2 Corinthians 10:Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the 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. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
God's mighty weapons are mighty indeed. When you get to feeling low and begin to think that something cannot happen, then appeal to a higher power. The power of God!! Our God is capable and very able to handle any situation in life and He doesn't need any excuses from us to explain Him away. You may say, "excuses?"
In a world situation where apathy, indifference, and pure laziness in belief is evident, we begin to see the overarching theory of just letting bygones be bygones become a way of life. Don't fall into that trap of unbelief, or relative belief, which is no belief at all. Our God is able to do that which we at times believe is impossible and He makes it a possibility! As the above verse states 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We believe in the truth and the power of God's Word and in that Word we find a new strength, a new hope, and a new power for living the victorious life. When we fight the battles of life we don't wage war as humans do because our source of strength is the spirit of God. The Holy Spirit changes our perspective on "everything" we say and do. We don't "speak" defeat or "think" defeat and that kind of perspective shapes how we live our daily lives. In the above scripture Paul was defending his authority as a minister, as a believer, as the one whom Jesus called on the road to Damascus.
Paul continues on in the above verses to say that the proud obstacles that keep people from knowing God are destroyed by the weapons that God gives us. In reality the only thing keeping the church of the Living God from reaching the world for Jesus is the weapons we are using. Human worldly weapons do not have any power toward salvation, and so instead of adding to the kingdom those who are being saved, we just "hope" something will happen to change their minds, We have in so many ways "washed our hands" of sharing the gospel one on one and even in a church service. We discount what the Word of God can do and we discount the power of the weapons given by the Lord and that shows in the unfruitful results.
Of course, in my frame of thinking, I am thinking "why even have a church" if we are going to limit God working in it. You may say "Oh we don't limit God." But look at the results we are seeing in churches all over our nation. Our denominations are trying to figure out what to believe and who to believe, and lives are being lost because of a lack of a heavenly vision. This should not be happening and we need not try to limit God from working because He is all powerful. A thinking person might try to unleash that power and pray for God to move again afresh and anew!! We need to be "thinking people" who have the right thought....obedient thoughts! The Apostle Paul had to deal with disobedient people all the time and the Jewish Christians were all about controlling Paul's message and dumbing it down. In these verses Paul is asserting where his authority comes from and the very reason he trusts in that authority.
God is STILL capable of reaching a lost and dying world and we are His instruments of choice to do it. So get on with it and serve our very capable God and see victory after victory as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Look at what Paul writes in the next few verse about this authority God has given us. 7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. I think we need to step up in that authority and let it build up His church as we continue to serve Him. God is capable if we are willing.
The Pilgrimage Continues....
David Warren
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