7 Dec 2009
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WELCOME BACK. I AM PASTOR DOUG. WE NOW CONTINUE WITH PART 159 IN OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS”.
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If you are following along with a Bible, please turn to 2Corinthians 6:7.
There we have the phrase, “…by the weapons for the right and for the left”.
“Weapons” is an English translation of the Greek word h-o-p-l-o-n, referring to an instrument or tool. In 2Corinthians 10:4, Paul elaborates further concerning these weapons of spiritual combat, noting that, “…for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses… .”
When Paul wrote that born again believers do not use the weapons of the flesh, the flesh here was a reference to the fallen nature in Man.
In modern day terminology, Paul was teaching that born again believers are not to react to spiritual attacks with what would be considered a normal or natural human reaction.
Normal or human reactions are products of the fallen nature within us.
Human rationalization has a tendency to self-justify the negative reactions we respond to adversity with by making such statements as it’s only natural that a person would react or respond that way.
The post salvation spiritual life is NOT about what comes natural to us, but what is doctrinally required of us, under the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit.
To be successful in the realm of spiritual combat, we must train ourselves to think and to respond doctrinally under the power of God the Holy Spirit, and thereby avoid the pitfalls that go along with the natural reactions that are motivated by the fallen nature within us.
In the phrase,“… for the right and for the left” of 2Corinthians 6:7, Paul was making reference to the defensive equipment in one hand and the offensive weapon in the other that were used in hand to hand combat by warriors in the ancient world. Paul was using this illustration as an analogy of spiritual warriors and spiritual combat.
In Ephesians 6: 11-17, Paul used this same analogy, but in even greater detail when he described the spiritual armor and weapons of spiritual combat. I will return to this subject when we study the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians at a later time.
In 2 Corinthians 6:8 Paul continues his letter and his description of the environment that the disciple and ambassador functions in on a daily basis, speaking of both the “glory” and the “dishonor”.
Anyone can play Church or be nice when everything is going their way, but God is glorified the most when born again believers respond doctrinally to such things as rejection and persecution that comes from the hostility of the fallen nature within themselves, and within those around them.
Paul writes in 2Corinthians 6:8 that there will be both evil reports and good reports made by the angelic, and demonic observers of the daily lives of the spiritual warriors’ successes and failures (Luke 15:7/Revelation 12:10).
Human observers will take note and pass along the latest news within the local community, and the media will turn it into a major news event when it concerns a celebrity.
Any believer who thinks that his/her DAILY life and activity is of no significance in this ongoing conflict between God and Satan is living in either ignorance or denial of the reality of these verses, and has no clue as to what the post salvation spiritual life is all about.
In the day and age in which we live, Christian wives, especially in the western world, are given daily opportunities to glorify God by honoring the marital authority of their husbands (1Corinthians 11:10) in the presence of angelic observers.
As with any opportunity, there is also the daily risk of failure and dishonoring God, as well.
I can’t think of a greater daily challenge to either male or female disciples than complying with the demands of Christian marriage in an increasingly godless society.
Coupling the requirements of Christian marriage with the no disputing or grumbling principle of Philippians 2:14, you can see why God the Holy Spirit chose to emphasize the presence of angelic observation in the marriage scenario of 1Corinthians 11:10.
In 2Corinithians 6:8 Paul speaks about how true disciples would be regarded as deceivers and yet true.
A disciple is and remains true to God as a result of consciously submitting to the filling of God the Holy Spirit throughout each and every day and including time set aside for the daily study of the Word of God.
Our souls are under constant bombardment from the devil’s world with all kinds of thoughts and suggestions that are going to be in agreement with the fallen nature within us, but are contrary to the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16).
If we do not counterattack this bombardment with daily time out and alone with the Word of God, then we are fools to think that the bombardment from the devil’s world is not going to have an impact on our thoughts and inevitable behavior.
Those with spiritual discernment can discern the evil agenda in all the various forms of media presentations and entertainment.
Spiritual people, at any age or stage of life are on a collision course with the promoters of human viewpoint and religion.
The people who are earthly oriented are too preoccupied with secular events and activity to have any genuine interest in the spiritual issues that are involved and taking place right under their noses.
Until the reality of how brief life here on earth is, or something threatens to bring their self-centered plans and world to an end, self-centered people have little concern, if any, for their spiritual well being.
Some play Church or do religious things for sake of the family, husband, wife, or children once a week, but there is no spiritual growth taking place or any production of divine good (Luke 8:14).
One of the most stunning realizations that an advancing disciple will discover is the intensity of the hostility that religious people have towards those who are truly spiritual.
It is the ones who are the most deceived who are the most resistant to even the suggestion that they are off the mark when it comes to true spirituality.
As the Word of God teaches (John 16:2), there will be those from within the religious community who will believe they are doing God a great service by persecuting the true disciples of the Lord.
Biblical and secular history has revealed that religious people are among the most violent and ruthless individuals and organizations on the face of this earth.
STOP
Pastor Doug Laird
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