FAITH UNDER FIRE
Opening Prayer
Lord, make me as spiritually durable as Paul.
Read 2 CORINTHIANS 6:3–13
Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
New International Version (NIV)
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Meditate
Spend some time reflecting on who you are in Christ, using 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 21 to help you.
Think Further
Paul’s passionate defense of his ministry gives us a window into his character and lifestyle. He is pure, patient, kind and loving. He speaks truly, works diligently, and fights the devil passionately. Most of all, he is “genuine,” or we might say “authentic” (5–7). Paul is the antithesis of the smooth-talking, double-dealing, “super-apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11) who oppose him. In place of spin and sleight of hand, he offers straight talk and transparency. In modeling these Christ-like qualities, he is an example for all Christians today.
One of the striking things about Paul is the way he displays these qualities in the midst of extraordinary, sustained pressure. He endures through numerous hardships and difficulties (4). I heard of a Christian leader who once deliberately shook a table on which several drinks had been placed, spilling the drinks. He asked the startled people, “When someone shakes you, what comes out?” Paul has been repeatedly shaken by terrible trials. What has “spilled” out of him, time and again, is the love of Christ. And yet, he remains unshakable in the classic sense of the term.
What is his secret? First, he knows that he possesses “everything,” despite appearances to the contrary (10). This is not so much a reference to his calling as an apostle, although he counts this a great privilege. Rather, it is the simple yet profound truth that he is a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). It is his status as a Christian believer that makes Paul “rich” and leads him to rejoice (10). Second, he knows God’s power (6,7). Amazingly, thanks to the indwelling of the Spirit, he can survive and indeed thrive in his incredibly demanding work. We will have different callings from Paul, yet we have the same status and the same power. Consequently, we too can continue to do God’s work in God’s way, rejoicing as we do so.
Apply
Lift to God the pressures you face currently. Ask God to fill you with his Spirit that you may know his power.
Closing prayer
Lord, help us to give no offense in anything, that Your Gospel not be blasphemed as we continue to labor for You in a hostile environment.
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