Month: September 2013

Romans 3

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Good News. Bad News.

Romans 3

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. – Romans 3:22 NLT

We’ve all heard plenty of “good news – bad news” jokes. They usually start out with the statement, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.” In a way, that is exactly what Paul is saying in his letter to the Roman believers. Except that his message was anything but funny. He had good news for them, which they had already heard and believed. But he also wanted to make sure they grasped the bad news that “all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin” (Romans 3:9b NLT). Paul was addressing a common misconception that still exists today. In his day, the Jews believed that because they were the chosen people of God, they were exempt from God’s wrath. They saw themselves as a privileged people and because of their position as God’s chosen race, He was somehow obligated to protect and preserve them, regardless of what they did. They put so much stock on the faithfulness of God, that they twisted it into some kind of blind allegiance to them, that would overlook their failures and bless them, in spite of them. In other words, their sins would somehow be ignored by God, just because they were His chosen people.

But Paul doesn’t mince words when he exposes the fallacy in their argument, and he uses the writings of King David to make his point. “No one is righteous – not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away, all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). That is the bad news. And just to make sure that there is no confusion as to just how bad the bad news is, Paul reinforces it with these familiar and powerful words: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). You can’t make it any clearer than that. Everyone has sinned. There are not exemptions and exceptions. All men have failed to live up to God’s glorious standard. The Jews, because they had been given the law by God, somehow thought that was enough. Earlier in this letter, Paul had addressed the Jews directly. “You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law” (Romans 2:17-18 NLT). But here’s the problem: “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it” (Romans 2:23 NLT). They knew the law, but didn’t keep it. They knew what God expected, but failed to meet those expectations. And they stood condemned, just like the Gentiles.

But here’s the Good News. In spite of all men, whether Jew or Gentile, having sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous standard, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:24-25 NLT). All men can be made right with God, not by keeping the law, but by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Their sinfulness was rebellion against a holy God, and Romans 6:23 tells us that the penalty for that rebellion was death. Yet Jesus paid our penalty in full with His own life. He took our place. He bore our burden. He died the death we deserved and then made available to us a righteousness we could never have achieved on our own. He made us right with God. “He declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:26b NLT). That is incredibly Good News. And it all that much greater when we realize just how bad the bad news really is. None of us deserve God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness. None of us can boast, because we have done nothing to be accepted by God. The restoration of our right standing with God is all the result of His grace and Christ’s sacrifice. “We are made right with God through faith” (Romans 3:28 NLT). Now, that truly is Good News!

Father, never let me take for granted the Good News about Jesus Christ. Don’t let me ever assume that I somehow deserved Your grace and mercy. Keep my former sinful state seared into my brain. Yes, I am forgiven, redeemed and restored to a right relationship with You. But don’t ever let me forget that it was my sins that sent Jesus to the cross. It was for my sins that He died. My sins required that You give up Your own Son and that He willingly sacrifice His own life. I deserved death, but He took my place. My condemnation was real. My guilt was deserved. But I am right with You, because of what Jesus did for me. Thank You. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 2:17-29

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A Change of Heart.

Romans 2:17-29

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. – Romans 2:29 NLT

Paul now takes his argument straight to the Jewish people. And he knew a thing or two about what it meant to be a Jew. Paul was born a Jew, raised in a conservative Jewish household where he was taught the Law, and, ultimately, Paul became a member of the Pharisees, a leading Jewish religious sect. He was an expert in the Law and a fervent advocate of obedience to the Law. He had been circumcised as a child and trained by Gamaliel, one of the leading rabbinical scholars of his day. So Paul was no slouch when it came to the topic of Judaism.

But his point, as it has been all along in his letter, was that the Jews were just as guilty as the Gentiles when it came to their sin and failure to meet God’s righteous standards. In this section, Paul is not talking to any particular Jew, but seems to be addressing the nation of the Jews in general. “You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him” (Romans 2:17 NLT). Paul knew quite well that the Jewish people took special pride in their unique relationship with God. They understood themselves to be the apple of God’s eye – His special people – the chosen race. And they were right. God had chosen them from among all the peoples of the world to be His – to bear His name and to receive His law. God had showered them with His blessings and made countless promises to them. But they had somehow misunderstood God’s intent and had begun to believe that their Jewishness was what made them special. They mistakenly believed that just being a member of the Hebrew race was enough to guarantee a right standing with God. But all the way back in the book of Deuteronomy, God had made it clear why He had chosen them to begin with: “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love upon you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples; but it is because the LORD loves you, and is keeping the oath which he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8 NLT).

