2 Corinthians 4-5 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Wordle above really says it all. Who is important in 2 Corinthians 4-5? Not me. Not you. God. Look at how small “self” is in that picture. Can you even find it? But look at how large “God” is. Look at how large “Christ” is. Look at how large “Jesus” is.

God has granted us exceeding great treasures through His ministry of reconciliation. We are growing from glory to glory. We can be ministers of reconciliation. We can accomplish amazing things in God’s kingdom and plan. How easy it is to get puffed up. I study with someone and think I’m special. I convince someone of the truth and I really think it was me. I baptize someone and I begin to think I saved them.

And yet, here we are still stuck in these earthly jars of clay. We still struggle and stumble. We still have troubles. We still lose jobs. Our bodies still get old and frail. Why? This is our ever-deepening reminder that the real power behind this ministry of reconciliation is God. Not us. God’s gospel is the power of God for salvation, not me. The surpassing power belongs to God, not me. I need to remember that.

Whenever I begin to think I’m starting to be pretty important in God’s eyes and plan. I need to come back to today’s Wordle and remember this is about God, not me. I can’t do anything apart from Him. He is the real power.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 12:1-13:14.

“Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (2 Corinthians 12:14-15).

I guess this hit me because I spent last week with a bunch of parents I felt were doing a much better job than me in parenting. So, my parenting is really on my mind right now. While Paul was using parenting as an illustration for his relationship with the Christians, I needed this for the point about parenting. I often spend and am spent for the souls of the members of the congregation. And then my kids get put on the backburner. I’m a parent. My kids shouldn’t spend and be spent for me. Rather, I am to spend and be spent for them. They will only be in my home for a few more years. What am I doing to build them up? Sadly, too often I want to put that off because I don’t want to be spent. I’m too tired, too busy, to distracted. But I’m happy to direct them in ways to spend themselves in my service.

I need to get this back in the right order. Yes, it will be tiring. Yes, it will make me more busy. Yes, it will be tough. But the souls of my children are worth it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

Lately, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 has been very pointed to me: 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

We all know this means we don’t take up arms against non-Christians or Christian with whom we disagree. Rather, we take the gospel of Jesus to them. We persuade with the grace and gospel of Jesus, not the force of weapons. Yet, today, it seems that many Christians are neglecting part of this passage. They think that there is one fleshly warfare that is part of our lives. Those who have followed some of my other writings know exactly where I’m going with this. 

It seems today that the new battlefield is no longer the spiritual realm, fighting against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12), but the political realm fighting against policy we don’t like. It is as if Christians are beginning to think the way to spread God’s gospel is to legislate it through our nation’s policies. 

Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. If it were, His citizens would stand up and fight (John 18:36). Yet some Christians seem to be intent on denying what Jesus said as if the United States of America is God’s kingdom in this world. It is not. It never has been. It never will be no matter what our laws say. 

God has not asked us to take up political arms to spread His will. He’s asked us to take His gospel to our neighbor, loving them enough to talk to them about His grace and salvation in His name through His Son. If we do that, then it won’t matter what our national policies and laws are, we’ll have helped another person surrender to God and live by His will. Who cares what the nation’s laws are if we can convince individuals to live by God’s will? On the other hand, who cares what the nation’s laws are if we don’t convince people to live by God’s will? Have we accomplished any good if we get abortion and homosexuality outlawed but our neighbors are still practicing them?

Let’s not wage the war according to the flesh today. Instead, let’s ask for opportunities to share God’s gospel with someone. 

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 8:8-15 demonstrates that Paul is not saying all Christians will always have an abundance to share with others. In fact, sometimes, we may be the Christians who need assistance from those who are abounding. Other times we may be those who abound and share. However, 2 Corinthians 9:8 explains why God allows some of us to abound.

God does not allow us to abound to make sure we have a personal retirement. God does not allow us to abound to make sure we have all the gadgets we want. God does not allow us to abound to make sure we live on the nice side of town. God allows us to abound and have sufficiency that we may share with those aren’t abounding.

Granted, this passage doesn’t draw any lines for us. It doesn’t declare how much we are allowed to enjoy our own incomes versus being generous to others or to the work of the church. I definitely don’t want to create standards that God did not create. However, this verse forces me to look at my own finances. I’m very blessed. I have to ask am I using the sufficiency God has given to share with those who are not abounding right now, perhaps directly or through the work of the congregation.

This turns my common feeling on its head. I too often want more in order to have more for me. Then sometimes I think I can manipulate the system. I’ll offer a percentage back to God so that I can abound in my giving more, but also abound more for me as well. I don’t think it works like that. God is letting us abound to spread the blessings around. I need to examine myself on that today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

I was struck by 2 Corinthians 5:18. “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Then 2 Corinthians 5:19 says God entrusted us with “the message of reconciliation.”

To hear some Christians today, you might get confused and think the Bible message is one of condemnation. But that wasn’t Paul’s focus. Paul’s focus was reconciliation. Certainly, the scripture condemns sin and says those who remain impenitently in sin will be condemned, but the message of the Gospel is not about all the sins for which we’ll be condemned. Rather, it is the message of Jesus through whom we can find forgiveness, reconciliation and the strength to overcome our sins.

I want to focus on that today. The message of the Old Covenant was condemnation. The Old Testament condemned everyone under sin (Galatians 3:22). Our message is that of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. The fact is most of us know we stand condemned. We need to hear how we can be reconciled.

Jesus is the way for that.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 really struck me. Sometimes I like to go into pity party mode about how awful I have it. Maybe people aren’t being nice to me. Maybe someone has hurt me. Maybe I’m sick (like this past weekend). These verses remind me that I don’t have it so bad. Further, they remind that when I really do have it bad, God is still with me.

Paul said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecute, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

Paul is specifically speaking about the suffering he endured because he was a minister of the gospel. As he looked at his hardships, he didn’t complain that God allowed the hardships, he took comfort that God did not allow the hardships to become overwhelming. Yes, they were afflicted, but God did not allow them to be crushed. Sure, God let them be persecuted, but He never forsook them.

Sin entered the world through Adam, because of that suffering also entered the world. But God has been gracious to me. Sure, I was sick this past weekend, but it didn’t kill me. Of course, if it had, I would then be saying, “Sure, God let me die, but He preserved my soul from eternal torment.” God has not promised us a rose garden. He promised to stick with us wherever we went, as long as we kept walking with Him.

***Question: What do you do to make sure you’re walking with God today?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC