What does American society lift up as the good life? Of course that would depend on whom you ask. It would be different if you watched MTV, CNN or Fox News. The good life is not making money because you never have enough and are always afraid of losing what you do have. It is not having fame or prestige because that only lasts about fifteen minutes. It is not adventure or sports because the thrill only lasts during the journey not after. So what is the good life?
We are set free from the bondage of sin and death for a specific purpose, to live according to the Spirit. The good life is living according to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is life and peace (v. 6). So how do we live this way?
The first step is to set your mind on what the Spirit desires not on what our flesh desires (v. 5). We have an obligation to live this way (v. 12). We must desire love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness rather than anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language (Col 3:8, 12-14). We have assurance that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (v. 28). Therefore, even through the sufferings and difficulties we may face, we live the good life. Can wealth, fame, adventure or anything else make such a boast? Let us then seek the things of God and thus live in peace and true joy.
Posted by Aaron Miner
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
2 Corinthians 13: Spiritual Integrity
If you could impart one word of wisdom to another, what would that be? What is it that you wished someone would have imparted to you when you were younger? Paul has been preparing Corinth for his third visit. So what does he want them to do and understand before he gets there?
Paul’s desire for the church in Corinth is for them to live holy lives. His fear is that they would still be quarreling, jealous, angry, divided, slandering, gossiping, arrogant, and disorderly. He again brings up his strength in weakness theme that we discussed in chapter 12. We started off 1 Corinthians talking about integrity and at the end of the saga Paul’s desire for them has not changed. He wants them to have spiritual integrity that is founded in the power of Christ (v. 3).
Paul’s charges them to examine and test themselves (v. 5). So here are four application questions to ask and examine ourselves with:
- What are we to do? Simply we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Deut 6:5, Lev 19:5).
- Where are we to do it? We are to do it everywhere, with our family, work, neighborhood/community/world, and church.
- Why should we do it? We should do it because we have a Savior who loves us and died for us so that we could live in his power and therefore because we belong to him and love him.
- How are we enabled to do it? We are enabled to live holy lives out of our love for Christ, and out of our weakness and reliance upon God. There is power when we acknowledge and confess our weakness to God because we belong to him already. As a wife expresses love to her husband just because she loves him so should the church express love towards our bridegroom. When we are filled with God’s love for us, we are then able to love him in return (1 John 4:19). This is true spiritual integrity.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
2 Corinthians 12: God’s Discipline and God’s Love
There is this old children’s hymn that I remember singing when I was young and I now have come to truly appreciate its simplicity and depth. The hymn, Jesus Loves Me, has this great line, “Little ones to him belong; they are weak but he is strong.” To summarize it: I am not my own but belong to my savior Christ Jesus, and though I am weak and frail I live by the power of Christ. Even Paul comes to grips with this reality in 2 Corinthians.
In Chapter 12, Paul discusses how God gave him this amazing vision of which he cannot discuss. But the problem with this great gift of God, is that it puffs up and in order for Paul’s sinful self to be checked and not allowed to run wild God sends Paul another gift—a thorn or splinter (v. 7). It is something to constantly remind Paul of his weakness and frailty (v. 8). But it is also a tremendous act of fatherly love towards Paul. It is discipline and it is painful but it is tremendous love nonetheless. What God provides is strength and not just any strength; it is resurrection strength.
If we look closely at what is going one, we see a parallel between Christ and Paul. Christ was crucified in his weakness, in his humanness (Mark 15:31, Col 1:22), but he refused to save himself. God does not save Christ from death but remains silent until he climactically resurrects him from death. For Paul, his weakness is his death, it is sharing in Christ’s death, but that then allows us to live in his resurrected power (v. 9) for we are resurrected with Christ. God’s power being perfected in our weakness means that when we die to ourselves we have a real power—a life giving power.
So when we are faced with our problems and frailty, where do we turn? Is our hope in science, medicine, last Tuesday’s election? Do we turn to a false religion of good deeds or legalism? Or do we turn to our Savior who actually has the power to save? We are not as strong and powerful as we think, so let us come as little children in our frailty and weakness, and thus truly and powerfully live.