In that same section of Scripture, God goes on to warn the Israelites that they must keep His commandments. He expected obedience and adherence to His laws. And over the centuries, the Jewish people had repeatedly broken God’s commands, refusing to live in obedience and submission to Him. For the Jews, it had become enough that they had been given the Mosaic Law. The fact that they didn’t really keep the law seemed to be a mute point to them. It was simply enough that they were Jewish and therefore, God’s chosen people. The average Jew in Paul’s day had become self-righteous and smug, believing that his Jewish heritage was all that he needed to escape the wrath of God. Everyone else was guilty and stood condemned because they were Gentiles, or non-Jews. But God had chosen the Jews that they might be a light to the Gentiles. He had given them His law so that they would know what He expected of mankind, and they were to live out that law in front of the Gentiles, showing them how the people of God were to live. But Paul bluntly accuses them, “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you” (Romans 2:23-24 NLT).

For Paul, the issue was one of the heart. God is looking for Jews who are not just circumcised in their flesh, but in their heart. God is interested in Jews who are completed Jews, having placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior. Adherence to the Law and membership in the Jewish race was not going to be enough to save them. In fact, the Jew stood under greater condemnation because he had been given the law and knew what God’s divine expectations were, but had failed to keep them. “The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile” (Romans 2:25 NLT). The Jew, like the Gentile, stood guilty before God and in need of a Savior. God had sent His Son to save all men, Jews and Gentiles alike. And all men needed to understand their guilt and embrace the grace made available by God through His Son’s death on the cross. God was looking for Jews whose hearts had been made right with Him. “…a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God” (Romans 2:29 NLT). The Jewish nation, the chosen people of God, still needed the same solution to their sin problem required by every other person. They needed a Savior. They needed to be made right with God, not based on some self-made righteousness or special standing, but through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Father, how easy it is to somehow think that we deserve Your grace and mercy. The Jews had become convinced that You were somehow obligated to accept them based on their ethnic background. They mistakenly believed that their Jewishness was all the justification they needed. But their hearts were just as guilty as anyone elses and they stood condemned just like every other individual. You are no respecter of persons. You are fair and just in Your treatment of all men. And Your offer of salvation is available to anyone who willingly accepts it, regardless of their race, religion, income status or any other man-made criteria. Thank You for Your grace that is available to all. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 2:1-16

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Blown Away By the Kindness of God.

Romans 2:1-16

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? – Romans 1:4 NLT

God is angry with the sin of mankind. Paul made that painfully clear in the opening section of this letter. God has clearly revealed His existence through the natural revelation of His creation, so mankind is without excuse. From the beginning men have been able to see the handiwork and evidence of God’s existence through all that He has made. The very fact that humanity has always been predisposed to acknowledge the existence of some sort of supreme being gives credence to Paul’s assertion that He is knowable and accessible. And while mankind has had ample evidence of the existence of God, they have consistently refused to worship Him as God or show Him the gratitude He deserves. Instead, they worshiped the creation rather than the Creator. They turned to man-made idols and lifeless substitutes for the living God. They traded the truth about God for a lie. And so God turned them over to pursue their own selfish, sinful desires. The result has been a litany of destructive habits and unrighteous behaviors that demand God’s judgment. All men are guilty of rebelling against God. All men deserve the wrath of God.

But there are always those who arrogantly view themselves as above reproach and somehow excluded from guilt. They don’t see themselves as included in the list Paul gives in verses 26-31. In fact, they are the ones who point their fingers at everyone else, condemning their behavior, while smugly justifying their own. But Paul says, “When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things” (Romans 2:1b NLT). Paul is addressing that self-righteous, self-made individual who somehow believes he is worthy of God’s love, mercy and grace. This tends to be the religious person who thinks that he has a special relationship with God and views everyone else as lost and condemned because of their ignorance and unbelief. But Paul reminds them, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4 NLT). Rather than recognize the incredible tolerance of God, they arrogantly continue to believe that they somehow deserve God’s love and mercy. Instead of acknowledging their sin and confessing it before God, they stubbornly continue to live in a fantasy world where they are somehow better than everyone else and more deserving of God’s favor.

