Build Unity Through Forgiveness: 2 Corinthians Chapter 2 stuff

I want to write a little bit about appropriate church discipline and forgiveness, as demonstrated in the second chapter of 2 Corinthians.   So read these verses to start:

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (ESV)

"Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."

First off, in a strange way, there's a strange sense of connection when I read this passage for one big reason: THE EARLY CHURCH WAS NOT PERFECT OR DRAMA-FREE!

I don't mention that to condone sinful actions or make light of problems within a church, but sometimes I think we need to remember that (though our technology and culture changes) humans aren't that different from age to age. We're not any worse or any better than the people that made up the early church in Corinth. We have victories, struggles, healing, and hurting alike, and we must surrender to Jesus' leadership.

In light of those observations, Paul speaks to the church about how to appropriately deal with a(n) individual(s) within the congregation that causes harm. And in the interest of not typing a overly long devotional, I think this passage of scripture boils down to one word: FORGIVENESS.

How do we punish the one that hurts us?  WE FORGIVE THEM! Even if you're new to this Jesus business, the old "turn the other cheek" idea is probably burned in your brain. GOOD! I am convinced, based on many of the toughest struggles I've been through with brothers in Christ hurting me, there is nothing that speeds healing and mending like FORGIVENESS.  Seriously, it opens floodgates of healing into a broken moment.

Now, forgiving an offender in our family does not mean we act stupid and don't learn from the experience and put measures in place to prevent repeat offenses, but it does mean we grant him or her the SAME STANDING OF GRACE as God gives us when He forgives us.  As a matter of fact, God tells us that He demands forgiveness when asking for forgiveness.  So holding sinful grudges while wanting God's forgiveness for our own many mistakes doesn't cut it.

I've already typed too much (I really am trying to make short devotionals, dang it), so just remember that forgiveness, especially within the Body of Christ, is not just so we all get along, FORGIVENESS TEARS DOWN THE PLOTS OF THE DEVIL.  The enemy hates the Church like he hates Christ, so let's not give satan any help when it comes to tearing a church apart.

If the Spirit is alive and active in the hearts of your church brothers, then the conviction from God will do most of the disciplining. After taking the appropriate measures to rectify whatever wrong was done, FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE, and move on as a family moving towards Jesus Christ.

Reaffirm your love for your brother after his moment of attack and don't treat the person like he's any less of a believer (you'll want the same forgiveness and mercy when it's you screwing up later).

Love and peace guys,
-Grady

Comfort: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Let me start today's post with Paul's prayer in the first chapter of 2nd Corinthians:  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all COMFORT"

I want to spend this evening meditating on that word: COMFORT.   A dictionary definition of the word comfort might read as follows:

Verb  1.  to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to   2. to make physically comfortable

Noun  1. relief in affliction; consolation; solace   2. a feeling of relief or consolation.

The opening prayer of the this chapter of 2nd Corinthians starts with, for me at least, an incredibly heartwarming depiction of God as "the Father of MERCIES and the God of ALL COMFORT".  What a joyful thought, that the maker of every brilliant star and every beautiful creature on Earth desires to see us comforted and brought to a place of peace in His presence!  Amen!

And, like most things that God does, this act of reassurance and peace has a more lateral purpose than just our personal enjoyment of Jesus (though that's not to be understated, IT'S AWESOME!).

Verse 4 of the same book and chapter tell us that Jesus "comforts us in all our afflictions" as a means of ministry to others.  The overwhelming love and protection of the Spirit, in our darkest moments and difficult battles, should cause us to pour out that same comfort "with which ourselves are comforted by God".   When we see the broken people that God has placed in our circles of influence, we should be contagious with His compassion and desire to see their pains relieved through grace!

IT'S ALL ABOUT SHARING IN EXPERIENCE!  Verses 5 and 6 teach us that we are to share in BOTH THE SUFFERINGS AND COMFORT of Jesus Christ.   Though many of us, especially in overprivileged America, do not experience the type of suffering or persecution as Paul and the early disciples (not to mention many modern martyrs in various parts of today's world), we are called to take joy in EVEN OUR DIFFICULTIES because they lead us to a better understanding and appreciation of God's salvation and providential comfort.  And in the evangelistic sense, suffering for or comforting our brothers and sisters in Christ (and suffering for those who need His salvation) is HUGELY IMPORTANT!  Don't forget that Christ said that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for his friends.  "If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation" (Verse 6).

