Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: Truth not Deception

'we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.' 2 Corinthians 4:2

What a challenge this verse is! How often, in conversations with work mates or family, do we try to 'cover up' the bits in the Bible we find difficult or that we know they will find offensive? Do we only give them half the picture, talking about God's love and never His judgement? Paul's letter to the Corinthians has much to teach us about genuine gospel ministry. Paul was being compared to so-called 'super apostles' and showy men who were more impressive with their speeches, and yet preached a different gospel. He makes a genuine defence in this letter that he is the real deal! He has been faithful to God's truth in the gospel, and he has not used deception in order to pander to his audience.

Paul had to tell the Corinthians some hard truths. Many of them were from a totally pagan background, and he had to call them to repent from their sinful ways in order to enter genuine relationship with God. In 1 Corinthians 6 he wrote:

'Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.'

Paul did not simply tell the Corinthians about God's love for them in Christ; he also taught them that genuine faith was always accompanied by genuine repentance from former ways of living that were against God. Note his phrase 'Do not be deceived'. Perhaps some false teachers were telling the Corinthians that they could live however they wanted to- it didn't matter to God. Sometimes it's easy to leave out of our gospel presentations that God calls for His people to live holy lives that stand out from the crowd. But we have to give people the full picture. We can't pretend that the Christian life is easy- it's not! It's a struggle against our own desires, particularly if in the past we've been used to living how we wanted to.

But here's the point: if we don't set forth the truth plainly, we actually lose our impact as Christians. Why would anyone see the need to be a Christian and trust in Christ, if they feel they are 'good enough' by themselves? Without the whole gospel, we end up with no gospel at all. We need to remember that we will stand before God one day and give an account for how we have represented Him and His message to the people around us.

Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: The New Covenant

'He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' 2 Corinthians 3:6

Paul rejoices in this letter that God has not only saved us and restored our relationship with Himself, but He has also entrusted us with a ministry for Him. When we come to trust in God and our sins are forgiven in Christ, we are reconciled to God as our Father. As Christians, we are then given a ministry of reconciliation- to lead others to know God as their Father too. This is the 'new covenant'- Jesus Christ died, and His blood enables us to be at peace with God.

In the old covenant, as given to Israel through the Law of Moses, the people sacrificed animals and used the blood of bulls and goats to make atonement for their sins. This was a temporary system that ultimately pointed forward to the way God would send Christ to die, the Lamb of God, taking on the sins of the world.

The Law of Moses is represented in this verse by 'the letter'. Perhaps you've heard the phrase 'the letter of the law'. It's a phrase that's usually associated with strong enforcement of rules or regulations. Paul was a Jew obsessed with trying to keep the Law of Moses, before He met Christ on the road to Damascus. He, better than anyone, knew that the letter 'killed', because it condemned mankind. No one could stand up before God and honestly claim to have kept the law to the letter.

But in the new covenant, Christ's obedience provides a better way for us. Our disobedience can be nailed to the cross, and we can receive the Holy Spirit and true 'life'. Instead of living tied to rules and regulations, we are freed by the power of the Spirit to live to please God. It doesn't mean that we do whatever we like; it means we are able to choose the path of holiness instead of by default the path of sin.

We can offer people the chance to be freed from the power of sin and its punishment, through Christ. God has made us competent to share the message of His grace. So whenever we feel incompetent, or like our words never come out right, we can be encouraged by this verse that God has enabled us to do this for Him. We have an amazing message to share through the new covenant, so we should rejoice in boldly proclaiming it to our friends and family.

Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: Relying on God not ourselves

Over the next few posts, I'm going to pick out my favourite verses from 2 Corinthians and share the challenges and encouragements I've received from them. This letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth is possibly my favourite NT letter- whenever I read it, in whatever circumstances, it speaks to me so strongly about persevering through suffering and rejoicing in our salvation and the fact that we've been reconciled with God.

So here's my starter:

'We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure... But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.' 2 Cor 1:8-9

Paul and his ministry team had really been through a tough time. In Ephesus, they faced huge opposition and riots, and were driven out of the city. Paul was hearing reports about the church in Corinth being full of sexual immorality and division, due to false teachers, and faced the personal pain and humiliation of the Corinthians being swayed by the persuasive words of men who did not have the apostolic authority that Paul himself did. Paul describes how they were in such a difficult situation, and yet God put them through it for a reason: so they would rely on Him, not on themselves.

How often do we need to be reminded of this lesson! Time and time again, we fall back on our own resources and forget to trust in God to provide us with everything we need. Paul reminds us in this verse that God raised Christ from the dead- therefore He's not going to find it too hard to help us out in our difficult situations!

I always find that at this time of the year it's natural to reflect on the year that has passed- 2010. And I can really testify that this year God did take me through some times where I felt I was completely beyond my own ability to endure- particularly in my time of extreme sickness where I had about two months off work, and I just didn't think I could take it any more! But I knew God's faithfulness in that time, especially when I was in hospital, much more than if I had been 100% healthy and well. God really does know best, and I pray that this year I'd learn to rely on Him way more!