The Devotional – 1079 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1079 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Being sincere is not one of my strong suits and if you know me, you know that to be true. Actually it is a fault, one that I cannot repair, replace or rid myself of. I think that my desire to make light of life could be a cover, like a blanket maybe. You may have a blanket too, one that is comfortable such as the one Linus van Pelt uses in the Peanuts Comic Strip. Thumb in the mouth and the blanket hanging and dragging from that hand. The distraction works for him and the distraction for my lack of sincerity (while it may not work for you) works for me. Yes this is bit selfish on my part, but it is the only avenue I seem to travel. There is however a serious side to me, it is visible only when I converse with someone about the LORD. In the fellowship of the church, I am more apt to feel godly sincerity; but in the world this godliness is just another person with a duplicity personality.

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 1:12-14

As we covered in the start of Second Corinthians some of the sections are hard to understand and this for me is one of them. I think Paul is referring to holiness both in church and in our daily walk about in the world, so I will go with what I think since this is a problem most of us fail to see in our personal lives. You know too, that if we see a problem it is fixable, if we see a problem and do nothing… shame on us and if we do not see a problem and others see it and say nothing to us… shame on them.

The Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians is that if there is any boasting, boast in the confidence that our conduct in the world does not resemble that of the world. The world is full of people with duplicity of personality and in 2 Corinthians 1:12 this is brought out in the word “simplicity”. This is a KJV and a NKJV that poorly translates holiness.

Here is the NKJV of verse 12 “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”

The NIV translation of verse 12 “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God.”

Herein is the rub: the Apostle Paul is speaking to the church that in our relationships with the world we are to be holy or single-minded, just as we are in a church congregation. As a representative of the church; in the world we are also to be holy. And did you catch it; if we apply worldly wisdom in our conduct in the world we are not being sincere and the grace of God is less effective in the lives those we seek to save.

 Also the Apostle goes on to say that his words are literal and easily understood, therefore we really have no excuse. There is a place for boasting other and that will be at the “Bema Seat” (Judgment Seat) of Christ. We will boast of His Word, which was ministered to us by the writers of His Word. A boasting that this world will not see in the “Day of the LORD Jesus!” – 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-11.