I absolutely love the confidence Paul (and Jesus) have for the church in verse 7 when he says "Our hope for you is unshaken."  What do we have to fear?   If Jesus has raised us up with Him through the sharing in His death AND resurrection, what can come against His body?

To finish pondering this wonderful chunk of scripture, I encourage us all (since I need this reminder daily) to pray ferverently for each other in our ministry to the lost.  The rest of this passage down to verse 11 recounts Paul's struggles while in Asia and how the prayers of the church at Corinth made a massive difference in his deliverence from dangerous situations.  

IT IS CRITICAL for us to be aware of the sufferings of our brothers and sisters and JUST AS CRITICAL to pray for the sufferings of the unsaved, if we are to join in the comforting process of the Spirit for both parties.

Many don't believe God loves them because they have lived a life devoid of healing or comfort.  Let the hands and feet of Christ not be idle when God has given us comfort and power to make a change!

Blessings!

-Grady

Glory to Glory

If you follow any of my musical updates or if you've been to any of the worship events I've played in the last year, you've probably heard my song "Glory to Glory".   The track, which is about to be released as a single from the upcoming "Dusty Stages" album, is much more corporate than most of my songwriter music (thus making it great for singalong worship).  And even though this particular song is not my first choice in style, at least for my own compositions, the theme of the piece is hugely important in shaping how I've viewed my walk with Christ.

The title phrase comes from the King James Version's take on 2 Corinthians 3:18 which reads:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

A more modern and literal translation (the English Standard Version) reads:

"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."

I believe God calls His adopted sons and daughters to spend intensely personal time in His presence, something I know I need to be seeking more on a daily level. It is my understanding that Jesus desires the kind of trust and peace of relationship that He had with Moses (Exodus 33:11) for ALL OF HIS CHILDREN.  The presence of God, that place where we see His power and love and SELF reflecting as if from a pool, is where we who believe can soak up the glory of the Creator and take it out to the world!  We can grow from each visit to His presence and radiate His love from our face, just like Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 34:29)

The compelling image, this grace-fueled molding into the image of God's glory, has been a hugely gravitational force in most of my Christian journey.  As someone that learns well through experiential and tactile study, I desire a fierce and personal encounter with my Savior. Hearing about something God was doing or something He could do was never enough for me, I wanted (and still want) to see Him move for myself, in all of His manifestations. Not that I'm not excited about victories I witness in other peoples' testimonies, I just get CRAZY EXCITED to see the Holy Spirit move in new ways in my own story.

Thinking back to my very formative high school and college years, there was always a groaning urge to do bigger and better things with the Lord.  If I had prayed and healed 2 people, I wanted to pray for 10 the next time.  If a C.S. Lewis book like "The Screwtape Letters" changed my understanding of God for the better, I wanted to read EVERYTHING by Lewis or any of his friends.  During these periods, there was nothing I wanted more than to see more of God

However, in recent months I've been struggling to remain confident in the aforementioned passion. As I mentioned in past blog posts, Brandy and I had been without a true home church until the beginning of this summer.  The lack of fellowship, combined with a period of laziness in personal study and daily prayer, brought me to a place of grumbling and woe-is-me guilt.  

BUT, thanks to great conversations with a church staff that quickly and sincerely loved on Brandy and I, we've truly come out of a rut through the ministry of the Maryville Vineyard church family.

For the first time in what seems like an embarrassingly long while, I feel that healthy and beautiful urge of God's Spirit to seek Him out in each moment of the day.  Though not every hour feels like a new glory to glory discovery, I can gratefully say that the Lord is calling to me louder than in months past (that or my ears aren't clogged with distractions).

In my work, in my music and new album, in my marriage, and in my church-life, I am genuinely ready to reach heights of ministry that my wife and I have yet to see!

WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY LAST THOUGHT:
We cannot let ourselves, as believers saved through grace, despair in moments that seem dark.  No matter how long our stumble, the tie that is God's salvation and love does not vanish because of our human imperfections or weak moments. We don't have to crawl back to a point we once knew, Jesus picks us right back up and into His pace the moment we repent. 

And sometimes you reach the next peak of glory through the valley of the shadow of death, so don't give up when looking at your circumstance or position, but instead ask God to shine light and show you where is wonderfully formative glory can be found.

Thanks for reading or listening, and thanks for any prayers for my family's ministry.  Let me know if you ever need to talk or pray.