Ready or Not

Similar to the Apostle Paul’s warning to the Corinthian church of his visit, we are reminded to prepare for the coming of Christ. What will Jesus find us doing when He returns? Will we be busy serving Him? Will we be reflecting the character of God?

Through teaching 2 Corinthians, I have gained a profound admiration and respect for the Apostle Paul, both for his character and his ministry. In spite of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual hardships, he was totally dedicated to doing God’s will. Because of his commitment to spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the gift of the local church and the written Word of God. Because of his willingness to be used of God, we have a better understanding and appreciation for the “Abounding Grace of God.”

We ought to embrace the grace of God with all of our heart, might, and spirit. His marvelous grace is sufficient for us each day and in every moment of our brief life on this earth.

This Bible study series has been one of the most challenging to teach, yet one of the most applicable to current situations in my life. I am extremely grateful for the privilege to present the awesome Word of God, which is relevant and applicable to every aspect of life.

May we be found faithful in every area of life when He comes.

Contend for the Faith

We are blessed by the Apostle Paul’s self-sacrificing life. It is because of his strong godly testimony that he effectively dealt with self-serving false teachers of 2 Corinthians 11 and defended the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The false teachers could not even hold a candle to Paul’s knowledge, experience, strength and love.

The Apostle Paul was not a smooth-talker like the Judaizers, but he knew, taught, and lived the truth of the gospel. He was passionate about his calling to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He endured much persecution, trials, hardships, and loneliness for the sake of spreading God’s fame.

We are reminded in Jude 1:3 and 4 to “earnestly contend for the faith” against false teachers who pervert the truth. There will come a time in our life, as believers, when we will need to defend our faith and stand for the truth. Contending for the faith requires us to have a strong Christian testimony.

The challenge for us believers is what can we do today to ensure a good testimony? The answer is for us to relentless pursue holiness, live with convictions, stand for the truth, always show grace, and meet trials with faith.

I am rebuked as I survey my life and acknowledge how inadequate my testimony is for my savior Jesus Christ. I wince at the thought of persecution, hardship, and rejection. Compared to the life of the Apostle Paul and persecuted brethren around the world today, I live a life of much comfort and ease. If I have but just a little bit of the courage, passion, wisdom and love that the Apostle Paul possessed, then I would have achieved something worthwhile in this life.

Marked Man

How has criticism affected your life? Are you better or worse because of criticism?

In our study of 2 Corinthians 10, we are blessed by the Apostle Paul’s example of handling criticism in a Christ-honoring way. He defended his apostolic authority for the sake of the Lord’s work in Corinth against unwarranted and ungodly accusations. He handled criticism with meekness, gentleness and firmness.

Christ is our ultimate example. He spoke as one having authority, yet He was meek and mild.

We are reminded that we are engaged in spiritual warfare and we must fight these attacks with spiritual weapons based upon the truth of Scripture and the relentless pursuit of holiness.

As we face criticism, we must endeavor to show Christ-like love because it is about reflecting the character of God. Whether we are giving or taking criticism, may it be out of a heart of love for one another. Seek to benefit others first (Philippians 2:3-4).

When we are attacked, pray for wisdom, strength, encouragement, and love. Secondly, go to God’s Word and know the truth – be sure you know what you believe and why. Thirdly, put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18).

In all of life’s trials and triumphs, let us glory in the Lord and not ourselves. Our boasting or praises should be aimed at God who is worthy. Two of my favorite verses, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Embrace the truth of God’s Word – learn it, love it and live it!

The Joy of Giving

This week’s lesson challenges us to be a cheerful giver. God approves of a giver who finds real pleasure in giving to the Lord’s work. Our giving should be deliberate. It should not be reluctant or compelled. It should be voluntary. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).

We find joy in giving because it glorifies God. When we give cheerfully unto the Lord our time, talents, and treasures, it reflects His character of love, holiness, righteousness and truth.

Our lesson concludes with a reminder to give God thanks for His indescribable gift of love – that of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor 9:15).