So Paul attempts to break the bad news that judgment is coming. There will be a day when God holds every man and woman accountable for the way they have lived their life. Both Jews and Gentiles will have to answer to God for the outcome of their lives. “He will judge everyone according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6 NLT). “There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil – for the Jew first and also for the Gentile” (Romans 2:9 NLT). No one will escape. Unless of course you are able to “do good,” and keep God’s law perfectly and completely. But no one does good, not a single one. Paul will go on to stress this important point in chapter three. “No one is righteous – not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Jew or a Gentile. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re a sinner or view yourself as a saint. The same outcome awaits everyone who sins, and according to Scripture, “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But over the centuries, God has continued to show His kindness and tolerance toward mankind. He has withheld His judgment and continued to extend His mercy, offering all men the free gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. According to Paul, it is the kindness of God that is intended to turn us from our sin. His tolerance and patience, in spite of our sin, should drive us to Him. We’re all guilty and we can’t save ourselves. We’re all condemned and can’t escape the verdict for our crimes against God. Unless we can keep His law perfectly and completely, we can’t be made right with God. And we must recognize the reality that, apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ, every single human being will one day stand before God in judgment. And the sooner men come to grips with that reality, the sooner they will seek and savor the kindness of God made available through the substitionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. “This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10 NLT).

Father, Your kindness is amazing. Your patience with mankind is unbelievable. You have every right to destroy that which You made. Sin and rebellion against You leave every man and woman guilty and deserving of Your just and righteous wrath. Yet you continue to show them love, mercy, and kindness. You continue to extend the offer of Your Son. Never let me lose sight of just how kind and patient You have been to me. I am no more deserving of Your love and grace than any other person who has ever lived. So thank You! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 1:18-32

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God Substitutes.

Romans 1:18-32

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. – Romans 1:25 NLT

While Paul relished the the Good News that man could be made right with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ, he was also painfully aware of the bad news surrounding the state of mankind. The next section of his letter paints a very bleak picture of just how bad things had become in the world. God was angry with men, and justifiably so. They had long ago abandoned any idea of acknowledging His presence or obeying His commands. Ever since Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden, rejecting God’s authority over their lives, man’s moral descent had been a rapid one. While the very nature and attributes of God could be seen all around them, most explicitly through His creation, they refused to acknowledge Him as God. Instead, relying on their limited intellects and sin-infected reasoning capacities, they began to develop their own concept of God. Rather than worship the One who created all that they could see, they began to worship those things He had created. They missed the point. They lost their focus. They became distracted by the temporal, rather than see the eternal. Over time, their minds became darkened and confused. Their sinful pride and arrogance led them to believe they were wise, while in reality, they were nothing but misguided fools.

“So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired” (Romans 1:24 NLT). He handed them over. He took His hand off the wheel, so to speak, and allowed them to do what they wanted to do. This is one of the saddest statements in Scripture. It is also one of the scariest. Man, left to his own, evil devices, is a disaster waiting to happen. Without God’s restraining hand in place, man will self-destruct, which is exactly what happened. Devoid of God’s moral boundaries in place, mankind quickly steered off course. Their behavior degraded quickly, as they exchanged the truth about God for a lie. They worshiped the creation rather than the Creator. They saw more value in themselves than in the One who had made them. With no moral compass to guide them, their sins became increasingly more bold and base, while their behavior became increasingly more man-centered rather than God-centered. “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done” (Romans 1:28 NLT).

