Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

This morning as I stirred 2Corinthians 10 was impressed on me. The context of the letter refers to the fact that the apostle Paul was facing a group of people who were questioning his authority to speak to them. The letters he had written to them were scathing of their conduct towards each other (1Cor 6), their personal morality and self control (1Ccor 5) and their corporate responsibility when gathering around the Lord’s Table (1Cor 11:23ff). They were taken to task and referred to as children who were behaving no better than people of the world who has not had a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. In fact, they were using their spiritual gifts to create an elitist faction within the church (1Cor12).  The apostle’s letter to them was stern and forthright and hit the nail on the head. The outcome of this was the ‘more excellent way’ that was offered to them in 1Cor 13. Here they were commanded to underpin everything they did with love and encouraged in the conclusion that one day, everything, even the hidden things will be made plain to us.

On receipt of this letter it would appear that the Corinthians actually changed some of their practices. The problem arose though when they met the apostle. His stature belied the potency of the letters he had written and so the tension ensued. This is my encouragement for you today. irrespective of your physical stature, remember that the weapons of your warfare are not those used by the ordinary human being, but they are the invisible weapons of the “sword of the spirit”, “the shield of faith”, “the helmet of salvation”, “the breast plate of righteousness” and “the gospel of peace”. As the apostle Paul reminds us, this weaponry has the power to destroy arguments, pull down every stronghold that exalts itself over God and take captive every thought that questions the potency of the divinity and absolute awesomeness of our God. Our battle is fought on our knees. Our victory has already been won through Christ. So irrespective of your physical size or your societal status, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and allow him to demonstrate his power through you, rather than the other way round!

Read 2Corinthians 10, bearing in mind what I said above.