Counting the abundance of blessings God has bestowed upon us including the gift of salvation, ought to bring joy to our hearts every moment for the rest of our life. Almighty God has given us His very best through Jesus Christ, how can we contemplate giving back to Him less than our utmost?

Charity Begins in the Heart

This week’s lesson focuses on this question, “knowing that the Lord has given so much to you, including the sacrifice He made at Calvary, what will you offer Him today?”

In 2 Corinthians 8:1—15, we are inspired to give unto the Lord by four examples of giving. Though they were poor and suffered many afflictions, the believers in the Macedonian churches gave generously to the church in Jerusalem. The Corinthian church was encouraged to finish the collection they started a year ago to help the Jerusalem church.

The account of the gathering of manna taught us the principle of proportionate giving or equality – we are to give “according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” God never asks us to give more than we can afford; however, we can not afford to give less than what God has given to us. We cannot out give God.

The most powerful motivation for us to give is the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came to earth in poverty and died for us. For our sakes He became poor (2 Cor. 8:9). By His death we became rich. We have spiritual riches in abundance in Christ.

We must give of ourselves first and foremost to the Lord and through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit; we can give of our time, talents, and treasures.

As I survey my life, I am humbled, blessed, and grateful by God’s abounding grace. God has always met my needs and bestowed much more. Through the difficult times while growing up poor and without an earthly father, my Savior provided grace for each day and gave me hope for a brighter tomorrow. Today, I am a living testimony of His marvelous love, providence, and sovereignty in the lives of His children.

Do I dare to offer my Lord anything less than my best today?

True Repentance Brings Relief

As I reflect on our lesson this morning on Biblical confrontation and true repentance, I am rebuked by my weakness in not Biblically confronting fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord who have sinned. In addition, I am convicted of the need to genuinely repent of sins in my life and get right with Almighty God.

I am reminded of two wonderful verses in Psalms which inspire and humble me:

· “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

· “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

May we acknowledge the sovereignty of God in our lives and diligently pursue holiness till the end of our days. May we care enough for others to lovingly and Biblically confront them so they truly become sorrowful for their sin and be restored to the Lord. In the process, we may have helped to keep them from the gates of destruction.

In essence, Biblical confrontation and true repentance is critical to our spiritual growth. When we take steps to confront sin and help bring about repentance, the broken bridge in the relationship with God is rebuilt. The result is marvelous peace enveloping us when there is nothing between us and the Savior.

Unequally Yoked

Are you influencing the world, or is it influencing you?

In this week’s lesson we focus on gaining a proper understanding of Biblical separation and challenging one another to seek intimate fellowship with God. We can not serve two masters! (Mat. 6:24)

Biblical separation is not about missed opportunities or settling for second best. It is not about striving for the fleeting approval of others, temporal worldly success, or shallow relationships that lack common spiritual grounds.

You see, Biblical separation is about embracing wonderful opportunities each day to pursue intimate fellowship with God by a relentless pursuit of holiness, Godly love, and dedication to spreading the good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Along the way, we will gain spiritual victories, live powerful Christian lives, and effectively minister to the lost world.

The greatest gift we can give to someone is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the greatest influence we can have is to lead someone to Christ and challenge them to seek an intimate relationship with Almighty God.

Can we actually entertain thoughts of a mighty and awesome God who want us to settle for anything less than His very best? “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

The entire resources of the Kingdom of God are at our disposal to glorify Him in this life – accomplish extraordinary things and impact the world. We should never settle for less by building alliances with unrighteousness, darkness, evil, idols, unbelievers, or pretenders of the truth.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? {15} And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? {16} And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. {17} Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, {18} And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:14-18).

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).

Shining Forth

How well are you representing Christ today? Are your words, works, and will pleasing unto the Lord?

This week’s lesson reminds us of our responsibility as ambassadors for Christ. The key verse, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20), formally appoints us as an ambassador and requiring us to be right with God.

Every born again believer is appointed as an ambassador. The challenge for us is to accept the role and faithfully perform the ministry of reconciliation, which is to spread the message of the goods news of the Gospel. We are to be a beacon to the lost world – shining forth the light of the life-changing and soul-saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Mat 5:16).