Things had gotten bad. “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip” (Romans 1:29 NLT). The state of affairs could not have been any worse. But this bleak and foreboding picture is exactly what Paul wants his readers to wrestle with. He wants them to understand just how bad things had become and just how dire the circumstances were when God determined to step back in and fix the problem. When God had turned mankind over to seek their own selfish, sinful desires, He had not done so permanently. He had not abandoned them forever. He had a plan in place and was only waiting for just the right moment to introduce His solution to man’s problem. While God had every right to mete out punishment on mankind for their sin and open rebellion against Him, He chose to show mercy and grace. Mankind stood as guilty and without excuse for their rejection of God, and He would have been just and right to punish them for their actions. The world had become God-less and unrighteous. Yet God would solve their unrighteousness by introducing a righteousness of His own. He would reinsert Himself into the scenario once again – this time in the form of the Son of God in human flesh. Righteousness would invade unrighteousness. The true God would reveal Himself in the midst of rampant godlessness. That is the Good News that Paul will talk about throughout the rest of this letter. “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life'” (Romans 1:17 NLT). In the midst of man’s hopelessness, helplessness, sinfulness, and godlessness, God intervened and provided a gracious, merciful solution that should leave everyone of us blown away and eternally grateful.

Father, even as bad as things had become, You never truly abandoned us. You allowed us to follow our own sinful inclination and proved to us just how desperately we need You. Without You, we are doomed to destruction. We will self-destruct. We will destroy ourselves and all that You have made. And yet, You had a solution and You introduced that solution at the peak of our sinfulness – in spite of our sinfulness. While we were yet sinners, You sent Your Son to die for us. That is amazing. It is mind-boggling. And it is truly Good News! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 1:1-17

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Right With God.

Romans 1:1-17

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:17 NLT

It’s not hard to tell what Paul has on his mind as he launches his letter to the believers in Rome. Seven times in seventeen verses he brings up the topic of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This was a favorite topic of Paul’s and he never grew tired of writing and talking about it. But his interest was far more than academic. The Good News truly was great news to Paul because it had transformed his life in a real and radical way. At one time he had been a paid persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ, arresting Christians and throwing them in prison. He was determined to destroy Christianity and everyone who confessed to follow the teachings of Jesus. He was on his way to the city of Damascus to continue his personal vendetta against “The Way,” when he had a personal encounter with the resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His recounting of the story is recorded in Acts 26, where he is on trial before King Agrippa. “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the son shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

“‘Who are you, lord? I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.'” (Acts 26:12-18 NLT).

At that moment, Paul’s life was radically changed and he would never be the same man again. He became one of the greatest witnesses for the transforming power of Christ and spread the message of the Good News found through faith in Christ throughout the known world of his day. Paul knew the power of the Good News. He had experienced it first hand. He had been called and commissioned by Jesus Himself to tell of this Good News to each and every person he met, and he did so unashamedly and unapologetically. The essence of the Good News and what makes its message great is that it contains the key to men being made right with God. Paul knew that apart from the Good News, there was nothing but bad news in store for all men and women. Throughout this letter, Paul would remind his readers over and over that there was only one way for them to be made right with God. And it was through faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of good works, religious efforts, or behaviorial change would fix what was wrong between them and God. They were all sinners and all faced the same dire prognosis. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). They all faced the same fate. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a NLT).

But Paul had Good News. “…but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b NLT). The Good News was that God had provided a way for men to be restored to a right relationship with Him. He had provided a solution to the problem of sin and the penalty of death. He had sent His own Son to die in the place of men, sacrificing His own sinless life in order to pay the penalty for their sins and satisfy the just demands of a holy, righteous God. And all anyone had to do was accept the reality of that fact and believe it to be true for them – by faith. Paul will spend the rest of his time in this letter, painting the very real picture of the bad news and proclaiming the unbelievable reality of the Good News. This letter will be deeply personal, incredibly theological and highly practical. It will reveal the incredible mind of the apostle Paul and his passionate desire to see all believers grow in their knowledge of Christ and experience the full scope of the life-changing nature of the Good News. Read it slowly, thoughtfully and deliberately. Ask God to give you a deeper love and appreciation for the Good News than you have ever had before.

Father, make the Good News truly great in our lives. Don’t let us become complacent about this greatest of all gifts. Drive into our minds the reality of the bad news so that we might better appreciate the unbelievable beauty of the Good News. We have been made right with You and we played no part in it whatsoever. Don’t let us take that for granted. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

2 Corinthians 13

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Test Yourself.

