God Speaks
New Bodies, Reconciliation, Hardships, Separation from Old Ways, Repentance, Collecting Offerings and Generosity
Verse of the Day: Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 339
We Respond
2 Corinthians 5
Reflection: In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul addressed two topics: believers’ dwelling places (bodies) and the ministry of reconciliation. He began by commenting that our current bodies are only temporary and corrupted by sin and the curse [Genesis 3]. They will either be destroyed or just wear out. In contrast, our heavenly dwelling places are glorious and everlasting. They will be “made in Heaven.” The focus and longing of believers should be on the latter. We can become frustrated by our present bodies and circumstances making us groan and sigh, but we can cheer up when we remember that one day the dying bodies of believers will be swallowed up by everlasting life. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us (by faith) guarantees it. We know by faith without seeing it that if we are alive here on earth we are away from our eternal spiritual bodies and at home with Jesus in Heaven. So, while we wait for our death or His return, we do our best to use our earthly bodies to please Him. That way we’ll be able to stand before Him with confidence. When He comes back, He will judge the good or bad things we have done with these bodies and reward us accordingly. Jesus will also reveal and judge the hearts and motives of people like Silas and Paul or those travelling preachers he referred to regarding whether their motives were pure and honest or not. Whatever Paul did was focused on the Corinthians’ benefit. He wanted them to stop living just to please themselves but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them, just as Paul did. After all, they had received whole new lives by placing their faith in Jesus. They had been reconciled to God. Now they were enabled by the great exchange (see verse 21) to live as ambassadors for Him: “For God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him [all] our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God’s goodness into us!” (2 Corinthians 5:21 TLB) AMEN
Prayer: Dear Loving Father God who provides His children with both temporary, perishable bodies and with everlasting, imperishable ones, thank You that, by faith in what Jesus has done for me, You will give me a whole new “made in Heaven” body when I die. Sometimes I groan and sigh because of various aches and pains of this physical body, but please make me more expectant of the spiritual one You have reserved for me in Heaven. Help me to take good care of and use this body well, though it is wearing out, to do those things that bring You pleasure and glory. Jesus will someday judge whether those actions and attitudes were good or evil. You have shown me that the most important things I can do now are to be reconciled with You and help others to do the same. Your word says that You are less concerned about our outward appearance (what we look like or seem to others) and more concerned with what is in our hearts. I no longer want to live for myself but for Him who for my sake died and was raised (Jesus). From now on, please help me to not view other people according to a fleshly or worldly viewpoint but through the eyes of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You see each one that is in Christ as a new creation. The old is gone. The new has come. You have and are reconciling the world to Yourself, and You are letting me help, You have entrusted me with this message of reconciliation. Help me, as Your ambassador, to plead with people to be reconciled to You and to each other on behalf of Christ. They need to know beyond a doubt that for our sake You made Jesus, who never knew sin, to be sin for us so that we could be given His righteousness. Wow! Thank You, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will quit complaining about my physical body and needs in this world and thank Jesus for the body and dwelling place He is preparing for me in Heaven.
- I will ask the Lord to help me weed out the old foolish, world-centered things in my life so that I can more effectively serve Him and other people for the sake of the kingdom of God.
- I will ask God to help me to see other people as He sees them and relate to them accordingly.
- I will be like Paul, an ambassador for Christ, and speak to ______ (a specific person) about the message of the gospel in verses 20 and 21.
2 Corinthians 6
Reflection: In chapter 6, Paul continues to urge the Corinthians to be reconciled with God, saying, “Today is the day.” Don’t put it off. God is ready, willing, and able to save them. He even promised to do so. In verses 4-10, Paul listed a multiplicity of ways he and others had endured, struggled, or suffered so that those in Corinth could receive the good news of Jesus Christ. This proved that they were true ministers of God. Paul and his fellow workers endured all this out of love for the Corinthians and only wished for that love to be reciprocated. In verses 14 through 17, Paul warns them about partnering or uniting with those who do not love the Lord. This did not mean for the Corinthians not to associate with unbelievers but to remember to Whom they belong and Whose children they are. It is similar to Jesus’s prayer in John 17:15-19.
