The Devotional – 1107 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1107 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Now many will agree with this and just as many will not, boasting to some is simply hogwash! While to others boasting provides a needed paradigm (an example of truth) that is missing today in most “conservative churches”. True, we do need to be cautious in that boasting is not bragging, but the church of Jesus Christ is alive is it not? Therefore relating things to one another that are truly spiritual simply adds to living in Christ. Spiritual experiences have not ended as of yet since the church is still active; 1 Thessalonians 5. There is proof of spiritual revelation throughout the history of the church and I believe that many in Christendom today, hunger for current proof of spiritual revelation. Yet, many when they hear someone speak of a vision or a moment of spiritual revelation, they shut down the mind and quench the Spirit. If we take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 the sin involved in quenching the Spirit is to despise prophecies and failing to give thanks.

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 12:1-2

The apostle Paul literally says in his opening comment of his “Vision of heaven” “It is necessary, though not profitable, to boast.” In the NKJV it is written this way, “It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast”. So overall the apostle agrees that there is nothing to be gained by boasting, but at times boasting is necessary.

I suppose I could have written more on the above, but then we would not get to the heart of the matter. Boasting of visions and the profitable outcome of both boasting and visions. Many churches seek to gain profit by boasting of spiritual ability. Profiting either by financial income or popularity. All such boasting in this manner is deceptive and controlled by Satan. This is why the apostle says that at times boasting is necessary, but it is not always Spiritually profitable since many simply do not understand and use spirituality for false gain.

The best way for me to write of this would be to refer all of us to 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 where the apostle covers all of the outworking of the Holy Spirit within the church and within the personal life of God’s children with three qualifying words. But now abides Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these (gifts) is Love. (Gifts of the Spirit by the way) 1 Cor 13:13. The best way for anyone to test “boasting in the Spirit, (using the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) is to test these under the guidelines of faith, hope and love.

Spiritually we should be thrilled with the apostle’s experience, some things he says are not explainable, but the things that are, need to be told. Later in his second epistle to Timothy he says that perilous times are coming, men having the form of godliness but willingly denying the power will come and from such we need to turn away from, in other words we need a dose of Spiritual revelation from time to time.

And notice that meditation on spiritual things is a major part of living in Christ; Philippians 4:8-9 in that if we are to have peace with our citizenship in heaven we need to learn, receive and do the spiritual things, things we see in the apostle and others doing. We ought to seek and follow Christ by the example of those in the Bible and not be fearful of spiritual things, a fuller context is Philippians 4:17-4:1-20.