2 Corinthians 13

Examine yourself to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. – 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT

There comes the time in every believer’s life when they must examine themselves and determine whether what they say they believe is making a difference in the way they live their lives. In this passage, Paul is not calling into question his readers’ salvation, but their sanctification. Did their lives demonstrate that they were in the faith? Did their behavior give evidence or having been justified by God? Paul wanted them to do what was right. For twelve chapters, Paul seemed to take their salvation for granted, speaking to them as believers and never questioning the validity of their position in Christ. So it doesn’t make sense that he would suddenly become suspect of their saving relationship with Christ. Instead, he is asking them to take stock of their salvation and examine the fruit of their lives. Were their actions in keeping with their faith? The NSRV translation of verse five reads this way: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith.” One of the key evidences of sanctification is obedience. Paul wanted them to take a long, hard look at their lives and be brutally honest about their own fruitfulness. He wanted them to see that the problem was not with Paul and his apostolic authority, but with them. They were disobedient and rebellious, refusing to accept Paul’s correction or submit to his authority in their lives. So Paul plead with them to “do the right thing before we come” (2 Corinthians 13:7b NLT). He wanted them to see the error of their way and repent before he had to come and deal with their rebellion first-hand. If forced to, he would wield his apostolic authority when he arrived, but preferred that they would do a serious self-examination and correct their behavior before he arrived. Paul’s prayer was that they would become mature and do the right thing.

One of the things that had set Paul off was that there were some in the Corinthian church who were demanding that Paul give them proof that he was speaking on behalf of Christ. So Paul turned the tables and demanded that they give proof of their own sanctification. He told them to examine themselves and give proof that they were living in obedience to Christ by doing the right thing. Rather than test Paul, they needed to spend some time testing themselves. He was not the problem, they were. “The logic of Paul’s argument is compelling: If the Corinthians wanted proof of whether Paul’s ministry was from Christ, they must look at themselves, not him, because Paul had ministered the gospel to them” (Bibliotheca Sacra 154:614,April-June 1997: 181). They were in Christ, now they must act like it. They had been justified and made right with God by Christ, now their lives must reflect that right standing by doing the right thing. Paul was calling them to Christian maturity. He wanted them to grow up in their faith. Rather than questioning their salvation, Paul is calling them to sanctification. He closes his letter with these words: “Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. then the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11 NLT). When all was said and done, Paul simply wanted to see the Corinthians living obedient, godly lives. Their willing submission to his God-given authority would be ample proof of both his divine calling and their own sanctification.

Father, what a great reminder that I must examine my own life on a regular basis to see if the fruit of my own sanctification is evident. Too often, I am content to rest in the assurance of my salvation, and then fail to see that salvation producing true life change. Never let me grow content with where I am. Keep me striving after godliness, not to earn favor in Your sight, but because I expect life transformation to take place each and every day of my life. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

2 Corinthians 12

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Power In Weakness.

2 Corinthians 12

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

Paul continued to defend his credibility and the validity of his ministry and message. Yet he did so reluctantly. Bragging and boasting about himself didn’t come easy to Paul. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a lot to brag about. It was just that he knew that his ministry wasn’t about him, and by boasting about his own accomplishments, he was inadvertently taking credit for what God had done through him. So even Paul’s attempt to promote himself ended up focusing on his weaknesses instead of his strengths. Paul had every right to boast about his accomplishments, and everything he said would have been true. But he said, “I won’t do it., because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message” (2 Corinthians 12:6 NLT). In other words, Paul wanted his life to speak for itself. And for Paul, even the trials and tribulations of life were proof of his apostleship and his calling by God. He even viewed his “thorn in the flesh” as evidence of God’s handiwork in his life. We have no idea what this infirmity or affliction was. Paul doesn’t tell us. It could have physical or spiritual in nature. But we know that Paul prayed three different times that God would remove whatever it was from his life. Paul’s perspective on this problem was that, as bad as it was, God was using it to keep him from becoming proud. This thorn in the flesh was actually driving Paul closer and making him more dependent upon God. The loving Father’s response to Paul’s request that He remove this affliction forms the core of Paul’s outlook on life. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

Paul saw God’s grace even in his weaknesses and the daily struggles of life. Success or an absence of trouble was not how Paul measured the effectiveness of his life. He had come to view weakness as a blessing, not a curse. “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). Recognition and acceptance of our weakness allows us to take our expectations off of ourselves and place our hope in God. For Paul, it would have been foolish to brag about himself or boast in his own accomplishments. God was working in him and through him – in spite of him. His weaknesses had become God’s proving ground. Which is why he could say, “I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT). What a radically different perspective that is. Paul saw weakness as an opportunity to see God’s power on display. He was constantly amazed that the God of the universe would use someone as powerless and impotent as him to accomplish His mission on this earth. The very fact that Paul was undergoing persecution, rejection, pain and suffering were ample evidence to him that God was at work in his life. His ministry was growing, even while he was suffering. His influence was increasing, even while his strength was diminishing.

