My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

[Walter and Deborah]

Sunday 6-4-23 1st. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Sivan 15 5783, 77th. Spring Day

 

2 Corinthians 12

 

Vision Of Paradise

1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.

6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

 

Thorn In The Flesh

 

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

 

Paul's Signs Support His Apostleship

 

11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

Paul's Concern Not To Be A Financial Burden

14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

 

Paul's Concern Not To Find Them Carnal

 

19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

 

Love, Walter and Debbie

[farouk]

Reminds me of Isaiah 48.10: "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".

Not that we are supposed to want either a thorn in the flesh or the furnace of affliction, but that if such experiences give us a humbling, dependent vision of the grace of God, then He clearly is using the direst of circumstances for good.

[farouk]

PS:

"All of grace, yes, grace surpassing,
Such a portion to bestow;
But the love all knowledge passing,
Grace has called us now to know;
Love that bore the stripes and sorrow,
Love that suffered on the tree,
Love that shares the bright to-morrow
With the loved ones, you and me." (T H Reynolds)

[Vine Abider]

16 hours ago, farouk said:

Reminds me of Isaiah 48.10: "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".

Not that we are supposed to want either a thorn in the flesh or the furnace of affliction, but that if such experiences give us a humbling, dependent vision of the grace of God, then He clearly is using the direst of circumstances for good.

And this fits perfectly with my favorite definition of grace - "favored supply."  He brings us through personally weakening occurrences so that His boundless supply of grace, through the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ, can be known in and through us!

[Worship Warriors]

Manifold trials 

Manifold grace. 

The grace will match the trials .

[com7fy8]

I would say "grace" has different meanings. 

There can be what I call grace "from a distance". For example, God from the throne of Heaven can forgive. 

And there is grace which actually works inside a person > 

God's renewing almighty creative energy . . . of how His love affects us in our character to change us to become and to love like Jesus.

And I guess we could say there is the undeserved favor > maybe > 

"God's riches at Christ's expense", which ones preach . . . the good which Jesus on the cross gained for us.

I now would say, when Jesus told Paul that Christ's grace is sufficient for Paul, this possibly means all the different meanings  Why limit?

Most of all, practically I would say, Paul would need how God Almighty worked in Paul's character and emotions and thinking and reacting, and how God personally would guide Paul to handle each situation. This would be "personal grace" inside Paul. 

And there would be the "circumstantial grace" of however God favored Paul by managing even evil around Paul for Paul's good . . . and the good of all of us. Because God is all-loving, His good for one ministers also to others.

And, of course, I suppose you could say "saving grace" would continue through all that Paul went through, meaning Paul could not lose his salvation because of Satanic actions.

And there is the "grace of God's correction" > Hebrews 12:4-14 < more important than handling problems around Paul was how Paul needed his own deep correction so he would handle things the right way . . . not merely do his own damage control in order to try to change his circumstances, but gain all the good of God's real correction, so he would become able to do well with and benefit from even evil things around him.

Our Father favors us, by deeply correcting us in our character. And this has us in union with Him so we can share His holiness with Him, and enjoy His creativity for how to love each person. 

So this grace is all-loving, then, not only for some one person. The cup runs over.

[steve morrow]

OR  GODS  DEFINITION  SHOULD  BE  SUFFICIENT  

 

TITUS 2:11  for the grace -- OF  GOD -- that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men

--2:12--  TEACHING  US   ---that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live  --soberly--righteously--and godly--  IN  THIS  PRESENT  WORLD 

--2:13-- looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great  GOD  AND  our  SAVIOUR  JESUS  CHRIST

--2:14-- who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from  --all iniquity--  and purify unto himself a peculiar people   ---  ZEALOUS  OF  GOOD  WORKS  ---

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST