I don’t know what it is that I’m suppose to learn or understand having this thorn in my side I only know it a plague to me but a plague that will ultimately make me in the image of God.
Hi Rick,
We are always beating ourselves up because of our weaknesses and our not doing better to rid ourselves of them... the point is to recognize our weaknesses for what they are. Here is the answer that Christ gave Paul for whatever his "thorn in the flesh" was, that he prayed 3 times for relief from.
2Cor 12:7 And lest I should be
exalted above measure (
haughty) by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be
exalted above measure (
haughty).
Note that haughty is the opposite of humble...
Ecc 1:13 ...it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.
Back to what Paul was saying.
2Cor 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
v. 9 And He said to me, "My
grace (G5485 -
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy)) is
sufficient (Strong's G714 -
be content, be enough, suffice, be sufficient) for you...
This first part of Christ's answer speaks of the grace, which is God's divine influence upon the heart that He shows towards us. Here is what Ray said about that in the Bible study 'Saved by Grace thru Faith.'
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5417.0.html -----------
So then we read Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace (divine influence upon the heart) which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I….” (1 Cor 15:10)
“Yet not I” what? He said I labored, you know what that means, work. I’ve ‘worked’ harder than all of them, yet it wasn’t I that works... right? Notice it wasn’t I that was doing the work, but the grace of God which was with me. The grace of God... what?
These things are all understood, notice it, I am what I am by His divine influence upon my heart, which He bestowed upon me and it was not in vain. But I labored more abundantly than they all labored, yet not I labored, but the grace of God labored. That’s what it’s saying, can you see that? So what is the grace of God doing in Paul’s heart? It LABORS, it works.
It’s not some ‘thing’ like, ‘well I have the grace of God, that save me.’ They take that word and just tack it on the wall, ‘grace’ there it is, I got it. God said I've got to have it and there it is grace.’ It can’t be in a book, it can’t be on the wall, it’s got to be IN YOUR HEART. What does it do there? IT LABORS - IT WORKS.
Now let me read that again.
1 Cor 15: 10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace (divine influence on the heart) which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all (labored): yet not I (labored), but the grace of God (labored) which was with me (labored).”
There it is, the grace of God… labors.
In the Lake of Fire series I showed that grace is a verb. We learn that when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord, 1 Cor 11: 32. Chastening defines how God judges us. Now we are about to learn something very profound here, if we can get it.
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men,
v. 12 Teaching us….”
What is doing the teaching? Grace is doing the teaching. It’s laboring - it’s teachings - it’s the divine influence of God on our heart, it‘s teaching us. So it’s...
v. 12 ...TEACHING us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (eon - age);
So when it says God judges us by chastening us in 1 Cor. 11:32, the word chasten there is the Greek word 'paideuō.' Then when God says He graces us, by ‘teaching us’ (Titus 2:12), the word teaching is the same word paideuo and it means - to labor, to work, to chasten, to punish, to teach, to educate. There is like a dozen different words that this means, this ‘teaching.’ That’s what it does, it actually does something. In the same way what it does for us, it will eventually do for the world.
Now that verse tells us that teaching us, denies ungodliness and so on. That one word alone covers everything good and righteous that we could ever do or think. I mean if it’s godly it’s right and good, it’s all in that one word. Notice that this is a godly man, that says it all, I mean if he really is godly, he’s God like. You can’t be God like and Satan like at the same time, you know that does not fit.
So this is a remarkable thing that grace teaches - educates - punishes, if necessary - schools us - programs us and it teaches us to live godly- soberly - justly and righteously. The grace of God teaches us to do all those things and God says His judgments chastens us. It’s the same list of things, it’s the same chastening - gracing, they are the same thing.
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So Christ was saying to Paul, yes you have this "thorn," but you can count on My grace, His divine influence on Paul's heart, to get Paul through anything that would happen. There was obvious lessons for Paul in this thorn/struggle and God would not leave him to deal with it on his own.
Most importantly it glorifies God as He works through us and in the rest of Christ's answer He tells Paul this. So back to what Paul was saying.
2Cor 12:8 ...for My
strength (Strong's G1411 -
ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work) is
made perfect (
fulfilled) in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Christ here is telling Paul that it is through these "base things" and all our weaknesses, that He shows His "power."
1Cor 1:28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
v. 29 that no flesh should glory (
boast) in His presence.
Yes the elect have weaknesses and problems, and those things certainly keep a person humbled, aware of what we really are, "the things which are not (
nothings)." But God's grace will help so that these things/sins no longer have dominion over you (Rom 6:14). Here is how Ray put these things at a conference.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11521.msg99636.html#msg99636 --------
Do any of you have any questions about sin? Are you frustrated, you can’t overcome certain things or are you just not happy, not content?
[Attendee: Our weaknesses, does God uses that to humbled us?] Absolutely it will humble you. I mean when you try to do some things ten, twenty, fifty times for five or ten years and can’t do it, that’s humbling.
Ecclesiastes 1:13 God gives the children of humanity an experience of evil to humble him thereby.
This is humbling.
v
Romans 14:1 Give a warm welcome to any brother who wants to join you, even though his faith is weak. Don’t criticize him for having different ideas from yours about what was right or wrong. For instance, don’t argue with him about whether or not to eat meat that has been offered to idols. (Living Bible)
Now do you understand it? Don’t be afraid to use another translation sometimes. But there’s a point in that scripture. If we are told to not criticize people for different opinions about what is right and wrong, if we are not to do that, then what makes us think that God does that? The truth of the matter is, He doesn’t. Not only doesn’t He pour out His vengeance and wrath and indignation upon us, He doesn’t have any condemnation toward us. You say, ‘I don’t think He appreciates my sins.’ Well, I don’t doubt that. But that doesn’t turn Him into a wrathful, hate filled God.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
v. 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.
v. 34 who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
v. 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
v. 36 as it is written, For whose sake we are put to death all the day long, we were reckoned as sheep of slaughter,
v. 37 nay, in all these things we more than conquerors, through Him who loved us;
v. 38 for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
v. 39 nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now that should be encouraging to us. Does that then do away with, if you look back you are not fit for the kingdom of God? If you are not willing to sacrifice all and follow Me, does that do away with those Scriptures? No. But it let’s us know what God’s goal is with us.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Are those sins going to separate us from God, if God is determined to call us for a purpose and see us through to the end? No! We’re going to make it through to the end. ‘Well what if we stumble and fall?’ We may stumble and fall, but the Word says He is able to pick us up again.
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again…
That doesn’t mean he’s finished, all washed up. You have to understand that God is for you. If God is for you, who or what can be against you? Get that in your head and make that part of your thinking. Think that for the rest of your life. If God is for you… ‘well I don’t know if He is?’ He calls people who are weak and have such stupid ideas as to question God and His motives, as that ‘He didn’t know what He was doing when He called me.’ God says, I did that to confound the mighty, I need your ignorance and weakness, so I can confound the mighty with you. You might say, ‘I’m not wise enough to confound my cat.’ Well, yes… not yet.
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God keeps us reminded of our weaknesses and our need for Him, that's why the Apostles understood the trials/persecutions and did not think of these things as bad things, but actually as good things.
Rom 5:1 Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
v. 2 He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory!
v. 3 We also
boast (Strong's G2744 -
(make) boast, glory, joy, rejoice) of our
troubles (Strong's G2347 -
afflicted, (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble), because we know that trouble produces endurance,
v. 4 endurance brings God's approval, and His approval creates hope.
v. 5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.
2Cor 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
v. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
v. 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—
v. 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
v. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2Tim 4:18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory
forever and ever (
ages of the ages). Amen!
mercy, peace and love
Kat