Somehow, we have come to believe that the life of a Christian should be trouble-free and easy-going. We expect our path to be clear and our skies to be sunny. So when a little bit of trouble comes our way, we are shocked and surprised. We become angry and upset. We question God and wonder why He is punishing us in this way. But Paul would encourage us to see our circumstances differently. He would tell us to view our perceived troubles as opportunities to watch God work. He would beg us to embrace our weakness and impotence and turn to God for help. And then we would understand that our weaknesses really do make us strong, because our strength would be coming from the Lord. Paul was proud of his weakness. He was even willing to boast about it. It was at his greatest point of need that Paul was able to witness the great power of God. His insufficiency became the opportunity to witness God’s power and sovereignty in his life.

Father, may I continue to learn to embrace my weakness and Your power. Pride is such a powerful force in my life. I want to be self-sufficient. I want to be strong. I want to be able to handle all the problems and difficulties of life on my own. So You allow trials and troubles to expose my insufficiency and reveal my powerlessness. Then I have to turn to You. And when I do, You always show up. I gain strength as I watch You work in ways that are beyond my own capacities. Thank You for this reminder that Your power works best in my weakness. As long as I think I have what it takes to make it in this world, I will never enjoy the power available to me through You. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

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No Comparison.

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. – 2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

Over the last two to three weeks, I have had two of my cars break down and require major, unexpected repairs. My father had to be admitted to the hospital on two separate occasions during that same time period. While he was there, the AC at his house went out requiring the replacement of the outside condenser unit. At the same time, the dishwasher and garbage disposal at my home both decided to call it quits. Then one of the cars I had just gotten out of the shop broke down on me as I was heading from the hospital back up to the church to teach a Bible study. It was the transmission this time. To say the least, it was not a fun few weeks. But as all this was taking place and I was reading through the letters of Paul, the thought dawned on me that I would have a hard time comparing war stories with the apostle Paul. If I tried to compare my difficulties with his, it would be like toddler trying to take on Mike Tyson. Talk about a mismatch.

In reading through 2nd Corinthians, we’ve reached an interesting place in the letter where we find Paul literally bragging about himself. It’s a somewhat awkward read and seems a bit unexpected from someone of Paul’s spiritual caliber. But there’s a method to Paul’s madness. He isn’t really bragging, but simply trying to make a point. There are those in Corinth who have questioned his authority as an apostle and his credibility as a teacher. A group of self-proclaimed apostles have shown up who are trying to discredit Paul, in order to elevate themselves in the minds of the people. As a result, they boast about their human achievements, wearing their curriculum vitae on their chest like a badge of honor. So Paul decides to fight fire with fire. He admits that he feels like a fool doing it, but if these men want to get into a battle based on comparative worth and worth, Paul is more than willing to oblige them. These people were putting high stock in their “Jewishness.” They were Hebrews and wanted everyone to know it. They believed their ethnicity gave them a leg up and made them more “Christian” than the Gentiles. But Paul assures his readers that he too is a Hebrew and an Israelite. He too is a card-carrying member chosen race and a descendant of Abraham. He is also a servant of Christ, just as they claim to be. In fact, he argues that he is a harder working servant of Christ and then he proceeds to give ample proof of his claim. What comes next is Paul’s laundry list of trials, troubles, difficulties and circumstantial setbacks. He had been imprisoned, beaten, whipped, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, gone without food and water, and nearly froze to death. On top of all that, Paul had the constant pressing responsibility for the spiritual well-being of all the churches he had helped start.

