The Devotional – 1089 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1089 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Dawson Earle Trotman (March 25, 1906, Bisbee, Arizona –June 18, 1956, Schroon Lake, New York) was an evangelist and founder of The Navigators. Trotman founded The Navigators in 1933 and through this worldwide Christian organization supported various Christian ideals: maintaining the basic disciplines of the Christ-centered Spirit-filled life, abiding in the Word of God, the importance of personal follow-up, one-on-one discipleship training, scripture memorization, and principles for multiplying Christian disciples, laborers, and equippers around the world. He gave up his own life on June 18, 1956 while rescuing a girl, Allene Beck, from drowning during water-skiing in Schroon Lake, New York. Dr. Billy Graham said: "I think Daws has personally touched more lives than anybody I have ever known." His work and writings were instrumental in the creation of the Campus Outreach ministry, which focuses on discipleship as a method of building up the community of Christians on college campuses. (Source of information – Wikipedia).

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to the LORD. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the LORD, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences (2 Cor 5:9-11).

The men and women who are God’s chosen disciples; that is those whom God has made known to you and me are known to us because these folks are testimonies of the mercies of God. People like; the apostle Paul, J. Vernon McGee, Paul Harvey, Adrian Rogers and the list is very long. We think godliness about these people of the past as we should, yet they were human with the same nature as you and me – 1 Corinthians 10:13.

If these folks aimed for the opportunity to present their faith at the Bema Seat of the LORD Jesus Christ, should you and I be thinking differently? Is it not necessary for us to do the same? Some of us live as though there is no future “judgment”. Some of us saved believe that since we have been excluded from the Great White Throne judgment of God (Rev 20:4-6) and are of the first resurrection that we have escaped judgment.

Be careful of this unwise thinking and remember that the judgment of God over His saints is called an evaluation of one’s mind, purpose and will. The Greek word is “gnome” (gin-o-my) in the Greek, primarily meaning that God is fully aware of our mind and purpose. This thought alone should form terror in our way of life before God. But let us not forget that there is another word assigned to this. The word “seat” which is the Greek word – “Bema” this word too, means judgment like a tribunal. It is the same judgment referred to by the apostle in (1 Cor 3:13-17) therefore we must hold fast to our confession of faith outlined by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:19-25.

The Devotional – 1088 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1088 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Assurance – the dictionary, that is the two that I have do not give a very good definition of this word, so I am assured that the world’s wisdom lacks assurance in nearly everything it seeks to be assured of. Now of course this is a play on the word, but the serious side of assurance demands (from the world’s view) evidence, however assurance demands (from the biblical view) faith. The only way of examining proof of the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ is to first UNDERSTAND that all things we see in the world and are assured of by evidence are temporary. And that all things we cannot see and are assured of by faith are eternal. This then for me is the best definition of assurance (2 Cor 4:16-18).

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

The apostle Paul continues to expound or explore the assurance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by evaluating the things we know. We know that our earthly body is in the process of decay. From the moment of our eventual birth there is the knowledge of our parents of an ultimate death.

The Bible calls this body we live in a “tent” and in doing so give the reader the understanding that it is a temporal place to live. We sometimes think that our tent only houses “physical life” this is not true, our tent also houses “the soul” as well (Eccl 3:11 and Rom 11:33-36) give us assurance that God has given us an everlasting soul and that His ways are past finding out the full knowledge of the soul from a human viewpoint.

Yet for those of us who have faith there is not a day that goes by that we do not groan; desiring with earnest expectation to be clothed in a new and eternal wardrobe which is our habitation or dwelling from God. We groan because our present dwelling is decaying, we can do nothing the control the rapid decline of our physical abilities. This does (or should) motivate you and me to be further clothed with “immortality” thus in this we are assured of the Resurrection.

Jesus being the Firstfruits (1 Cor 15:20), then we who trust in His Death for salvation are justified and will be glorified with Him in His Resurrection (Jas 1:18). For just at the scripture says; we walk by faith (the unseen) and not by sight (the seen). This walk then is the confident and pleasing message to our soul that lives eternally, that to be absent from this body of decay; is to be present with the LORD, who is RISEN! (Job 19:23-27) is a great section of scripture a comforting proof of assurance in the resurrection.

The Devotional – 1087 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1087 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Have you ever been required to qualify for something; sometimes we call qualification a prerequisite, or even the steps of a process. When qualifying for any event there is a significant amount of trial and failure. Sometimes the failure is due to our lack of understanding and sometimes it is a lack of our physical ability, but perseverance (hard work) will allow those slack areas to tighten up and within the required time produce enough wisdom and understanding to be “qualified!” Many folks lose heart and turn away to lessor goals because the suffering and affliction of accomplishment seems unreachable. Losing heart is not the same as losing “faith” our subject for today. 

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Having the heart to do something is an unfulfilled human desire; on the other hand, having faith is a solid trust in something we already have. I like what the apostle Paul has to say here in these few verses in chapter four of 2 Corinthians. Living life by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:1-6) and the effects of always being casts down for living in Christ (2 Cor 4:7-15) is a process that many believers seek to accomplish by human desire, these will always fail.

The trial and error of the outworking of the flesh are very discouraging, exhausting the heart and unhealthy for the human body. The human body is always in a state of decay. SIN, or as some say the “original sin” of Adam caused this decay of human life; and while this is true we fail to realize that “all of creation suffers decay because of the sin of Adam” (Rom 8:18-23).

In addition to “this original sin” of Adam, there is also the personal sin that every human being commits daily, even moment by moment in most of us. If God would give us a visual of our day’s effort in the flesh to do well, we would see clearly that evil has prevailed and won the battle. So personal sin is responsible too for the decay of our physical body, moment by moment, those of us who live by the desire of the heart to do well are fighting a losing battle – (Rom 7:7-12).

Faith then is the only avenue for the believer in Christ. Faith is not conditioned by “I hope this works out” Faith is the realization (substance) of things hope for, therefore it is the confidence (evidence) of things unseen – (Heb 11:1-2). So now you are thinking, what do you mean? If faith is not conditioned by hope, then what do you mean that faith is a substance and confidence?

The apostle Paul answers this with our section of scripture this morning. We cannot lose heart over something we already have, we have “assurance”. We have “faith” not because of who we are, but because of Jesus Christ who, by faith went before us as the Lamb of God. He suffered, died and rose again (Gal 2:16-21). We then are by faith “crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live” thus we are not working out of the flesh which is perishing, we are working out of faith, which is being renewed day by day.

Thus because of faith we are abiding in Christ’s resurrection out of the substance and confidence of God who has prepared FAITH for everyone who calls upon the LORD. We do not look at the things which are seen since all of the things which we see are temporal, these will die and decay, everything created (seen) is failing because of the fall of Adam. So we who have faith do not look at the things which are seen. We look for the things that are not seen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.