OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPONS As pointed out in the previous devotion, there are admonitions directed to believers that insist upon the subduing of fleshly inclinations – tendencies away from God and His great salvation. In Christ Jesus, we are also put into the place of ultimate advantage, with all of the resources required to please God being made available to us. -- Tomorrow:
"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Cor 10:1-6)
Devotion 3 of 44
There is a point to making these observations. There is not a syllable of Scripture that is written without these realities in mind. If you were able to remove the concept and articulation of God's eternal purpose from Scripture, the whole of it would at once disintegrate. There is no point to any word of Scripture apart from God's "eternal purpose" – a purpose which He "purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" before the world began (Eph 3:11).
That means that the redemption that is in Christ Jesus is the environment in which God is bringing His "eternal purpose" to fruition. All valid and productive teaching is within the context of that redemption, which is within the context of God's "eternal purpose."
At no point has God ever deviated from His "purpose," or abandoned it in the interest of other more pressing priorities. Nothing is important or pressing enough to upstage the objective God is implementing in Christ Jesus.
Paul has spoken extensively to the Corinthians about their conduct because it was related to God's purpose. They were a church, and God has purposed to present the church to His Son as His bride. During its preparation for this grand consummation, it is charged with being the exclusive custodian of the truth: "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15). The church is also the means through which God is making known His "manifold wisdom" to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph 3:10).
This is the body of people who have been called "into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor 1:9). He has called them out of the world for His own name and employment (John 15:19; Acts 15:14).
Now, what is there about those objectives that would justify any failure to do the will of the Lord? Within the revealed context of those realities, what possible condition or circumstance would warrant a person thinking primarily of himself, or neglecting the saints of God? It ought to be apparent that no person can claim identity with God and yet conduct himself in a manner that is at variance with His purpose. This is precisely why Paul is laboring to bring the church in Corinth into accord with the will of the Lord.
The truth of the matter is that the salvation of God makes no provision for a person to be at variance with the revealed will of God, Should a person set out to conduct his life without due regard for the will of God, He will incur Divine displeasure. False teachers may attempt to convince us that a heart that is at variance with God only means some advantages may be forfeited, or that there will be a mere reduction in the rewards to be realized. But such impoverished teachers cannot ask Adam and Eve to confirm what they have said.
The devil himself, together with the host of fallen angels who followed him stand in stark contradiction of such nonsense. And what of firstborn Cain? Or firstborn Ishmael? Or firstborn Jacob? How do you suppose they would respond to such a teaching? What of the nation of Israel, king Saul, and Judas? How do you suppose they would react to the notion that one's conduct can only impact upon the measure of ones participation? How would the churches of Ephesus and Laodicea respond to that?
I have labored long to ensure that we are aware that Paul is dealing with a very critical matter – even though it may have the appearance of being incidental. Now, our present text will further confirm that this is the case. All of this is intended to provoke us to sober and serious considerations about our own lives and conduct – especially toward "the household of faith" (Gal 6:10). We are not dealing with incidental matters. When thinking is flawed, it is always a serious matter – and that is what our text will address. It will confirm to us that God has provided His people with effective weapons that are designed to throw down unacceptable ways of thinking.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus I thank You for the arena of thought – that it is one in which Your own fellowship can be realized.