2 Corinthians 10:1-18

(2 Corinthians 10:1-18)

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:  But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.  Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:  That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.  For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:  Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,  To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.  But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.  For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

 

These are words of defense against Paul's apostolate. There were people in the Corinthian church who said about Paul that Paul was a cowardly, double, and fleshly lust. Therefore, they said that Paul was not an apostle of God. Nevertheless, Paul said he would boldly treat those who said it with the apostle's qualifications and authority. Why, then, did Paul say that he would deal with such people boldly with the assurance of his apostleship without being discouraged by such slander and contempt? It is because Paul's life has already proved to be an apostle. Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 9:2, "I am not an apostle to others, but to you I am an apostle." followers of me. 』,『Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. I said.

 

God's apostleship is life itself. Life proves the person's identity and reality. His attitude toward people, the content of his words, the details of the use of materials, the direction of his mind, the purpose and direction of life, etc. his life reveals the reality of his existence. This is because all believers who are called by Christ have a different way of life due to their relationship with the Lord.

 

『For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 』 In the words that follow, Paul speaks of quarrels and obedience. There is something we have to fight. And that fight is not a physical fight, but a spiritual fight, and ultimately requires submission to God.

 

Paul is refuting the adversaries. Paul's letter was weighty and powerful, but there were people who said that when dealing directly with him, he was weak and he couldn't change his speech. Paul's enemies blinded the eyes of the members of the Corinthian church and criticized him. They made people judge by appearance and accused Paul of being authoritative and that his writings and reality were different. Paul warns against being a fool who, as his standard, judges, compares, and praises himself.

 

There is an unsense fight in this world. However, the saints do not fight in the way of the world. Saints learn to fight as the Lord leads them. Only the power of God to break down any solid progress. Losing the fight is a problem between God and us. Those who live a wise life first seek heavenly things. Life on this earth is not a goal, it is an outcome. The spiritual battle is in the mind. Innocent Eve became an independent being who tried to answer what Satan said without asking God. What Satan aims for is to make you think without God. So we should not answer Satan's questions. Ignoring Satan's question is winning.

 

Although we face many tests, it is repentance to respond to the Lord in temptations. Eve reacted to Satan. In Genesis 3:1-5, 『Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.』

 

When we respond to Satan's words, we try to do what he says, "Be like God" is true. It has already fallen. It is not sin, it is disobedience. The root of sin is disobedience. What Satan aims for is thoughts. Whatever the circumstances and problems we have, we must focus our thoughts on the Lord. When bitten by a fiery snake, poison enters your mind. That is why Satan makes him dominate the thought of "dying", but God says in his mind, "He who looks at the brass serpent will live." We too can be bitten by snakes because of disobedience. Under the influence of snake poison. So we can live only by looking at the Lord who is crucified. We cannot overcome Satan without the knowledge of knowing God.

 

It's like the story of Adam or the story of ten spies. When the ten spies didn't see Anakjason, fear came in. God said, "I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey", but the body reacts first. No matter how much Bible knowledge and prayer we have in our church life, if our body responds first, we fall. Stories like this apply not only to Eve, but also to numerous stories in the Garden of Eden. Jacob is also living in the house of his maternal uncle Laban, and God said, "Go back home, I will be with you", but he sees in the Jabbok River that he is afraid of his brother Esau and cannot cross the river. Even if you listen to the voice of God and have the word of promise, it will be useless if your thoughts are dominated by the things of the world.

 

We must realize that the seed is not the problem, the field is the problem. We know the promise of receiving the seeds of new life, but it is useless unless we are born with a spiritual body. We know the word of God's promise, but we are still stuck in sin. They say that they repent of their sins every day, but they cannot live a life of obedience to God because they believe that ``the blood of Jesus will solve all things'', and the blood of Jesus is more important than the word of God. Even if they sin, there is the blood of Jesus. Does it make sense? The blood of Jesus is necessary in order not to sin anymore, but it is used only as a cleaning tool for sin. The first thing is to be united with the death of the cross. Then the blood is applied. If you look at it without dying with Jesus, the blood does not apply. There is the word of God, because man's thoughts and reason react first.

 

In 1 John 3:8-9, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 』 One's own experience and reason respond before God's Word. People think, "How can a person not sin?" If they are not born again, they are correct. If they are not born of God, they are all living in the flesh inherited from their parents. So they have no choice but to sin.

 

People rely on the simple saying, “If I believe in Jesus, I will go to heaven”, but because they think about being born again as a change of mind, they interpret the problem of sin as they think. To be born again means to be born of God. People think that they are born again, but they think, "A man has no choice but to sin." Why are you thinking that way? Because you are obsessed with the thoughts that Satan gives you. Although he was saved by faith, he thinks that he is "a being who has no choice but to be a person."

 

Like ten spies, we can live only by responding to the word of God's promise, not to the eyes of the flesh. In order for us to be born again, the old man must die before we can be born again into a spiritual body. The first thing is to be united with Jesus' death before Jesus' blood is applied. The dead are free from sin. God buys sinners from Satan at the price of Jesus' blood. So, to solve the problem of sin is to first be united with Jesus' death. Then God will forgive all sins with the blood of Jesus.

 

In the Garden of Eden, God said, “If you eat the fruit of the tree that knows good and evil, you will die.” Satan deceived Eve, saying, "If you eat the fruit of the tree, you can become like God." He made her think of Eve as the fruit of a mysterious, spiritual, and spiritual tree. But through the tree, God tells us. The tree becomes like a symbol of God's Word (law). Because looking at the tree, think of God's Word (goodness). And while looking at the tree, think about who Satan is (evil). Satan's goal is to get rid of its fruit (the Word).

 

 So Satan makes people think of the fruit as "the fruit of power." It is to deceive that you can become like God. You can know the truth only in front of the Word of God. Satan's thoughts lead us to live a life in which he is the master of ``I can become like God.'' The word ``Deny yourself'' tells us that we must remove the roots of evil planted by Satan. The root of evil, which is the original sin (sin nature), continues to be passed down from ancestors to descendants. Now I have to quit. We must take off the clothes of the old man, put on a new life from heaven, and be reborn as a spiritual body. In Romans 6:4『Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 』

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:2-4『But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 』 Today we can see how crowded the word of God is in many churches. Obedience to the word of God's truth and keeping your mind will be the way to win spiritual battles.