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: Wednesday, December 06, 2023
Chapters: II CORINTHIANS 5-8
Message: Walk by Faith And Not by Sight
Hello My Friend,
It seems that whenever my faith is being tested by both God and Satan it is around Christmas time, but it is not just me this time, my husband and mother is also being tested. It is like the whole family has a target on our backs and the devil is throwing the darts, saying, “Ha, ha, ha, I’m taking y’all’s family away from you! Ha, ha, ha, I’m destroying y’all’s house! Ha, ha, ha, I’m dividing y’all’s church! Ha, ha, ha, I’m taking all y’all’s money! And Ha, ha, ha, I’m taking all y’all’s health too!” Well, he can take away all my stuff, and even my health, but he cannot take away my salvation, that was given to me by the grace of God through my faith in Christ, [Revelation 3:10-11 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.]
My family is not alone, the devil is working overtime in attempt to take the crown away from God’s faithful and get them to forsake Jesus. Well, to be honest, this entire year has been one big trying of the faith, but there have been many blessings through it as well. I guess you know you are doing something right when the devil has a target on your back, but just like Job said when the devil threw darts at him, [Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.]
I always wonder what it will look like when all of God’s saints will resurrect and reunite with their bodies. Will we all be naked like when we arrived? Will we be clothed in animal skin like He did when He clothed Adam and Eve? I suspect that since the Bible tells us that we will be clothed in white linen that perhaps that is what we will be wearing, [Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.] Nevertheless, the important thing to remember is that only those whom have accepted Christ as their Saviour will be His bride and clothed in His righteousness. As we continue in the reading of 2 Corinthians, Paul, reminds them and all of us why we stay faithful to Christ while we are being tempted.
[2 Corinthians 5:1-7 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. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 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:)]
[being clothed we shall not be found naked.] It is the death of the body that will separate the soul from it and strip us of the clothing of our flesh. 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 5:10-15 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. 11 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.]
[according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.] This is where those who thought that they were going to heaven according to their works will discover that Christ never knew them, [Luke 13:26-27 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.] The reward of works will be of grace and not merit since we are saved by grace, but will be considered as evidence of the life we lived by faith and not by sight. As for the bad works, these will justify the Judge in proceeding according to what He Himself, as Saviour will say, [Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.]
[For the love of Christ constraineth us;] 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 5:16-18 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;]
You see, once we receive Christ as our Saviour and start walking by faith and not by sight, we start seeing that the things we once did in the flesh that were acceptable are not anymore. This has nothing to do with what we read through God’s Word as being right from wrong, this becomes a personal preference as the Holy Spirit leads us. 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 6:1-7 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, 5 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,]
[By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost,] Everything we think is good is not necessary what God thinks is good and that is where the Holy Spirit comes in. By pure faith we learn knowledge through the Word of God as we read it, study it, and apply it to our walk as the Holy Spirit guides us, [Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.]
Let me tell you, the just fall and get back up time and time again, and that is what grace is for, but we must never receive the grace of God in vain. Everything we do after we are saved does have an impact on our lives, and an even bigger impact on the lives of others.
[2 Corinthians 6:8-10,14-16 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. 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.]
[as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.] No, we are not going to have everything we want. No, we are not going to get everything we ask God for. No, we are not going to avoid suffering even when we are faithful. Yes, Christ will give us everything we need. Yes, Christ will give us the things we desire according to His riches in glory. Yes, Christ will be with us through every bit of the suffering. Yes, Christ, will perfect us as we walk with Him through the suffer and He will also cleanse us from our bad works.
[2 Corinthians 7:1-3,8-10 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. 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. 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.]
[repentance to salvation not to be repented of:] Do you see what this 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.
[2 Corinthians 7:11-12,15 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. 15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.]
[how with fear and trembling ye received him.] Let me tell 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 8:1-5,9 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 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.]
[their deep poverty abounded unto the riches] The more we learn about and get closer to Jesus, the Holy Spirit inside of us convicts us and we no longer what to seek the riches of the world. In fact, we become more motivated to give rather than receive, [2 Corinthians 8:12-15 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: 15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.]
[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. Remember, 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.]
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. Nevertheless, I do not want to just get by in this life just clothed in Your righteousness, I want to live life abundantly as I walk by faith and not by sight. Lord, Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and strength as You lead me. Let me not attempt to walk in my own righteousness, rather Yours, allowing You to perfect me as I give You my all. Remove from me all doubts and fears for I will not walk by sight in what is going rather my faith in You. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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