did not come to them at first and then offers them guidance with how to deal with the sinning man that had taken his fathers wife in 1 Corinthians 5.
Paul starts off letting the church know that he did not want to come to them with a heavy heart. He was discouraged with them and some of their choices and he had to deal somewhat harshly with them in his first letter. He is in essence telling them that if he came it would have been a sorrowful visit and he didn’t want that.
“But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.” (2 Cor 2:1 ASV)
Paul goes on to tell them that how hard it was for him to offer them the correction he did.
“For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.” (2 Cor 2:4 NIV)
A great many people fall out with their Pastor when he preaches a message that can seem rather severe. Sometimes correction from the Word of God will really bare down on the congregation and the people that might be in violation of that portion of God’s Word. It’s like poking a tender wound, it hurts. Some people get mad at the Pastor for that and say that he shouldn't preach on that topic, it’s somehow his fault. My friends, not only should he do that, but he MUST do that. The Word of God must go out in its entirety. How it is received has nothing to do with the Word and everything with the hearer. We’re told in Hebrews 4:12 that God’s Word is “sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God’s Word does the cutting not the Pastor. Poor Paul here was in distress, anguish and even tears over the rebuke from God’s Word he had to deliver to them, but he did it. A faithful pastor shows his love by preaching the Word of God as it is rather than “buttering it up” for the congregation. Be slow to judge and be slow to anger, its more than likely not the pastor your upset with but the rebuke from God’s Word as it “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Next Paul deals with forgiveness within the body of Christ. You remember that in 1 Corinthians, Paul’s rebuke had to deal with a man within the church that had taken his father's wife and the church was permitting it. Paul said it had to be dealt with and if the man didn’t repent that they needed to excommunicate him. The church did listen to Paul and the man was “put away from them” (1 Cor 5:13) Now we find out in 2 Corinthians 2, that the man has repented and has come under great conviction regarding the sin. What should they do with him? They should forgive him.
“Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” (2 Cor 2:7 NIV)
You see the church at Corinth was experiencing two extremes here. At first, they were allowing and tolerating gross immorality within the body of Christ. They were allowing Satan to abide within the body. But now Paul is pointing out that they cannot flip to the extreme opposite, withholding forgiveness. Satan is a master at manipulating us through pride and many times it results in us not offering our forgiveness to those that have stumbled yet repented. We withhold our forgiveness from individuals as some sort of additional punishment to what God has already dealt them. We yield it like a sword. Paul goes on to say that if forgiveness is not offered freely and abundantly and with love that “we could be outwitted by Satan.” (2 Cor.2:11)
I really appreciate and take notice when God’s Word acknowledges that Satan is real, and he is a formidable adversary in our daily walk. He is real, and he is out to either halt or completely stop the giving out of God’s Word. I did a quick search in God’s Word of the terms used to describe Satan and what a list. Please note, ALL of these are directly from the Bible and used to describe Satan.
Proud, corrupt, leads the whole world astray, father of lies, no truth in him, prince of demons, deceiver, opposer, lawless, enemy, evil, murderer, liar, will steal kill & destroy, stumbling block, looking to devour you, crafty, schemer, accuser, thorn in our flesh, tempter, adversary, slanderer.
After reading all of these, does this sound like a person you want to hang around? Does this sound like someone you should casually deal with? Or does this sound like someone we should flee from as fast as our feet will carry us? When I read these I automatically think of how much I need my Lord Jesus Christ to protect me from this evil one. Paul warns the church at Corinth here to forgive freely, don’t be outwitted by Satan.
I trust that your personal time in God’s Word today will reveal the truth of who He is and what His plan is for your day. One day at time, I pray you walk with God’s Word in your heart and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by your side.
Bless someone with the Word of God today.
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