THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
We can get too much of a good thing if we’re talking about ice cream, coffee, or roller coasters. One thing, though, stands out as something we all could use in an endless supply.
Grace.
An unlimited supply of grace is available—and fully accessible. We’re just not always aware of it. When our lives are going great, we often rest in those things that appear to make life great. But when the circumstances of life knock those props out from under us, what’s left? Grace. Grace is there. God’s grace was always there, but we become more acutely aware of it.
No one accidentally stumbles onto the grace of God when he is wallowing in success and wealth. Rather, it is precisely when he is down and out, or at the end of his rope, that he is in a position to understand and experience the grace of God.
The life of the apostle Paul exemplifies this awareness of grace. He faced numerous challenges and hard times, but he found great strength in the grace God poured out on him.
THE PASSAGE
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
2 Corinthians 12:2-7a
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7a And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
KEY WORDS
the third heaven (v. 2)—Scripture does not mention elsewhere anything about different levels of heaven. Thus we must understand this simply as a place in heaven beyond our known universe.
revelations (v. 7)—The Greek term means a “disclosure.” In New Testament usage it typically refers to the revelation or disclosure of some truth (or truths) of God.
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Ps. 73:25-26). Recently as I was reading and meditating on that passage, I found myself at peace. I experienced a genuine sense of joy in my heart. I wasn’t faking it, nor was I trying to stir up emotions in my heart. I was deeply grateful I could pray that passage as my own prayer.
When was the last time you experienced a genuine sense of lasting joy in Christ, rather than a fleeting moment of happiness?
When was the last time you found yourself full of gratitude—not asking for anything in prayer, but rather spending the whole time in thanksgiving and praise? When was the last time you sang out with the psalmist, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (103:1) rather than “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (51:10)?
Without God’s grace, we would not know such joy, gratitude, or praise. Without God’s grace, we would not be able to experience true and lasting joy in Christ. We would instead be endlessly seeking the next thrill—to our own demise. Without God’s grace, greed—not gratitude—would fill our hearts, causing our attitude to be a desire to take from others, rather than giving out of our fullness in Christ. Lastly, without God’s grace, we would be perpetually looking for ways to appease our guilt and remedy our stained conscience, rather than rejoicing and expressing gratitude because Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Without God’s grace, Paul would not have experienced the visions and revelations of the Lord he described in 2 Corinthians 12. False teachers were trying to convince the Corinthian church to follow them based on their own claimed visions and revelations of the Lord (2 Cor. 11:4-14). Paul responded by sharing his own experience with visions and revelations. He refused to boast about his incredible experience—the great honor and blessing he received from God. It would seem this was not an experience Paul talked openly about, since it happened 14 years earlier, and this appears to be the first time he spoke of it. And even now in telling of it, he spoke in the third person voice as though he were talking about someone else.
While describing this amazing experience, Paul—not wanting to boast—shared only the briefest of details. He did not elaborate on what he heard because this was a private moment between him and the Lord. By doing so, Paul demonstrated to the Corinthian church that experiences like these are not prescriptive for all believers. This was a unique event that others should not expect to experience before God can use them for ministry.
Certainly, we should rejoice in any “mountaintop” moments where we feel especially drawn into the presence of God. But God’s grace also comes to us in other ways. In fact, as we will see in the next section, it may be more typical to experience God’s grace through difficulty and hardship.
2 Corinthians 12:7b-8
7b there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
KEY WORDS
the messenger of Satan (v. 7)—A parallel to “thorn in the flesh,” the term indicates that Satan, the chief adversary of God, was the immediate cause of Paul’s affliction.
Pride is a tricky matter. When we say, “I’m proud of you,” we typically use it to express love and admiration for our children or one who shares a close relationship with us. However, when we say to someone, “that’s prideful,” it is often a remark intended to correct haughty behavior or, at least, to make the person aware of a pompous attitude. Furthermore, when we accomplish a milestone at work, or receive praise for a job well done, we may find only a fine line separates a sense of satisfaction and a heart of pride.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines pride both as “a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people” and “a feeling that you are more important or better than other people.” The former definition is a positive, healthy sense of pride because it relates to having a healthy sense of self-esteem. The latter meaning is a toxic, negative form of pride because it causes you to judge and find your self-worth in how you compare with others.
Pride is a double-edged sword and the Bible has a lot to say about it. For instance, James 4:6 says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” So, how can we keep ourselves from landing on the wrong side of pride? How can we prevent pride from overtaking our hearts and infiltrating our souls?
For Paul, God used “a thorn in the flesh,” a “messenger of Satan.” Paul gave us no more details regarding this sharp, painful, and persistent issue in his life. This thorn could have been his adversaries or the persecution he endured, but most scholars believe it was some type of physical condition ranging from eye or ear problems to malaria. We just don’t know. Whatever it was, this thorn was a hardship to his ministry (see Gal. 4:13-14). It was more than a mere annoyance because Paul prayed three times for God to take it away. The bottom line is that, while we don’t know just what this thorn in the flesh was, we do know it kept Paul humble. Therefore, Paul’s thorn in the flesh brought good into his life.