Prayer: Dear Father God who is right there with your people in trouble, thank You for being with me in all the difficulties in my life even before I knew You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for being there with Paul and all believers down through the centuries. Thank you for leaders like Paul and the other Apostles and other godly people who have faced such trials and tribulations down through the ages and to this very day. The places of honor that You are preparing for them in Heaven must be truly glorious as a reward for all they so faithfully endured for the sake of Your kingdom. I look forward to spending time with them. We will discuss how much You loved us and how we attempted to love You in return by loving people, Your highest creation, and helping them to be reconciled to You. Lord, please show me how to live among the people of this world without actually partnering or uniting with them. I want to honor and reflect You among them without becoming so like them that You are distorted or obscured. Help me to remember to Whom I belong and Whose child I am. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will use the list below (based on 2 Corinthians 6:4-10) to pray for Christians (especially leaders) who are serving God under very difficult circumstances around the world.
They endured troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.
They were beaten, put in prison, faced angry mobs.
They worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and went without food.
They also proved themselves by their purity, their understanding, their kindness.
The Holy Spirit within them enabled them to demonstrate sincere love and faithfully preach the truth.
By the power of God, they used the weapons of righteousness with both hands (strongly and skillfully) for both attack and defense against the forces of evil and the evil one.
They served God whether the people reacted with honor or contempt, commendation or criticism, honesty or lies.
The world ignored them, but God knew them.
They were brought to the brink of death, but God preserved their life.
They were severely punished, but not put to death.
The Lord replaced their heartaches with His joy.
They were poor but gave spiritual riches to others.
They owned nothing but enjoyed everything.
- I will ask the Lord to give me the courage to yield to Him if He should choose to put me in similar situations.
- I will examine my relationships to see if I might be being drawn into partnering or uniting with evil.
- I will examine my relationships to see how I can strengthen my ties and partner or unite with those who are seeking to do good and serve the Lord.
2 Corinthians 7
Reflection: Verse one comments on how we should live in light of God’s promises at the end of chapter six. It almost seems to me as if Paul was in the midst of writing this letter. He was recounting how much he had suffered and how hard he had worked on behalf of the Corinthians, when suddenly, he was interrupted. Titus came in with a report on them. Paul was greatly encouraged by Titus’s report. What seemed to encourage him most was their God-given repentance and the Corinthians’ willingness to change and correct any problem between them and Paul or between them and the Lord. They had turned their grieving into true repentance and mourning over their sin. This produced in them an eagerness to make things right, an earnestness to clear themselves, and the determination to deal with the problem, not just excuse or ignore it. They went right to work doing what Paul had said. Not only that, but they really impressed Titus with the way they had taken Paul’s instructions to heart and how they had treated Titus himself. Paul was vindicated in his previous boasting about them. Titus’s report brought joy to Paul’s heart.
Prayer: Dear God who keeps His promises, thank You for fulfilling Your promises over thousands of years even when we don’t keep ours. Thank You for encouraging Your struggling, servant-leaders with news of those they lead doing the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons. I pray that congregations today will gladden the hearts of their pastors by showing the same kind of mourning over sin, eagerness to make things right, earnestness to clear themselves, and determination to actually deal with problems. May Christian workers like Titus also be encouraged when they see You at work in the hearts and lives of people. May the grief that comes from You always lead to people turning away from sin and seeking eternal life in Christ. Ultimately, that will result in great joy and encouragement to Your faithful servants on earth and glory to You in heaven. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask the Lord how I might encourage my local pastor and Christian leaders, and then do it.
- I will ask the Lord how I might encourage pastors and Christian leaders in my nation, and then do it.
- I will ask the Lord how I might encourage pastors and Christian leaders in other countries (especially those suffering persecution), and then do it.