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” reminds us of the awesome transforming power of Christ’s work on the cross. A true believer, not a pretender, is genuinely changed from the inside out. Holiness is not an option for the sincere believer – mere head knowledge of salvation is insufficient, there must be evidence of spiritual growth and the pursuit of holiness. There is no such thing as a carnal believer. (Mat. 7:20—23; Luke 6:46—49; Luke 13:23—28; John 15:8; 1 Peter 1:15,16). Let it not be one of us who should hear the Savior say, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat 7:23).

We are blessed by the Apostle Paul’s excellent example of being an effective representative of Christ throughout his ministry. His ministry was characterized by purity; spiritual wisdom or knowledge; kindness; long-suffering; empowered by the Spirit; genuine love; upheld the word of truth; relied on the power of God; and used the armor of righteousness – may our ministry be characterized by the same qualities.

Change of Address

It’ll be movin’ day! Are you ready?

One day, we will be with our Lord for all eternity.

This week we ponder the question, “How do we anticipate eternity?”

In our text, 2 Corinthians 5:1-15, we are reminded of the truth that someday believers will be free of physical ailments, trials, and troubles. Every Believer will receive a glorified body when Jesus raptures the church. Knowing that we will see the Savior and that our deeds and motives will be evaluated ought to motivate us to serve Him faithfully.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, it might surprise us who will be rewarded for faithfully serving the Lord. We will witness sincere, humble and diligent servants of God receiving their just rewards. You see, they toil faithfully behind the scenes for the glory of God rather than seeking their own or man’s approval. And then we will be blessed to see how they lay their crowns at the feet of Jesus.

Maybe we can catch a glimpse of believers’ faces full of shame because they served with improper attitudes and motives. Yet still, we may witness embarrassed believers who are unable to look into the eyes of the Savior due to their lack of service – they were simply hearers of the Word, but not doers.

As your life is reflected in the glowing image of Christ, you may be witnessing yourself. Will you be found faithful?

“And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” (2 Cor 5:15)

Hidden Treasure

Our lesson this week focused on the "Hidden Treasure" and 2 Corinthians 4. The treasure is the soul-saving and life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. We are challenged not to hide the treasure but to share it despite hardships, doubts, and fears within and around us.

What if no one was willing to share with you the gospel of Jesus Christ?

We are reminded of the "heart " of the apostle Paul for souls, the "hardships" he endured while passionately devoted to spreading the gospel, and the "hope" he cherished knowing there is a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). In light of eternity, the hardships of this life is but a fleeting moment of time. Someday, we will see our blessed Savior in all His splendid radiant glory.

Everyday people pass us by who do not know the Lord and are on their way to a Christ-less eternity. Who will tell them of the good news of the gospel? Will you go? (Matthew 28:19).

Give Me Liberty!

According to our key verse for this week, 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,” we are set free from the law of sin and death by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and made alive through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Various spiritual nuggets we can gather from our lesson this week in 2 Corinthians 3 include:

1. The testimony of changed lives is the strongest evidence of any ministry (verse 3).
2. Our sufficiency can only be found in Christ (verse 5). Spurgeon writes, ““Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim.”
3. In Christ there is freedom from the law (verse 17).
4. With the New Covenant (“testament” or “Gospel of Christ”) – verse 18:
1. All Believers can come before God;
2. All Believers can speak directly to God;
3. By spending time in God’s presence we are being changed from glory to glory, from one stage of glory to another; and
4. The better we get to know Him, the closer we resemble Him.

Praise God we have complete and direct access to all the resources of heaven to live holy, righteous, confident and spiritually successful lives. We are at liberty to do God's will and live as we ought because of His abounding grace.

Freedom that Truly Liberates

The 4th of July has always been a special day for me since I became a naturalized US citizen 20 years ago as a freshman in college. My family and I fled the ravages of the Vietnam War 33 years ago. Having to flee the onslaught of communism, I have a tremendous appreciation for the freedom and liberty of my adopted country.

I am a living testimony to the greatness of our God and the blessings He bestowed upon our land. With vast opportunities to succeed through hard work, dedication, and God's abounding grace, I have been wonderfully blessed. Growing up without an earthly father, facing financial as well as language and culture barriers, by God's grace I am enjoying the fruits of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Above all, I have the only freedom that really matters - being set free from the bondage of sin through Jesus Christ.

Even though we were few in numbers tonight in our Wednesday evening Bible study and prayer time, we had a blessed time in God's Word. Matthew 18:20 reminds us of Jesus' words, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Truly, Christ was in our midst tonight. I appreciate the folks who made an effort to gather in God's house when there were other Independence Day festivities to enjoy.

We were challenged to define and apply the principle of true freedom. True freedom is the acceptance of God's sovereignty in our lives to produce spiritual fruits. When we totally surrender to God Almighty, we are free from uncertainties, fears, and doubts. God is in control and we simply need to trust Him and be faithful in all things. We can dare to dream and accomplish great things for the glory of God. He can then use us in marvelous ways to impact our world.

To be free from the bondage of sin, live victoriously, and bear spiritual fruits, we must first and foremost accept Christ as Lord and Savior, know God through His Word, die daily to sin, submit continuously to His will, vigilantly maintain a pure heart, and determine to serve the Lord all our days.

True freedom is found only in submitting to Christ. Political, economic, or religious freedom is temporal; however, spiritual freedom is eternal and is not contingent on our circumstances - only on the condition of our heart.

Lesson 2: Sincerely Yours

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 1:12 - 2:17.

Key Verse: "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ" (2 Cor. 2:17).

Summary: Some members of the church at Corinth disputed Paul's claim to be an apostle. We examined Paul's claim to sincerely be an apostle of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Corinthian believers.

Theme: A godly life is the best answer to criticism.

Challenge to believers: Live sincerely in the sight of God. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

To ensure that you are living in God's eyes and not in the eyes of others:

1. Ask God to examine your heart
2. Deal with sins of the heart
3. Patiently endure criticism
4. Do not seek man's opinion as a stamp of approval

The Apostle Paul dealt with criticism and accusations leveled at his character with patience, wisdom, confidence and love. His patience and wisdom was in the sufficiency and trustworthiness of God's Word. His confidence was in the faithfulness of God's abounding grace through Jesus Christ. His love was for the Corinthian church and the ministry of God's Word in their lives.

Is the Word of God enough for you? Is His grace sufficient for you?

Hold eternity's view before your eyes.

Lesson 1: Comfort in Uncomfortable Trials

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.

Key Verses: 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4.

Theme: "God's gracious comfort makes it possible to respond to trials with peace and confidence."

Overview: The Apostle Paul offered praise to God for His gracious comfort. Paul explained that trials never exhaust God's comfort. Because He comforts us in our trials, we can respond to them properly.

Reflections:
Grace is divine favor bestowed upon us. Peace is the rest made possible by grace.

As followers of Christ, He is our only true source of lasting peace during the storms of life because He is "the Father of mercies" and "the God of all comfort."

Purposes for sufferings might include opportunities for us to help others, be reassured of Christ's ever presence in our lives, be an example for others, rely whole-heartedly upon God, pray, and give thanks.

Why do you value grace? peace?

What is significant about God as being the God of all comfort?

Application: Respond to trials with peace and confidence.

Assignment: Share how God's grace impacted you during trials and Bible verses that provided you comfort.

The Journey Begins

Welcome to Calvary Baptist's adult Sunday school class. Our new Bible study series is entitled, "Abounding Grace: The book of 2 Corinthians." Class materials are written by James T. Dyet from Regular Baptist Press, Schaumburg, Illinois.

By the conclusion of the class, I trust we can confidently answer the following questions:

• What lifts your spirit when you're down?
• What strengthens your hands when they tire?
• What keeps your faith firm when doubts assail?
• What keeps your hope bright when trials envelope you?
• What will free you from the bondage of sin?
  

It is God's amazing grace which restores brokenness in our lives, that gives us peace in the midst of the storm, strengthens our weary flesh, frees us from sin's enslavement, and provides hope, direction, and confidence as we view life through the power of God's Word.