The power to change us

Where once we had:

“Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.” (Psalm 36:1-4)

“For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” (Psalm 10:3-4)

“For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 Jn 2:15)

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (Jas 3:14-16)

In our helplessness, we cried out,

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)

But in God’s mercy,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” (Tit 2:11-12)

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer qqlive for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Cor 5:14-15)

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:7-8)

@6 days ago with 1 note
#Romans #Titus #2 cor #James #1 cor #psalms #1 john #Sanctification 

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

2 Corinthians 9:8
@4 months ago
#2 Cor 

"We are treated as…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing"

2 Cor 6:10 (ESV)
@5 months ago with 8 notes
#2 cor #Joy #Groaning 

"Lord let me find Sin, Curse and Death that do
     Belong to me lie slain too in thy Grave.
And let thy law my clearing hence bestow
     And from these things let me acquittance have.
     The Law suffic’de: and I discharg’d, Hence sing
     Thy praise I will over Death’s Death, and Sin."

If One Died For All, Then All Died by Puritan poet Edward Taylor (English adjusted from EME to ME)
@6 days ago
#poetry #romans #2 Cor #Death #Sin #Atonement 

How sharing the gospel is not like MLM

Tonight I had a great conversation with J and a friend of J’s, who’s had some experience with MLM. Ironically, we talked a lot before the spiritual conversation about MLMs and ways that people make the sell, persuade, and the kind of rhetoric and language that gets used. The comparison was made, between how we use apologetics and evangelism like an MLM - after all, we are getting people to believe, and we are trying to ‘persuade’ them. 

But it’s not quite the same.

An MLM is detestable simply because any means necessary to the cause of the sell is employed, but the structure simply cannot deliver the wealth and promise that it sets out to. It offers something that is simply, false and hence, reprehensible. It is inherently deceptive, and the main motivation is self-interest, greed, material, and thus people become means to an end, tools for the plunder, resources to abuse.

On the other hand, sharing the gospel is entirely different. The promise held out, the offer on display, the good news declared WILL deliver what it sets out to do. It is effective and good, trustworthy and secure. It is true in every sense and reliable in its offer. It is the mystery held for the ages but now revealed, and now offered freely to all who will believe. It is inherently truthful, and the main motivation is a passion for God’s glory, the love for lost men and women who need Christ, and the means is self-sacrifice and service. People are an end to themselves, or at least, in the service of God’s glory through their delight and joy, and we offer ourselves as living sacrifices for their evangelization.

Perhaps Paul said it best in 2 Cor 5:11-15: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (emphasis mine)

@4 months ago with 5 notes
#2 cor #evangelism #apologetics #faith meets life 
The power to change us

Where once we had:

“Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.” (Psalm 36:1-4)

“For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” (Psalm 10:3-4)

“For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 Jn 2:15)

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (Jas 3:14-16)

In our helplessness, we cried out,

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)

But in God’s mercy,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” (Tit 2:11-12)

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer qqlive for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Cor 5:14-15)

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:7-8)

6 days ago
#Romans #Titus #2 cor #James #1 cor #psalms #1 john #Sanctification 
"Lord let me find Sin, Curse and Death that do
     Belong to me lie slain too in thy Grave.
And let thy law my clearing hence bestow
     And from these things let me acquittance have.
     The Law suffic’de: and I discharg’d, Hence sing
     Thy praise I will over Death’s Death, and Sin."
If One Died For All, Then All Died by Puritan poet Edward Taylor (English adjusted from EME to ME)
6 days ago
#poetry #romans #2 Cor #Death #Sin #Atonement 
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8
4 months ago
#2 Cor 
How sharing the gospel is not like MLM

Tonight I had a great conversation with J and a friend of J’s, who’s had some experience with MLM. Ironically, we talked a lot before the spiritual conversation about MLMs and ways that people make the sell, persuade, and the kind of rhetoric and language that gets used. The comparison was made, between how we use apologetics and evangelism like an MLM - after all, we are getting people to believe, and we are trying to ‘persuade’ them. 

But it’s not quite the same.

An MLM is detestable simply because any means necessary to the cause of the sell is employed, but the structure simply cannot deliver the wealth and promise that it sets out to. It offers something that is simply, false and hence, reprehensible. It is inherently deceptive, and the main motivation is self-interest, greed, material, and thus people become means to an end, tools for the plunder, resources to abuse.

On the other hand, sharing the gospel is entirely different. The promise held out, the offer on display, the good news declared WILL deliver what it sets out to do. It is effective and good, trustworthy and secure. It is true in every sense and reliable in its offer. It is the mystery held for the ages but now revealed, and now offered freely to all who will believe. It is inherently truthful, and the main motivation is a passion for God’s glory, the love for lost men and women who need Christ, and the means is self-sacrifice and service. People are an end to themselves, or at least, in the service of God’s glory through their delight and joy, and we offer ourselves as living sacrifices for their evangelization.

Perhaps Paul said it best in 2 Cor 5:11-15: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (emphasis mine)

4 months ago
#2 cor #evangelism #apologetics #faith meets life 
"We are treated as…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing"
2 Cor 6:10 (ESV)
5 months ago
#2 cor #Joy #Groaning