Posted by Aaron
In Chapter 12, Paul discusses how God gave him this amazing vision of which he cannot discuss. But the problem with this great gift of God, is that it puffs up and in order for Paul’s sinful self to be checked and not allowed to run wild God sends Paul another gift—a thorn or splinter (v. 7). It is something to constantly remind Paul of his weakness and frailty (v. 8). But it is also a tremendous act of fatherly love towards Paul. It is discipline and it is painful but it is tremendous love nonetheless. What God provides is strength and not just any strength; it is resurrection strength.
If we look closely at what is going one, we see a parallel between Christ and Paul. Christ was crucified in his weakness, in his humanness (Mark 15:31, Col 1:22), but he refused to save himself. God does not save Christ from death but remains silent until he climactically resurrects him from death. For Paul, his weakness is his death, it is sharing in Christ’s death, but that then allows us to live in his resurrected power (v. 9) for we are resurrected with Christ. God’s power being perfected in our weakness means that when we die to ourselves we have a real power—a life giving power.
So when we are faced with our problems and frailty, where do we turn? Is our hope in science, medicine, last Tuesday’s election? Do we turn to a false religion of good deeds or legalism? Or do we turn to our Savior who actually has the power to save? We are not as strong and powerful as we think, so let us come as little children in our frailty and weakness, and thus truly and powerfully live.
Posted by Aaron
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
2 Corinthians 1: Life Happens
Life happens. Bad things come our way. Circumstances go south. Relationships break down. When that happens, how do you process it?
I’ve noticed this: When life happens to me, I’m gracious. I give myself the benefit of the doubt. I’m not a bad person, I just live in a fallen world.
But when life happens to others, I’m sometimes judgmental. I think they should get their act together. I’m tempted to perceive weakness, character flaws, or simple folly in the other person that has produced the chaos in their lives.
The Corinthians seemed to think of Paul in this way. He was constantly in trouble as he traveled about telling others of Christ—wasn’t that evidence that he had issues? If he were a better person he wouldn’t bring so much difficulty on himself. If he really had God’s blessing life would be easier.
And then Paul changed his travel plans, not visiting Corinth as he had planned. Again, flakiness. What kind of authoritative apostle does this? Maybe this whole Gospel enterprise is a fly-by-night operation.
Paul writes 2 Corinthians largely to address such issues and to defend his ministry. From the start, Paul puts a Spiritual perspective on all the happenings of his life. Persecution? It’s because we suffer to spread the Gospel just as Jesus suffered. Changing plans? It’s because life happens and wise people follow God’s leading.
“But be assured of this,” Paul basically says, “although life is uncertain, God is not.” Although life is hard, God is good. Although circumstances change, God never does. He comforts us so we can comfort others. He saves us, time and again, so we will always rely on him. He makes solid promises to us, the fulfillment of which is always an iron-clad YES in Christ. Never take pride in how put-together your life is. And never look down on the chaos in others. Life happens. But we take our stand in God—and help others stand firm in him.
I’ve noticed this: When life happens to me, I’m gracious. I give myself the benefit of the doubt. I’m not a bad person, I just live in a fallen world.
But when life happens to others, I’m sometimes judgmental. I think they should get their act together. I’m tempted to perceive weakness, character flaws, or simple folly in the other person that has produced the chaos in their lives.
The Corinthians seemed to think of Paul in this way. He was constantly in trouble as he traveled about telling others of Christ—wasn’t that evidence that he had issues? If he were a better person he wouldn’t bring so much difficulty on himself. If he really had God’s blessing life would be easier.
And then Paul changed his travel plans, not visiting Corinth as he had planned. Again, flakiness. What kind of authoritative apostle does this? Maybe this whole Gospel enterprise is a fly-by-night operation.
Paul writes 2 Corinthians largely to address such issues and to defend his ministry. From the start, Paul puts a Spiritual perspective on all the happenings of his life. Persecution? It’s because we suffer to spread the Gospel just as Jesus suffered. Changing plans? It’s because life happens and wise people follow God’s leading.
“But be assured of this,” Paul basically says, “although life is uncertain, God is not.” Although life is hard, God is good. Although circumstances change, God never does. He comforts us so we can comfort others. He saves us, time and again, so we will always rely on him. He makes solid promises to us, the fulfillment of which is always an iron-clad YES in Christ. Never take pride in how put-together your life is. And never look down on the chaos in others. Life happens. But we take our stand in God—and help others stand firm in him.
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