Strength In Weakness

MANAGING SEVERE INFIRMITIES

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 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. 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.

Whatever this thing was in the Apostle Paul, he calls it an infirmity. The word is typically used to refer to a physical sickness, or some form of weakness in the physical frame. This seems to be the way Paul intends it in this context. The word is translated weakness in verse 9.

It is certainly proper to pray fervently for the removal of one’s infirmity. This requires identifying and naming it. It is not out of order to investigate one’s infirmity as one seeks to determine the cause, and perhaps a solution from the Lord. If the Lord grants healing, those who know about His intervention will join together in giving Him praise.

But, God may have other plans for us in regard to infirmities. They certainly affect us. We are weakened by them. We are challenged physically, emotionally and mentally. We need help! 

God gave Paul as an example to us that we might know how to best respond to continuing and severe infirmities. If through prayer God is not pleased to bless means or directly intervene to grant us healing, we must assume that He will grant us grace. This includes a special measure of the power of Christ resting upon us. 

It seems that this special grace comes when one resigns to glory in the infirmities as that which God has ordained. To glory, in this case, is not incessantly focusing upon it and talking about it. This glorying is to recognize the infirmities to be from our Father’s hand so that in the context of our recognized weakness we might be instruments that manifest the power of Christ. 

This is really an amazing response to infirmities that only makes sense to one who is a recipient of the grace of God. It is a response of self-denial. It is an attitude of repose, deflecting attention from one’s infirmities to the sustaining grace of God which overshadows with the power of Christ, which reaches into dimensions of life unknown in times of strength.

While we should be concerned for and care about the infirmities of others, sometimes our God chooses to manifest Himself most in the midst of infirmities. So, while it is right to seek to be delivered from infirmities, it is better to know the power of Christ in the midst of them. He is glorified as we reflect His strength in our weakness.

Eternal Life Now

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

In John 17:2, Jesus speaks to His Father about His responsibility toward those the Father gave to Him. The Father gave all power to His Son so that His Son might give eternal life to all that the Father gave to Him. The gift of the Father through the Son is eternal life. The Father glorified the Son by the resurrection and exaltation of His Son to the glory He had with Him before the world was. The Son glorifies the Father by giving eternal life to those the Father gave to Him.

Jesus adds in His prayer an explanatory note about eternal life that is very significant. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. It is possible to understand Jesus’ words as an explanation as to what eternal life is. While eternal life has other dimensions and implications, it is essentially the life of God. When a sinner is given eternal life, he is given the life of God. This is Christ in  you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). This eternal life is in Jesus Christ, and is ours when we have the Son (1 John  5:11,12).

When Jesus says, that they might know, He is saying that eternal life is more than simply a stagnant blessing reserved for a future age. He is emphasizing the very purpose for eternal life. In other words, eternal life is the gift that enables us to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ… To know Him is both the essence and the goal of eternal life.

When Jesus gives eternal life we receive the capacity to know in a way and to a degree that we never knew before. The darkness of our minds because of sin that kept us far from the only true God, and Jesus Christ is removed by eternal life. We are no longer without God in the world. The gospel is no longer hidden. We are no longer going about to establish our own righteousness. We are submitted to the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Eternal life is at work in us enabling us to increase in life-impacting knowledge of God.

If we have eternal life, given by and in Jesus Christ, we can pray with the Apostle Paul for increase of knowledge (Eph. 1:16-19; 3:16-19). We understand his passion when he wrote, that I may know Him. We are continually growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is eternal life and this is the goal of eternal life.

Do you have the gift that keeps on giving? You need to be dependent upon Jesus Christ for this gift. He alone has the power to give it. When He gives eternal life you will continually be changed into His image as your life is shaped by knowing Him.

(For exposition of John 171-5: cbcweb.net/weekly-pulpit-2016/)