"For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, disorder; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced. This will be the third time I am coming to you. 'By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.' I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare". (2 Cor 12:20-13:2)
Paul demands a change. He says that if he comes again the third time, and things haven't changed, that he will not spare. He will cast people out of church and demand they don't return, until they repent, desiring God's way.
It isn't enough to confess Christ; we must follow Him, too. We can't say, "Not condemned", unless we say, "Not condemned, to sin no more" (John 8:11). The Master NEVER forgives without cleansing.
Rolfe Barnard refused to sing, "Saved and Sanctified", and we should refuse also. It implies that salvation EXISTS without sanctification, and this isn't true.
We can repent, but if we don't, then we don't know God. We cannot have Christ and sin.
First, again, Paul proves the sincerity of his ministry. He had apostolic power, enabling him to give others miraculous gifts, and only apostles could do this. Philip, in Acts 8, could speak in tongues and work miracles because he received the gift from the apostles in Act 6. Simon the sorcerer understood that only the apostles could pass on the power, and this is because the apostles were special. When they spoke and wrote, they were to be obeyed as the ambassadors of God with power to lay the doctrine of Christ in the church. All who pretend to speak in tongues and work miracles are utterly false and NOT to be trusted, even if they claim sovereign grace. If I say, "God is sovereign, elected you to be saved by the blood of the Lamb, so you can rape and murder", then I'd be a false prophet. And, when people say, "God is sovereign, etc, so you can speak in tongues, work miracles, get rich, and stay in health", they lie and aren't to be trusted. Speaking in tongues is other languages clearly understood by those who spoke them, even as they said, "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" (Acts 2:8). Paul said, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds" (2 Cor 12:12).
Also, he didn't take from people, so he commends his ministry by the generosity of his heart. As I read the insides of Paul, Titus, and others, I see that ministry is MORE than accurate doctrine; it is accurate motive, heart, and life, living that others be helped, rather than using people to assist me - (2 Cor 12:13-19) "For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong! Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification".
He declares that those he sent were of the same selfless spirit, seeking not yours, but you.
He preaches, secondly, his fears and gives us great warning. He feared that many had sinned and not repented, that bitterness, hate, selfishness, envy, and self-exaltation still reigned within them. He pleaded, in hope of sparing himself misery and tears, that they would change, repenting of the fornication, uncleanness, and licentious intemperance that they were living. If they didn't, then he must put them out, like a parent forcing a teenager to live elsewhere because they refuse the rules of home - (2 Cor 12:20-13:2).
Thirdly, Paul speaks to us encouragingly. He says, Christ is in you, even as He is in me, and His power is enough to enable you to be godly. The same POWER that raised Him from death will present you faultless before the Throne, and this power is yours now - "since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, Who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you" (2 Cor 13:3-4).
God hasn't called us to beat sin in self-strength. Believe the VICTORY is what He gives - "For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
No comments:
Post a Comment