September 4

2 CORINTHIANS 7

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of bodyand spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.² Make room in your heartsfor us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴ I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. ⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸ For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹ As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. – 2 Corinthians 7:1-9

2 CORINTHIANS 7 THE FEAR OF THE LORD CLEANSES OUR HEARTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When we fear the Lord, we accept our sinful nature

We recognize that without it, we cannot mature

Without the fear of the Lord, we will be living for our flesh

It is obeying his laws that kills the flesh and cleanses the heart

The fear of the Lord comforts us in our weaknesses and grief

It gives us hope that the promises he made will be fulfilled.

Proverbs 9:10 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs as a guide to the people of God to grow their fear of the Lord.  No wonder he focuses on the importance this fear for God as the firm foundation of the Christian’s life.  Paul reiterates the wisdom from Solomon’s book of Proverbs by reminding the Corinthian believers that without the fear of the Lord, they will remain corrupt and unclean.

REFLECTION   

• How has the world corrupted the meaning of the “fear of the Lord?”

September 3

2 CORINTHIANS 6

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. ¹³ In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you ¹⁸ and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.– 2 Corinthians 6:11-18

2 CORINTHIANS 6 SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE WORLD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God has elected you to belong to his kingdom

He gave you his word so you can expose what is wrong

The Lord expects you to stay pure and undefiled from the world

Separate yourself from the impurities and all its unrighteousness

Do not have fellowship with those who don’t believe in God

Keep it holy since the Spirit of the Lord dwells inside you.

In this letter, Paul continues to guide the Corinthian believers how to live for Christ. He presents to them the two worlds at war which is God’s kingdom whose principle is righteousness and the world system which is lawlessness. Paul spoke of God as light and Satan as darkness in verse 14-15. He says that they cannot be together in one place. In John 1:5, it says that light covers the darkness. Where there is light, darkness no longer exists. In other words, when we believe in Christ, we are defeating Satan.

Paul also warns the believers that they cannot mix the world system with God’s kingdom. To do so would be defiling the purity and holiness that God has granted those who belong to him. We cannot follow the world’s ways and say we believe in God. It is an oxymoron.

REFLECTION

• Show how Christians can unknowingly mix the world system with truth?

September 1

2 CORINTHIANS 5

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

2 CORINTHIANS 5 PROOF THAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Jesus Christ died so we can be reconciled with God

All those who belong to him, follows his path

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation

He no longer follows his flesh, but the Spirit’s transformation.

In this letter, Paul warns the Corinthian believers to no longer follow their old patterns which are conformed to the systems of the world. He talks about God’s ministry of reconciliation which was manifested when he gave his only begotten Son Jesus to us all. When God created mankind, it was to be able to have a full relationship with man, but the sin of Adam and Eve changed that plan. Because their loyalty changed from God to Satan, everything became twisted and corrupted. Since God is love, he cannot tolerate sin and disobedience, so they were cast out of the garden of Eden. The consequences of their sin were passed on to all human beings. As sin progressed, God’s anger got to its fullest and he annihilated those first humans he created in a flood and left only Noah’s family because he found favor with God. God still wanted to have his plan of being with us, so he knew that we cannot save ourselves from the sinful nature we inherited from our original parents. So, he gave his only Son, Jesus so the sinful nature and God’s wrath will be appeased. When we believe in Jesus, we become a new creation.

REFLECTION

• Share how the process of transformation happened in your life as a believer.

August 29

2 CORINTHIANS 5

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it onwe may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. – 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

2 CORINTHIANS 5 A HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God chose his people, he provided everything for them

As they are still in their earthly bodies, it is their tents

But the Lord God made a house for them not made with hands

Unlike their tents, God’s heavenly home is not temporary but is eternal

While we are in our earthly tents, we will experience challenges in life

As his children, let us long for that eternity that we only receive from God.

Paul likens our human bodies to tents. God’s people lived in tents and are nomadic especially during the time that God was moving them towards the Promised Land. Abraham led God’s people as he was prompted to and left his pagan country Ur to a place where he had no clue of at the time he was called to do so. He lived in tents with his flock and herds and entire household. Imagine the instability of the nomadic life. How inconvenient it was for the Israelites to do. In Genesis 12, we have an account that Abraham was seventy-five years old when God called him and promised him that he will be blessed with a great nation and a great name. Genesis 21:5 indicates that Abraham had his son Isaac at a hundred years old. It took twenty-five years before the fulfillment of the promise came about. The Israelites didn’t enter the promised land while Abraham was still alive. The bible tells us that Moses led them and eventually Joshua moved them into the Promised Land. While we are still living in our tents, which are our bodies, we will experience difficulties and challenges while we wait for the time when Jesus comes again and gives us new heavenly bodies. It will be a new earth where we will worship him only.

REFLECTION

·       Why is it important for us to long for God’s promise spoken in Revelations 21?

August 26

2 CORINTHIANS 4

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

2 CORINTHIANS 4 UNBELIEVERS ARE KEPT FROM SEEING THE LIGHT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Anyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

The Spirit of God lives in them, and they are given the light

Those who do not believe in Christ, will be blinded by the world

They live in the darkness full of lies and cannot fathom God’s word.

In this letter, Paul encourages the Corinthian church to press on and not be discouraged when the world persecutes or attacks their faith. He admonishes them to keep on doing what is right and proclaiming the gospel without compromise. He wants the believers to continue to press on despite the inability of unbelievers to understand the gospel. The work of the hand of God in a believer’s life is anchored on God’s grace and not on the gifts that were given them.The parable of the sower in Matthew 13, reiterates this letter of Paul. Verse 3 reminds believers of their purpose which is to sow seeds of truth in the world. Verse 4 explains that we have no control over how the soil would bear fruits from those seeds we planted. Only those who were chosen will bear fruit as they belong to him, while the unbelievers remain to live in darkness and without fruit.

This goes to say that we can only sow and plant God’s word, but it is the Spirit’s work to bear the fruit in the lives of those who believe in the Lord.

REFLECTION

• Why is it that some Christians think that declaring the gospel means that the hearer will receive it right away? What is not right with this thinking?

August 25

2 CORINTHIANS 3

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰ Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory ¹² Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, ¹³ not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

2 CORINTHIANS 3 FREEDOM IN GOD’S SPIRIT ALONE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Whenever we listen to lies and satisfy our own flesh

We will be fearful of things we don’t have control over with

Since God is love, only in Christ will we have true peace and freedom

But if we rely on following rules without love, we will be imprisoned.

Our world system has distorted the meaning of “freedom.” Freedom in the perspective of this world means independence from anyone or anything that would hamper their cravings to be satisfied. The world’s concept of “freedom” is a “no-consequence” concept. This only leads to chaos and turmoil. Paul explains to the church in this letter what true freedom is. It is to rely on the Lord Jesus Christ for everything in our lives. It is a “God-dependence”: the exact opposite of independence which Satan propagates in the world.

REFLECTION

• How is “freedom” thwarted in our world today?