King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Friday, December 06, 2024
Chapters: II Corinthians Chapters 5-8
Message: Holy Spirit Filled Life
Hello My Friend,
It took me an hour to get the computer up and running before I could get started in the reading of God’s Word so I knew that God had a good study for me and it is. I am sure that we all think about it sometimes, what it will be like when we see Jesus face to face and not only that, but God Himself on His throne, and not to mention the angels and others whom have made it to heaven. It will be a glorious sight for sure, at least for those whom have accepted Christ as their Saviour, [Acts 7:55-56 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.]
While no one honestly is ready to cross over to the other side just this second, there is no fear of death for the saved, born again Christian because there is no death, we just shed our flesh like a snake shedding its skin. As we continue in reading of 2 Corinthians, Paul, explains that our body is just a tent that we carry around, he sounds a little bit like Solomon who described God after the first temple had been built.
[2 Corinthians 5:1-4 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.]
[an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.] Solomon said this, [2 Chronicles 2:5-6 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. 6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?] While we always have God with us and access to His Spirit day and night, we will not physically see Him until we shed our flesh.
[that being clothed we shall not be found naked.] Those who are not saved are naked because they have not put on the garment of salvation that only Christ can clothe them with, [Ephesians 6:14-17 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:]
The thought of death brings those who are not saved fear and despair as they see no hope beyond the grave, but to those who are saved there is a new hope, one in which they are fully confident in, [2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.]
[that every one may receive the things done in his body,] For years I feared reading this because while I know that I am saved by grace and all of my sins are forgiven and forgotten, the thought of Jesus playing out all the bad things that I ever did after I was saved scared me. What was He going to do, play out all the things that I did that He had already forgiven me for? God eased my mind when He showed me that the judgment those who are saved receive is not the same as that of the dead. This kind of judgment has to do with whether or not we were true to Christ, and really are clothed in His righteousness, or if it was all a lie, in other words, we are to work out of our own salvation with fear and trembling, meaning, [Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.]
Those whom have received Christ as their Saviour not only get to enjoy being in His presence when we shed our flesh, we will be clothed in robes of praise, righteous, and glory. The comforts that we get to embrace through our pain and suffering while we are here in the flesh give us the hope of the end of all pain and suffering when we are in the presence of Jesus for we do walk by faith and not by sight. Since we walk by faith and not by sight it would be wise to let that faith shine by living our lives though Him. We will all stand before Him, and will give an account to Him for what we did to live by that faith.
[2 Corinthians 5:11-15 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.]
[that if one died for all, then were all dead:] Those whom have honestly and sincerely received Christ fully knowing that He saved their souls from a horrible death do tend to change the way they live their lives in their flesh. We do this because one; the Holy Spirit lives inside us and tells us not to do something, two; we no longer want to live to please our flesh, and three; we want to live the rest of our lives in a way that pleases our Father.
[2 Corinthians 5:16–20 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.]
[yet now henceforth know we him no more.] Once we receive Christ as our Saviour and start walking by faith and not by sight, we see that things that were once acceptable not anymore. This has nothing to do with what we read through God’s Word, this becomes from a conscience as the Holy Spirit leads us, [Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.]
Learning what is right and wrong in God’s eyes comes as we read and study His Word more steadily, but the Holy Spirit will teach us things well before we dive into His Word and start living through it. Paul, goes on to give us examples of what those good works are that they were not done in vain.
[2 Corinthians 6:1-4 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,]
[behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.] Paul, was referring to this passage, [Isaiah 49:8-9 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.]
[But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,] Paul, goes down the list of things that we will encounter as Christians while we are here, yet are blessed through them, [2 Corinthians 6:5-10 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.]
[by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,] [Unfeigned; not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real; sincere; genuine.] If we have truly accepted Christ as our Saviour, then we will want to live our lives through Him, and while we may mess up a thousand times a day, it is the effort that counts with God. However, those who are saved and not living their lives through Him will face a lot of sorrow on this earth until they get to heaven, that is their judgment, unless they repent, [2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.]
We cannot blame God for bad things that happens to us, sometimes we deserve it, sometimes we do not. Since we cannot avoid all suffering, we can endure it and find purpose by giving thanks to Jesus for what He has done for us as we live the rest of our lives through Him.
[2 Corinthians 7:1-3,6,8 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.]
[I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent:] Do you see what walking in the Spirit is all about? It is not to keep our salvation, nor to punish us for every wrong that we do, nor to tell us that we need to just sit there and take every bad thing that happens to us without complaint. It is to keep us in the grace of God, knowing that no matter what we face, we face it with Christ, and God in turn is pleased with our efforts. Paul, goes on to explain.
[2 Corinthians 7:10-12 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.]
[our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.] When we think of all the things we have done over the years and how God still accepts us and does not forsake us, we can truly understand that it is only by His grace that we are saved. However, it does give us a chance to be a testimony of how Christ changed our lives through grace, and if He has not, then we have much bigger problems.
[2 Corinthians 8:7,9,12-14 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:]
[For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath,] We cannot walk by faith out of obligation, or out of force. We cannot walk by faith when everything is going well or when we have no need for anything. We need to be walking by faith at all times. God knows the heart, everything that we do we must do it willingly if we want to see the blessings that come from being faithful to Him. What salvation really means is that every ridiculous or stupid thing you ever did before you knew Christ has been wiped clean from your slate, you are a new creature, and that means you now have a second chance to do something amazing with your life while you live by faith and not by sight.
[Psalms 1:1-3,6 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for not only giving your life to save me from the judgment I faced for my sins, but also nailing those sins to the cross, burying them in the tomb, and removing them completely through my faith in You alone. I am saved by grace, and know there is nothing else I need to do or maintain to keep my salvation. I do not want to just get by in this life clothed in Your righteousness, I want to live life abundantly through my walk with You. Lord, Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and strength as one of Your ministers. Let me not attempt to walk in my own righteousness, rather in Yours, allowing You to perfect me as I give You my all. Keep my faith on You and remove from me those doubts and fears for I know that I have nothing to fear. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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