3 We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
We too often forget that although we are in the physical world, we are in a spiritual fight. I won't get ahead of myself, because Paul addresses this more specifically in his other books, but we must keep this thought at the forefront of our minds.
I have to say that these final four chapters of 2 Corinthians sound more like Paul ranting and raving. As we know from email, sometimes it's hard to know what a person was really saying because we don't hear the tone or emphasis on words, but I get the feeling he was being really sarcastic a lot of the time. Kind of sounded to me like he was having a bad day! :) But here are a few of the good snippets:
12:19 Perhaps you think we’re saying all this just to defend ourselves. That isn't it at all. We tell you this as Christ’s servants, and we know that God is listening. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you.
13:3 I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is a mighty power among you. 4 Although he died on the cross in weakness, he now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in him and have God's power - the power we use in dealing with you. 5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
That is a good thought. We are truly only powerful when we realize our weakness and depend upon Him and His power. Again, in our flesh is no good thing.
And then, Paul's closing. I always love the closing of his letters. Seems as if he is trying to wrap everything up in just a few words:
13:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
Now we move on to Romans. One of the best books as far as having the way of salvation being spelled out. Lots of good stuff in Romans, so the trick will be to just pull out 'nuggets'. The very first verse caught my attention:
1 This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.
Jesus Christ's slave....here's the definition of slave..
In his other books I know Paul also referred to himself as "a bond servant'. Paul knew who he belonged to and who he was subject to. I think that is why God was able to use him as He was. How about me? Do I consider myself Jesus Christ's slave? I don't think so. But now I have something else to think about....
Here's another convicting passage for me:
1:9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by telling others the Good News about his Son.
I think that is why God is dealing with me about my spare time. About vegging with TV, etc. I think He is calling His children to greater purity in these last days. Asking if there is anyone willing to give up 'the pleasures' of this world to be used by Him. It's a constant battle for me.
Paul again goes back to the basics. Faith in Christ:
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-Jews first and also Gentiles. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
And here's the beginning of the "Romans Road" - Paul first points out the sinful nature of us all:
3:10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
In verses 17 & 18 he said "They do not know what true peace is. They have no fear of God to restrain them." I think that is our main problem. We've really lost sight of the holiness and majesty of God. We have been deluded to believing a lie about Him. That "He is full of love", and "how could a God that is so filled with love be so evil as to banish people to hell"? So we 'do what is right in our own eyes' and don't think of the aspect of His holiness. All of us deserve hell and eternal punishment because we cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God. But that is the beauty of Christ - He was perfect Holiness and also perfect humanity, thereby bridging the gap between us and a holy God. That's why Paul continues to go back to saying "I determined to know nothing else except Jesus Christ" - it all comes back to Jesus, and it all comes back to faith:
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
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