2 Corinthians Highlights

I just completed one of my favorite books yet.  Some of my best quiet times ever have been in the study of 2 Corinthians.   I just wanted to share a few of my highlights from this study.  I was challenged and convicted in several areas of my life while studying these scriptures written by Paul.

1.  Aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-17):
     What do we smell like?  What kind of fragrance does our life exhibit?  Does the way we live, respond to
     others manifest the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ?  Even though we may be a sweet aroma of
     Him, to some we will be more like an aroma of death because our lives will be in such direct opposition
     to the lives of the ungodly.  Do not despair, whether you are a fragrance of life unto life to those who 
     believe, or death unto death to those who desire to get rid of you, you are a sweet fragrance of Christ
     to God.  

2.  This is not our true home.
     "For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven." 
      2 Corinthians 4:2.  We have something inside us that longs for home.  We can't quite find it, but we
      still have something that we don't have the capability to grasp.  I think this is the reason I have always
      wanted to buy my old house and every house on the street and restore it to its original form (gaudy
      70s wallpaper, gold couch, and all).  Even if I did all of this, it wouldn't fill this need that is there
      because it was also the people in that particular time that I would love to go back to every now and  
      then.

         

3.  Godly sorrow:

     "For sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to

      salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death."  2 Corinthians 7:10.  Paul talks about two
      types of sorrow here:  godly and worldly.  Worldly sorrow is simply being sorry that you got caught
      and if given the chance, you would probably do the same thing again.  Sorrow in itself is not
      repentance, neither is remorse.  Both of those can also lead to resentment and a hardened heart. 
      Godly sorrow is being sorry over the sin that separates us from God.  "For all have sinned and
      fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23.  That recognition leads to our repentance and leads
      us to turn from sin and self to holiness.

4.  Take every thought captive.
     "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we
      are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5.  This is an area where
      I find extremely difficult and cannot do this on my own.   Sin begins in the mind, therefore, this is why
      we are called to take every thought captive. 

      In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says that murderers shall be liable to the court, but also everyone who is 
      angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court.  A few verses later in Matthew 5:28, Jesus says
      "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery
      with her in his heart."  I think I need to have Philippians 4:8 tatooed on my arm so I can have a
      constant reminder of how powerful our thoughts can be.  "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
      whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good reput, if there is any
      excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

5.  The one that spoke to me the most was Paul's love for the Corinthians.  Do I love others enough
      to give of myself the way he did?  And to top it all off, there were many who were grumbling and
      complaining about him trying to turn others away from him.  I have a long way to go in this
      department because it is easy to give up on people when they seem not to appreciate the sacrifices
      you make on their behalf.  We are not called to serve when it is just easy and appreciated.  "For
      the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and
      He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died
      and rose again on their behalf." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15


"Therefore we do not lose heart, but through our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparioson, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at teh things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, bur the things which are not seen are eternal." 
                                                                     2 Corinthians 4:16-18