Paul was not some fly-by-night, headline-grabbing, attention-seeking, self-serving and self-proclaimed spokesman for God. He was the divinely appointed messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He had been called and commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself. But if they wanted to get into a war of one-up-man-ship, Paul was more than willing to oblige them. He admits that his boasting “is not from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 11:17 NLT), but he is doing it to validate his message and defend his authority as a spokesman for God. But one of the interesting things about Paul’s boasting is that he only boasted about his weaknesses, humiliations and sufferings. He wasn’t bragging about his intellectual prowess or oratorial skills. Paul boasted that he had suffered as a result of his ministry. He was not a success in the eyes of many because his life didn’t seem to have the trappings of success. Paul made it clear that if he was going to boast at all, it would be about all those things that reveal his own weakness and his need for God’s strength. Paul didn’t pat himself on the back for having accomplished great things for God. He simply listed all the things that had happened to him as he faithfully served God. The very fact that Paul was still at it, in spite of all that happened, was more than enough proof of God’s sustaining power and Paul’s divine authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ. God was at work in the midst of all the troubles. He was using Paul in spite of his weakness and countless obstacles. That was all the proof Paul needed. And it was all the proof he was going to give. Paul’s life was like that of Christ Himself. He suffered willingly and obediently. He sacrificed his comfort for the cause of the Gospel. He had learned to rely on God’s strength instead of his own. His life was marked by weakness and apparent failure, yet God was at work in him and through him. The Christian life is not a contest or cause for comparison. Our lives should reflect Christ and reveal the power of God at work in and around us. We should be able to boast about what God is doing in our lives. Our greatest testimony is a life of complete reliance on God. Nothing else compares.

Father, I want to continue to learn to boast about those things that reveal my weakness and Your strength. Don’t allow me to become too full of myself and in love with my own accomplishments. I am nothing without You. But I can do all things because of You. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

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Gullible, Tolerant, and Undiscerning.

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you believed. – 2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT

We live in the age of tolerance. The clear lines of distinction are becoming increasingly blurred. Right and wrong are subjective opinions, not objective realities. Truth is left up to the individual. Rules are restrictive and confining. Morals are old-fashioned and puritanistic. Everyone with access to the Internet has a ready-made platform for disseminating their version of the truth and demanding that their views be accepted, regardless of how indefensible or even reprehensible they may be. The general population is easily persuaded, and willingly duped into believing just about anything. This is a difficult age in which to live as a believer. Our views about Christ and the exclusive nature of the gospel message are deemed intolerant and inexcusable for this “enlightened” age in which we live. We are constantly being pressured to accept any and all opinions regarding everything from faith to the definition of the family. We are demanded to place human rights over what we believe the Bible teaches to be right. Even within the realm of Christianity, there are those who would have us accept their version of the gospel. They want to cherry-pick the Word of God and build a system of belief based on a few isolated passages that seem to support their own opinion. And if we speak out against them, we are labeled as unloving and intolerant.

Paul faced similar circumstances in the early days of the church. It had not taken long for Christianity to spread and for others to seize upon its growing popularity. Teachers and so-called “experts” were popping up everywhere, most of them teaching a version of the truth that contradicted what Paul had been teaching. They questioned his authority and tried to undermine his influence among the Corinthian believers. These men were persuasive, eloquent, and tended to teach a version of the “truth” that was more palatable and user-friendly. Paul, who had a vested interest in the spiritual well-being of the Corinthian church, had to watch from a distance as these “super apostles” wreaked havoc among the gullible and unsuspecting believers in Corinth. As far as Paul was concerned, the Christians in Corinth were eagerly and happily tolerating just about anything anyone wanted to teach them. Their ability to discern right from wrong and truth from fiction was negligible. He saw happening in Corinth exactly what he had warned Timothy about. “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT).

Paul made it painfully clear – these people were false apostles and “deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13 NLT). He compared them to Satan himself, who entraps people by disguising himself as an angel of light. These people were disguising themselves as servants of righteousness, but were really teaching unrighteousness, because their gospel was different from that which Christ came to bring. They had taken the message regarding Jesus and altered it to fit their own agenda. They sounded good. Their message was persuasive. Their content made sense. But it was false and, ultimately, dangerous. That’s why Paul warned Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT). The Word of God is to be our criteria for truth. And not just certain portions of the Word of God. ALL Scripture is inspired by God. We must take the Bible as a whole and not divide it into convenient parts that support our presuppositions or opinions. It is not up to us to define truth, then use the Scriptures to validate it. Our opinions must be influenced by the Word of God and not the other way around. Otherwise, we will end up as easy prey for those who would deceive and mislead us, telling us what we long to hear, while neglecting to tell us the truth that God has provided for us in His Word.