- I will ask the Lord what sin I personally need to deal with by mourning over it, turning my grief into true repentance evidenced by an eagerness to make things right, an earnestness to clear myself, and a determination to really deal with the problem. I will be much happier in the long run.
2 Corinthians 8
Reflection: Following chapter 7, the Apostle Paul next explained the “gift of giving,” citing as an example the generosity of the Christians in the province of Macedonia. Despite their deep poverty, they had begged Paul to allow them to contribute to the collection of money that was being sent to support poor people in Jerusalem. [I suspect, but was not able to statistically prove, that this is also true today. Proportionately, according to personal income, those who are poor give more to support other poor people than rich people do.] What was most important to Paul was that the Macedonians’ “first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us, for whatever directions God might give them through us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5 TLB) Although the Corinthians had made a good start in the past, they needed to follow through and complete the task. Jesus’s leaving the wealth of Heaven for the poverty of earth to obtain the riches of the Kingdom of God for us, is our ultimate pattern for giving. Although Paul admonished them to complete the fund-raising project they had started, it was meant to be a two-way street. Whenever the Jerusalem saints had an abundance and the Corinthians were in need, they were to return the favor. Paul concluded this section of the letter by providing references and instructions on how to treat Titus and two faithful brothers in Christ who were traveling with him.
Prayer: Dear great and generous God, thank You for pouring out Your love, mercy, and grace on us undeserving sinners. Like the Macedonians, I first want to dedicate myself to You, Lord, and to my Christian leaders, for whatever directions You might give me through them. Like the Corinthians, I want to grow in faith, in teaching well, in enthusiasm for the things of God, and in love for people, especially for Christian leaders and fellow believers. I don’t want to be forced but to do it voluntarily out of love. Out of His love and kindness, Jesus left the opulence of Heaven to participate in the extreme poverty of Earth so that because of His poverty He could make me rich toward You, Lord God. I also want to complete what I start. Please give me a heart for people like Titus had and make me faithful and trustworthy like the unnamed brothers in Christ who accompanied him. May my Christian leaders be able to boast about me as well. For Your glory, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will thank the Lord for the ability, gift, and privilege of giving.
- I will ask the Lord to help me as I examine my budget. Are there ministries or organizations to whom I should be giving or giving more, giving less, or not at all?
- I will ask the Lord whom I should ask to hold me accountable in my finances, then take action to do so.
- I will look for other, non-financial ways I can support worthy ministries and organizations, then do them as well.
2 Corinthians 9
Reflection: In chapter 9, Paul continued to discuss the “gift of giving” with the Corinthians. He told them that their own willingness to give in support of the Christians in Jerusalem had served as a catalyst inspiring the Macedonians to do the same. To ensure that neither he nor they would be embarrassed by their not being ready, Paul was planning to send men ahead of him to supervise the collection of the money: that way there would be no pressure when he arrived. He reminded them that the resulting output was in direct proportion to their input. Little in = little out; much in = much more out. This principle is confirmed in both the Old Testament and in everyday life. Their generous giving would have two positive results: others would rejoice because their needs had been met, and God would be thanked because He had motivated them to give. We are to be eternally thankful for the most precious gift God has bestowed upon us–Jesus Christ, His Son.
Prayer: Dear loving God who has promised to give us more than we could ask or imagine, thank You. First, please give me a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others. Thank You for those who have sacrificed their money, time, or energy on my behalf in the past. Please help me to apply the principle of “little in = little out; much in = much more out” in my life. I want to see others rejoice because their needs are met, and You thanked because You motivated me to give. I will be eternally grateful for Your most precious gift–Jesus. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will both ask and thank God for the “gift of giving.”
- I will ask God to increase my willingness to give.
- I will think back over my life to see where the principle of “little in = little out; much in = much more out” has been true in my own life.
- I will show my thankfulness to God for His gift of Jesus and His self-sacrifice by generously and sacrificially giving to others.