A Diet That Satisfies

After stumbling across Jen Wilkin's blog some months ago, I have been pleased to find that her writing is always edifying, honest, and not without eloquence. She happens to live here in Dallas, and although I've never met her, I would be glad to learn a writing/blogging tips from her. I found her recent post called "Partially Hydrogenated Bible Study" to be particularly insightful. I love the parallels she makes between our physical diet and our spiritual diet. So check our her wonderful post and ask yourself: are you being nutritionally satisfied in your study in the Word?

Power in Weakness

I am finishing up my study in the book of 2 Corinthians, and this week I am reading and studying through 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. This portion of the letter is known as the apostle Paul's "Fool's Speech". He begins the passage by declaring that he "knows a man in Christ", to which he is referring to himself in the third person. He recalls that this man was shown great revelations from God, and Paul anonymously refers to this "man in Christ" not as himself, because he doesn't want to boast in the greatness that he has seen. In verse 5 Paul states ,"On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses." Paul then goes on to tell of his experience of his thorn in the flesh, and his response from the Lord when he plead with the Lord to remove it from him. In verse 7 Paul states that the reason he has been given this thorn (of which we are not told the details of) for the purpose of humbling him, for it was he who saw these revelations of which he previously spoke. God apparently sent a "messenger of Satan to harass" him, to keep Paul from becoming too puffed up about his supernatural experiences. Three times, the Scripture says, Paul pleaded with the Lord (Jesus) to remove the thorn from him. The Lord Jesus responded, however, in this way, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (v. 9) So we are told that in Paul's human weakness, the power of Christ is exhibited mightily. Then Paul makes the profound claim that because of this reason, he will boast in his weaknesses so that Christ's power will be strong in him.

This passage highlights one of the major themes in the whole letter: power in weakness. Or more specifically, God's power seen in human weakness. Does this seem paradoxical? How can one who is weak be strong simultaneously? The answer is found in the last few verses of the passage. If you read the entirety of this letter you will see that this theme has been running throughout Paul's correspondence with the Corinthians. He tells us in chapter 1 that God put him and his companions through hardship so that they would rely "not on themselves but on God who raises the dead." In chapters 2 and 3, Paul talks of the insufficiency of men to be preachers of God's gospel, but through God, men are made sufficient for the task. In chapters 8 and 9 Paul argues for sacrificial giving, using the example of "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." (8:9) Also, throughout the book Paul talks of the hardships that he experienced as a servant of God, but how through them all God has sustained and delivered him. Paul reaches his climax of this discussion in chapter 12, when he mentions this thorn in flesh that was used to humble him.

Although Paul's request for the removal of this thorn was denied, Jesus ("the Lord") gave him profound reassurance that his grace would be sufficient to sustain Paul through this trial. This I believe to be the great message that reoccurs throughout the letter--that God may not remove trials from our lives, but will grant us sufficient grace in order to endure them. Think about what Jesus prayed when he was in the garden, right before his crucifixion, "And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36) The gospel of Mark says that Jesus prayed "the same words" three times. And here in Paul's letter, we see the same pattern of prayer, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me." (2 Cor. 12:8) The Father did not remove the cup of wrath that Jesus drank on the cross, nor did Jesus remove from Paul the "thorn in the flesh" that tormented him. In both cases, Jesus and Paul, were given the grace of God to endure their trials. Did not Jesus have to suffer by becoming weak, in order to be resurrected by the power of God? Jesus' reply to Paul's plea was a reminder of the gospel. The same gospel which Paul exhorted the Corinthians to believe in was what Jesus, in his response to Paul, told Paul to remember. The tense of the verb "is" ("my grace is sufficient") is in the present tense, not the past tense, meaning that Jesus' grace is continually being dispensed. The power of God is made perfect in weakness, and that perfection was first displayed in the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Himself who "although he was rich, yet for [our] sake became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (8:9) Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on behalf of believers so that the righteousness of God would be imputed to their account. What a beautiful, applicable message!

When we think of the trials and hardships that we face in this life, even imagining that we cannot possibly live on, we are reminded that God's power (through his grace) is sufficient. It is sufficient for Jesus, for Paul, and for us. It will sustain us, invigorate us, humble us, and make us thankful that we have a God who is able to do "far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work within us" (Eph. 3:20). So whatever you are facing today, remember that God's supply of grace is unending and he loves to distribute it to all who will receive it by faith.

From glory to GLORY

As I have been reading and studying through 2 Corinthians with a friend, there have been a few apparent themes that have stuck out to me. One of which is the idea that God is transforming those who "turn to the Lord" into the same image as His son.  This is especially encouraging to me, because over the past year I have experienced a season of particular spiritual dryness. Many things have contributed to this, change being the biggest factor, and I will write about that later. But this morning I want to look at the idea of the transformation of the Christian into the likeness of our Savior. Let's look at three particular passages:

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB)"

"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. " (2 Corinthians 4:6-7, ESV)

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16, ESV)

As we begin to look at the themese that run throughout these verses, we can pick up on a few key words: glory . glory of God . transformed . Jesus Christ . renewed . These words give us a hint as what Paul is talking about in this section. After he has just ended a discussion on the old covenant's fading glory, he climaxes by showing us that the glory of the new covenant is not fading but is instead a great glory that is permanent. Specifically, in 3:18, Paul says that all who have "turned to the Lord" see the glory of the Lord (Jesus Christ) "as in a mirror". As I began thinking of what that imagery meant, I got a clear picture in my mind of what looking into a mirror shows us. If I look into a mirror, I will see myself staring back at me! And Paul here is saying that we behold Jesus in a mirror! What does that mean? He is saying that as we are transformed into the the same image that we see of Christ in the mirror. God's glory is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ who is in all believers and God's Spirit transforms us to look more and more like Christ so that we behold a better and better image of Christ in ourselves.

In the next two verses, Paul is expanding on the idea of glory of God revealed in the person of Jesus. We clearly don't like like glorified Jesus externally. We don't glow, as He did at the Transfiguration, nor do we have resurrection bodies (yet!) that are without the stain of sin. Let's face it, we are simply "jars of clay", common vessels that have no special appearance in and of themselves. But Paul is saying here that the same God who created the light, has also shone light in the hearts of believers to reveal an inner knowledge of the glory of God, which is shown in the face or person of Christ. This inner knowledge is what is held in our 'jars of clay' bodies and it is what Paul calls "surpassing greatness of the power" that comes from God and not from ourselves.

Lastly, as Paul has mentioned the trials that he and his fellow ministers of the gospel have been through, he makes an astounding statement, "So we do not lose heart..." (4:16), because he knows that we should know too - that though our earthly bodies are decaying, dying everyday a little bit more, our inner selves are being renewed. How are they being renewed? By the knowledge of the glory of God that we possess, and by the transforming work of the Spirit of God to change us from one image of God to a more glorious image of God -- the likeness of the perfect image of God: Jesus Christ.

So how does this relate to the daily grind of work, family, friends, and life in general? John MacArthur, his 2 Corinthians study guide asks the question, "How can you practically 'behold the glory of the Lord' in everyday activities?" and so I pose a similar question: How in the midst of the distraction of daily life can you 'behold the glory of the Lord' by looking to Jesus? That may mean a daily reminder that it is GOD who works in us sanctification, and our own efforts are NOT enough; or that may look like simply resting in the righteousness that is imputed to you and not trying to add to it. By beholding Jesus in the mirror of the Word, we see both our lost state apart from Him AND our new selves that are continually being transformed into his likeness. And that I can praise God for because I sure do need that reminder!