Saturday, January 14, 2017, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians
12 (Select vv. NASB).
A Thorn in the Flesh (vv. 7-10)
Because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given
me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from
exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might
leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is
perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content
with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with
difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
When God gifts us in
ministry, he may also afflict us in some way in order to keep us humble, and
also that we might learn to rely on him and not on ourselves. This affliction,
i.e. this “thorn in the flesh” may come in many different forms. No one is
certain what exactly was Paul’s “thorn,” although many will speculate. Clearly
it was given him by God, for it was for the purpose to keep him humble. Satan
does not want us to be humble, but to be proud. Satan does not want us to trust
in God but in ourselves. So, this is one of those instances where Satan meant
it for evil, but God meant it for good. For example, God may use other people
in our lives to keep us humble and seeking his face, or he may use our circumstances
or a physical ailment or whatever he chooses to humble us and to mold us into
his likeness. The Bible calls this pruning, in order that we might be more
fruitful (Jn. 15).
So, when God brings (causes)
or permits difficulties in our lives, and we pray for relief, sometimes he may
give us the same response as he gave Paul, and that is that his grace is
sufficient for us, in order that Christ’s power might be perfected in our
weaknesses (not in our sins). And, this is for the purpose that Christ’s power
might dwell in us and be evident in our lives instead of us operating in our
own flesh and willpower. “For we who are alive are always being given over to
death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body”
(2 Co. 4:11). Our flesh must daily be put at the cross of Christ in order that
his life might shine through us. So, instead of fighting against what God is
doing in our lives, because we hate pain and suffering, we need to yield to the
Lord, and submit to the cross.
I Gladly Spend
(vv. 14-18)
Here for this third time I am ready to come to you,
and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you;
for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for
their children. I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I
love you more, am I to be loved less? But be that as it may, I did not burden
you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit.
Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have
sent to you, have I? I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him.
Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves
in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?
When God calls us to ministry
it must be self-sacrificial. We must not seek our own glory, but the good of
others. It will mean giving of our time and our talents, gifts, energies,
heart, emotion, and reputations, etc. in order to follow our Lord in obedience,
and for the benefit of those to whom we minister his love and grace. And, in
return, we may get our hearts stomped on, i.e. we may be falsely accused,
despised, hated, rejected, abandoned, gossiped about, slandered, mocked and
otherwise treated unfairly, unjustly and unkindly. And, yet, if we love God and
we love others as we love ourselves, we will willingly suffer in order that
others might come to faith in Jesus Christ, in order that they might grow to
maturity in Christ, that they might be comforted and encouraged in their walks
of faith, and so that they will not be led astray to false gods or to false
gospels. In other words, ministry is not to be about us, but about loving God
and loving others.
For Your Upbuilding (vv. 19-21)
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. 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, jealousy,
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.
Certainly there are those who
call themselves ministers of the gospel who are in it for themselves, either to
gain financially, or for power and prestige, or to build for themselves earthly
kingdoms, or in order to build up their own reputations and fame. As well, they
may be in the ministry as false apostles, masquerading themselves as servants
of righteousness, in order to deceive the masses with false gospels for the
purpose of leading people astray from their pure devotion to Jesus Christ.
These are Satan’s workers of iniquity to serve his purposes, because he doesn’t
want anyone to follow Christ, but he wants people to follow him, instead. And,
so he disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive many. And,
many are deceived, indeed.
Yet, as true servants of the
Lord, who follow him in obedience, and who love our fellow humans, we do ministry
out of love for God and for the benefit of others. We expend ourselves in many
different ways so that our brothers and sisters in Christ might be strengthened
in their faith, that their faith in God may increase, and that they be
encouraged and be filled with hope.
As ministers of Christ, we,
as well, feel what God feels. We are filled with his passion and concern over
those who are being led back into sin or over those who are being led astray,
and so we caution them and warn them, and we urge them to be faithful to their
Lord and to walk in obedience to Christ. And, it isn’t because we feel superior
or that we are just being negative that we do what we do, either. Those who
would fill your minds only with happy-happy feel-good messages do not love you,
but they love only themselves, and they want you to like them, rather than
caring about you and your soul and your spiritual walks. But, God’s grace does
not ignore sin. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and
godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. Jesus died that we might die to
sin and live to righteousness.
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J.
Kirkpatrick
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd
Redeemer,
This is my constant longing
and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of
earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness
to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of
compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and
kind,
Helping the helpless,
cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner
to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in
spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient
and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel
reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to
save.
O to be like Thee! while I am
pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill
with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy
dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven
above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to
be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as
Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come
in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on
my heart.
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