Father, protect us from our own gullibility and pride. We tend to listen for what we want to hear, rather than for what we need to hear. We prefer our version of the truth over Yours. We can be easily swayed to accept falsehood if it sounds plausible and pleasant. But You have called us to live according to Your Word and in keeping with Your truth. Make us students of Your Word and faithful defenders of Your truth, even if it brings us suffering and rejection. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

2 Corinthians 10

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On the Offensive.

2 Corinthians 10

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

Paul was under attack. There were those in Corinth who were questioning the legitimacy of his apostleship and causing others in the church to reject his authority. For Paul, this meant war. Not because he was prideful and in need of their praise and respect. He wasn’t upset because people were talking about him or even because they disliked him. It was all about his God-given authority and the integrity of the Gospel. Paul had been commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself as he lay by the side of the road to Damascus, having lost his sight due to the glory of the risen Lord. Jesus had told Paul that day, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized.  Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:14-16 NLT).

Ever since that day, Paul had been on a mission to fulfill his commission. The church in Corinth existed because Paul had obeyed God’s call on his life. He had told them about the life-changing, sin-cancelling, grace-giving salvation available through Jesus Christ. Paul had told them all that he had seen and heard. He had been a faithful, unfailing spokesman for God, and now his authority was being questioned. These new believers in Christ were being led to doubt Paul’s word and to reject his teachings as authoritative. Paul could have cared less about what they thought about him as a person, but when they stopped accepting his words as coming from God, he was forced to go on the offensive. He viewed this as a battle for the spiritual lives of the believers in Corinth. “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT). Paul was going to do everything in his power to tear down the false teachings and human presuppositions that were wreaking havoc on the church in Corinth. They may have been well-meaning, but their efforts had been destructive. By questioning Paul’s authority, they had led others to reject the very word of God. Paul knew that his authority had been given to him by God. He had been sent to Corinth by God. Everything he had taught them had been in keeping with the message given to him by Christ Himself. Paul had never strayed outside the boundaries of his God-given authority.

Paul had had to address some fairly difficult issues in his letters to the Corinthians. He had tackled some tough topics that probably offended many in the church there. He had dealt with moral and ethical issues. He had exposed areas of sin that they would have preferred had remained hidden. In his “severe letter” written some time between 1st and 2nd Corinthians, he had evidently addressed some topics that were difficult for the Corinthians to accept. But he had done it all as part of his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ. His ministry had never been a popularity contest. He wasn’t out to win friends and influence enemies. He was a messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he had been faithful to his calling. He had a right and responsibility to speak honestly and boldly, proclaiming not only the Good News of Jesus Christ, but the bad news regarding sin and its impact on the lives of men. Paul didn’t just preach salvation. He proclaimed sanctification. He made it painfully clear that a new life in Christ required a new way of living. Eternal life was to have temporal ramifications. An encounter with the Savior was to result in a change in behavior. Paul preached a message of sanctification or being set apart. He called the people of Corinth to live lives of distinctiveness, modeling what it means to be transformed by the power of God. And that was a message that was no less popular then as it is today. But Paul was willing to do battle over it. If the Gospel doesn’t transform lives here and now, it has no power. If it can’t make us new creations in this life, it doesn’t have the power to provide us with eternal life. That was a message Paul was willing to fight and die for. So should we.

Father, we sometimes shy away from saying those things we fear might come across as negative or unacceptable. We play it way too safe, mincing our words and lowering our expectations out of a fear of man. Give us the boldness and faithfulness of Paul. May we recognize that we too have been commissioned by God to deliver His message to a lost and dying world. Not only are we to call the lost to salvation, but the saved to sanctification. We are to call Your people to a life of distinctiveness. We have a God-given authority and responsibility to call one another to daily life change through the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us to live up to our calling, boldly and unapologetically.  Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org