Now He who
establishes us
with you in Christ
and has
anointed us in God, who also
has sealed us and
given us
the Spirit in our
hearts
as a guarantee. Moreover I call God
as witness against my soul,
that to spare you I
came no more
to Corinth. Not that we have dominion
over your faith, but
our fellow workers
for your joy; for by
faith you stand.
2 Corinthians 1: 21
-- 24
God the
Father is true, and Jesus Christ His Only Begotten Son, is also true for He is
God. Jesus Christ is the Eternal Life
and this is what the apostles preached and taught. If this is not being taught in your church: LEAVE! The promises of God are all in Jesus
Christ! Jesus Christ is the infallible
truth and is also the inviolable constancy who has unquestionable sincerity and
certainty and all this can be found in the Gospel. Paul did not want to assert his apostleship and authority by
being selected personally by Jesus Christ.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that it is God who establishes them in
Jesus Christ and has anointed them and has sealed them therefore they have the
guarantee of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
This is also true of all Christians throughout history and even in this
present age. Paul in writing to the
Ephesians wrote this under inspiration:
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption," (Ephesians 4: 30).
If there is anything in this world that can bring to you joy as it
should have done for those Christians in the Corinthian church and this is it;
you are anointed by God, sealed by God, who has given you the Holy Spirit and
your redemption is secure, you cannot fall from God. This of course is not taught in some churches today who believe
that you can lose your salvation: YOU CANNOT!
Furthermore, the workers in Jesus Christ, those pastors and teachers are
your fellow workers and the Greek word here is: συνεργοί And the prefix
συν Means together and εργοί Means workers and the Greek word for slave
is not used here therefore the pastors and teachers are not to be your slaves,
they are to be your fellow workers.
Don't treat them as a slave help them and their ministry and furthermore
stand by your faith that gift given freely to all of God's children. For by
faith you stand: "The elders who are
among you I exhort, I am a fellow elder any witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed; Shepherd the
flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5: 1 -- 3). I
am stunned, perplexed and you should be also when you look at the men and women
who are preaching and teaching and living the lives of great luxury and who
seem to lord it over anyone whom they preach as though they are inspired of
God and not using the word of God which often misuse. When I see men and women who are preaching and teaching living in
mansions while others go hungry even though they may give them some of their
money and then give excuses as though they were reasons for living in such a
way and bringing upon the Church of God disdain. Paul did not teach this, Peter did not teach this, and neither
did other apostles and other church leaders; so why do we allow it? The question is for any of us: are we living eternal lives now or are we living for the present as though this is all
there is? Each person must answer that
question for themselves!
Paul did
not come to Corinth as possibly the Corinthians expected for he knew that there
were things amiss among them and such deserved censure and this he did by his
letters at the same time was desirous to show tenderness. The congregation was to handle this matter
themselves for if Paul handled this matter there would be
reason for those to say that he was lording it over the Corinthian
church. Paul reveals what we must
believe. Our strength and our ability
all are owed to our faith. Our unbelief
excludes us from the blessings of God and by this many believers fall short of
the covenant because they have little faith; they are
not standing by faith. Think upon this;
we have been established, before the foundation of the world in Christ with all
of the ancient believers and all other Christians, it is God who has done this
great thing for us therefore why are we not standing firm in our faith? This faith, this gracious faith, attends to
give gracious consolation and confidence.
And by this we attend all things by means of this confidence and
consolations and we are secured from delusions and this is an important matter
that distinguishes us as one who has genuine love for God and has all the joys
that the hypocrites, and enthusiasts, and apostates do not have: hallelujah!
Behold, God is exalted by His power;
who teaches
like Him?
Who has assigned Him His way,
or who has said, ‘You have done
wrong’?
Remember to magnify His work,
of which
men sung.
Job 36: 22 -- 24
Listen to the voice of God
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