“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV)
Paul was called of God to be one of his apostles in New Testament times after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus back to heaven, and after the Lord sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers. And Paul was called of God to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ at a time when we did not have the written New Testament books. So, the Lord did speak to him through visions and supernatural revelations of God, via the Holy Spirit. And since Paul was human, it was possible that he might have become prideful because of these supernatural revelations from God.
Now if we are followers of Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus is going to speak to us, too, through his written word, and via his Holy Spirit who was given to us by God to teach us all things, especially things pertaining to Jesus Christ. And it is important that we understand this, for if we are to be led by the Spirit of God, then we need to be able to know when the Spirit is speaking to us. For the Spirit of God will make practical and applicable to our lives the teachings of the Scriptures as applied to us, his church, today.
But when the Spirit gives us understanding and practical application of the Word of God to our lives today, it is certainly conceivable that we might be in danger of becoming conceited, too. And so the Lord may allow or send trials, tribulations, and afflictions our way in order to humble us and to cause us to realize that the knowledge we are given does not come from ourselves, but from God, provided it is the knowledge of God and not the wisdom of man. And he may do this so that we learn to rely on him and not on ourselves.
Now we don’t know with any certainty what Paul’s specific affliction was, but many have speculated various things. There is a strong possibility that it was his blindness (or partial blindness), but others have suggested other possibilities. Some of them, though, are suggesting that Paul had an addictive sin in his life and that was his affliction, but that is absolutely contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures and to what Paul lived and taught himself. For Paul taught that if we make sin our practice that we are not in fellowship with God, and that we will not inherit eternal life with God.
The other thing to note here, with regard to what I just said, is that Paul was given this thorn in his flesh, this messenger of Satan, to keep him from becoming conceited, because of all the surpassing and great revelations from God he was receiving. So, who gave him the thorn in the flesh? Well, let’s look at it this way. Who had the power to do that, and who did not want Paul to become conceited? It wasn’t Satan. It was God!
Remember the story of Job? Satan came before God one day, and God asked him if he had considered the Lord’s servant Job. And so Satan challenged God that if the Lord stretched out his hand against Job that Job would curse God to his face. So, the Lord gave Satan permission to afflict suffering on Job, first only against his family and household and servants and livestock, but then later against his own body, by afflicting him with all sorts of sores. And God did this to test Job’s faith, and probably to humble him, too, although God regarded Job as a righteous man who feared God.
So, God will allow Satan to afflict us if it suits God’s purposes to humble us and to train us in righteousness so that he can use us greatly for his glory and honor, and for his purposes.
And then let’s look at this, too. God is not going to refuse our prayers if we are praying to be delivered from any sin, and he is definitely not going to then tell us that his grace is sufficient for us, for His power is made perfect in our weaknesses, if those weaknesses are sinful habits. For God’s power is not going to be made perfect in sinful practices. God’s power delivers us from our slavery to sin, and it instructs us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14; Romans 6:1-23).
Thus, it is absolutely contrary to the nature of God and to the teachings of the Scriptures to suggest that God would refuse to deliver us from bondage to sin and that he would tell us that his grace is sufficient for us in place of true deliverance, and that his power is perfected in our sinful practices. Thus, Paul’s thorn in the flesh could not be a pet sin. But it was some type of affliction that God allowed Satan to do, like he did with Job, and the purpose was to keep Paul humble, which is something only God would do.
So, when we go through trials and tribulations, and when we face afflictions, if we are true followers of Christ, these are for our good to train us in godliness, to humble us, to teach us perseverance, and to teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, etc. And all this is so that we might share in God’s holiness and so his discipline in our lives will afterwards yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those of us who have been trained by it.
[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]
What the Lord Says
An Original Work / February 24, 2014
Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5
This is what the Lord says to you:
Fear not, for I have chosen you.
I have summoned you by your name.
You are mine. I died, you to save.
When you go through your trials, so deep,
I will be with you; you will not sink.
You are so precious always to me.
Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.
This is what the Lord says to you:
He who gave salvation to you;
Who delivered you from your sin;
Takes your burdens now upon Him:
Forget the former things of your life.
Give of your heart not now up to strife.
See all the new things I have for you.
Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.
This is what the Lord says to you:
He who made you; who will help you:
Do not fear what humans may do.
Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.
Drink of my Spirit given for you.
Trust in my mercy, for I love you.
I have a plan for all of your life.
Follow my ways. Do what is right.
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