Danny Panter

For Christ’s Sake

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (Day six)

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Christ’s power turns the world on its head. He is not desperately looking for the next celebrity, or highly positioned politician to advance the cause. Nor is he wringing his hands wishing another highly visible QB would pray in the end zone or mention his name during a viral press conference. He’s not going through a stack of resumes looking for the right pedigree and experience to pastor the next mega-church. The Kingdom of God does not advance on the shoulders of giants, but through the lives of servants.

He is looking for anyone who says, “For Christ’s sake.”

Seeing

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 10 (day six)

“…when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” 2 Corinthians 10:12b

Referring to Jesus, John wrote, “No one has seen God; the only God who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (John 1:18) The author of Hebrews would apply that truth, “let us run with the endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) This is how Paul is encouraging the Corinthians.

Do you want understanding? Do you really want to see? Do you want to run this race well? Then keep your eyes focused on Jesus. The moment we begin comparing ourselves to one another, rather than looking to Jesus, is the very moment we begin to lose sight of reality. We begin to think, “I’m not nearly as bad off as he is; I’m alright.” Soon we forget we need Jesus at all, or have any need to repent.

That’s the opposite of understanding; that’s foolishness. That’s not sight; it’s blindness.

Good Grief

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 7:5-16 (day six)

There is a good kind of grief. The good kind moves a person forward instead of back. Paul teaches good grief leads us to repentance, a painful awareness of sin resulting in a change of heart, and a fresh dependence on the grace of God. Or said another way, genuine repentance will not happen without genuine grief over sin. One of the reasons many of us never find victory over a particular sin, is because we never repent of it (even though we are aware of its sinfulness and destructive nature), and we likely never repent because we have never grieved its presence.

Now worldly grief may lead to anger or frustration over the result of sin, bur rarely grieves the sin itself. That’s the kind of grief Esau experienced, he hated losing his blessing to his brother, but he didn’t really hate or grieve the sin that led him there. (Hebrews 12:17). Always reject that kind of shallow grief.

Also, the good kind of grief not only has a profound affect on the one repenting, but also their neighbor. Paul was comforted by the Corinthian’s repentance. Good grief leads to rejoicing for all; its not just good for your soul, but everyone else’s too.

Unveiled

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 4 (day six)

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 4:6

Moses would veil his face after his meeting with God. He had to, the people were terrified by the afterglow of God’s glory left on Moses’ face. The Glory of God in the face of Moses meant judgement and condemnation, not so with His glory in the face of Christ; Jesus brings righteousness and redemption. Paul desired his life and message to be an unveiled declaration of the Gospel, so that all would have an unobstructed view of the Glory of God in the face of Christ; knowing by faith the grace and forgiveness only He provides.

Do we want people to see Jesus in our life and hear about Him in our message? Is the story of Jesus veiled in us? What would it take for us to live out an unveiled Gospel?

Good Work

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:12-24, 2:1-11 (day six)

“…we work with you for your joy,” 2 Corinthians 1:24

It is comforting to think the heart of Paul’s intent was their joy. Those are the kinds of words a father says to a son (“I’m doing this for your good.”), and no less true. Paul could not coerce them into faithfulness; he didn’t desire to lord it over their faith. No, there was a whole lot of love involved in his tough love. It’s the kind of love that steps in when everyone else moves to the other side of the road. It’s the kind of love that speaks up when everyone else stays silent. Paul was doing a good work for the Corinthian church, a work for their joy. And although sorrow may have lasted for the night, I’m sure the Corinthians discovered that joy came in the morning.

Do you have a friend like that? Are you a friend like that? It’s the things discipleship is made of. It’s good work.

The God of All Comfort

God is the god of comfort, not of ease. We learn as much from what Paul doesn’t write, as from what he does. He doesn’t say, “God has left me to my suffering.” Or asked, “Where is God in the middle of my suffering? Paul had already settled those concerns, at least by the time he wrote this letter. He had learned to be content in all things, even win God didn’t whisk him away from suffering; he had learned to turn to God’s comfort, especially by leaning on God’s promises. That’s why God gives us promises after all, to help us see through the most trying and broken parts of our life; they comfort us. They remind us, God has something much greater in store.

This season, or the one around the bend, might not be easy, but while you’re asking God to remove your suffering, also ask him to remind you of his great promises (his comfort) even if he chooses not to.

Hope

Re:Verse passage – I Corinthians 15:3-20, 35-44, 50-57 (day six)

Hope does not make sense without the resurrection of the dead. The Gospel promises us victory over sin and death. If there is no resurrection (victory over death), nor is there victory over sin. As Paul writes, “we are left in our sins [without the resurrection].” So our hope in the Gospel looks forward; it moves beyond victory over sin to a future hope in our bodily resurrection, our victory over death. That’s where our Christian hope lies.

Yet, our hope doesn’t always find itself there, does it? We are often so short sighted. In the midst of our struggles, we rarely hope in the resurrection, or barely give it any thought. We hope for cures. Or pay raises. We hope for immediate justice. Or righted wrongs. Not Paul, his hope was in his future bodily resurrection; Jesus’ completed work. All other hope is uncertain(like defeating cancer), not so the resurrection of the dead.

So, be reminded, to give thought to the resurrection of the dead; as Jesus was raised, so you will be raised. Hope in it. It’s Jesus’ ultimate victory in your life.

Pursue Love

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 13 (day six)

“Pursue love…”-Paul, 1 Corinthians 14:1

That just might be the best summary of 1 Corinthians, pursue love. The Corinthian church was so preoccupied with chasing other things, it had left love behind, with heartbreaking results. Even making a big deal out of good things, like Spiritual gifts, or Bible knowledge can hurt a church rather than build one. That’s why Paul wrote pursue love. Essentially Paul is asking them to get back to loving God and loving their neighbor; start making a big deal out of love again.

We all have the tendency to make big deals out of lesser things, and if we let them they can get in the way of love. What can those things be for you? That might be a great question to ask God. I promise He will show you if you do.

Desire

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 12:4-31 (day six)

But earnestly desire the higher gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31

We rarely get to the details of the nature of the Spirit’s gifting, mostly because we find the Spirit a bit challenging to wrap our minds around; He is like the wind after all. But here Paul urges us to desire or seek the higher gifts. When is the last time you sought after a spiritual gift or gifts? Probably not recently; I certainly can’t remember the last time I asked the Spirit for a particular gift.

Some quick implications to consider when thinking about Paul’s words:

It would seem you can have more than one gift at a time.
Or multiple gifts at different times, in other words your gifting could change.
We should ask God for spiritual gifts; asking God is the natural outcome of desire.

We tend to desire knowledge (more Bible study), maybe we should desire the Spirit’s gifts, or both. Perhaps, if we desired the higher gifts (those that bring more immediate benefit to the church) we would better understand how God uses them in the body; perhaps we’d experience greater common good and growth.

Gift it a try. Starting asking God for the higher gifts. He might just answer your prayer.

Fight for Freedom

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 5 (day six)

It is for freedom that Jesus set us free.- Paul, Galatians 5:1

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. -Paul, Romans 6:13

“If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.”-Jesus, Matthew 5:30

1 Corinthians 5 is a reminder just how seriously God takes sin. The church in Corinth had become cavalier, arrogant even. They were under God’s grace after all, why should they concern themselves with sin; so they thought.

Truth is, we can’t ignore inrepentant sin. Jesus didn’t; he died to set us free to righteousness. So be free. Don’t ignore unrepentant sin in your own life…or the church. Take sin as seriously as Jesus did.