This is hard to realize when the ground is falling out from underneath you. When you are “downsized” five years away from retirement, or your children rebel, or your furnace and hot water heater break down in the same month, it is difficult to see how God is going to use this for His good. But He does. He always does (Rom. 8:28). You might not see the results immediately, but God, in His providence and sovereignty, will strengthen you through these hardships. He walks with us and comforts us. That’s grace.
God allows us to go through hardships because He has a plan and wants to do something in our lives. He wants to remove the pride from our hearts and replace it with His love, mercy, and goodness.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
We have a natural aversion to pain. Ever taken a pain reliever at the
first hint of a headache? We want to prevent all pain, not simply
reduce it. Pain, however, can actually be a good thing. Yes, pain
hurts, but often when we experience pain, it means our bodies are
functioning properly. For example, the pain you feel when you
touch a hot stove is a good thing because it causes you to jerk your
hand away; otherwise you’d leave your hand there and burn
through to the bone.
Pain can also toss us into the arms of God. When we experience the pain of hardship—whether it is our fault or not—we discover God never leaves us (Heb. 13:5). In fact, God often uses the pain of hardship to get our attention and reveal His grace and presence to us. After all, when Paul turned to God and pleaded for Him to remove the “thorn in the flesh,” the Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
God’s grace is always sufficient. When you go through hardship, the same grace that was with Jesus (Luke 2:40) is with you, since grace and truth come through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). You are saved through the grace of Jesus, and His grace is able to build you up in any and every situation. God’s grace and His power are bigger and greater than any evil, hardship, or trial that may come your way.
As a result, instead of boasting in your strengths, it is actually more advantageous to boast in your weaknesses. Paul came to this conclusion “that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Paul’s is no false humility, as when a person falsely boasts in his weaknesses, saying, for example, “My greatest weakness is that I care too much.” Rather, this passage is actually exhorting you to accept hardships when they come because God wants to shape you through them and use the difficulties to make you strong in Him.
Through God’s help that comes by His grace, He will give you the strength to endure anything.
LIVE IT OUT
God’s grace is sufficient and His grace will allow you to face anything and everything that life throws at you. Choose one of the following applications:
- Give thanks for grace. What hardship are you currently experiencing, or did you most recently experience? Thank God for that difficulty and ask Him to fill you with strength by His grace.
- Look for grace. Consider a recent hardship you encountered. How did God work in your life while going through that difficulty? Identify how God displayed His grace in that situation.
- Share grace. Who in your life needs to experience God’s grace? Pray that God would intervene. Ask God to break the false hopes and false securities in that individual’s life. Pray that God would shower His grace upon the person and use you as a conduit of His grace.
None of us is going to pray for pain or persecution. But when it comes, we can know that God will be there with us to help us become more like Him.
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Teacher Notes:
What would you like to have an unlimited supply of?
- Money, time, patience, good health, places to go, helpers, pizza, pancakes, Krispy Creme donuts, chocolate chip cookies, or Titleist ProV1X golf balls, Lunchables?
Carolina Panthers rookie linebacker Ben Boulware will get a chance to satisfy his inner childhood appetite as often as he wants after getting hooked up by Lunchables. After professing his love for all things Lunchables in a column written by Boulware and published by Sports Illustrated, the good people at Lunchables wanted to thank Boulware for the good word (and free advertising). As you might imagine, Boulware was very happy to hear from Lunchables about the offer.
… what about God’s grace?
Question: What is the grace of God?
Answer: Grace is a constant theme in the Bible. It culminates in the NT with the coming of Jesus (John 1:17). Grace in the NT comes from the Greek word charis, which means “favor, blessing, or kindness.” We can all extend grace to others; but when the word grace is used in connection with God, it takes on a more powerful meaning. Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves.” The only way any of us can enter into a relationship with God is because of His grace toward us. Grace began in the Garden of Eden when God killed an animal to cover the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). He could have killed Adam and Eve right then for their disobedience. But He chose to make a way for them to be right with Him. That pattern of grace continued throughout the OT when God instituted blood sacrifices as a means to atone for sin. It wasn’t the blood of the sacrifices, that cleansed sinners; it was the grace of God that forgave those who trusted in Him (Hebrews 10:4; Genesis 15:6). Men showed their faith by offering the sacrifices that God required.
God shows both mercy and grace, but they are not the same.
- Mercy withholds a punishment we deserve.
- Grace gives a blessing we don't deserve.
Grace is God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving—which is every one of us.
Consider that God’s grace to us is unlimited
- His grace allows me to face anything life throws at me.
Our lives are filled with both joys and sorrows, opportunities we embrace and difficulties we would rather avoid. We don’t question God’s presence in the good times, although we might when life gets hard. God is with us through it all, good and bad. God’s sufficient grace is always with us.
I. God Blesses Us
Listen for why not to boast.
2 Corinthians 12:2-7a (NIV) I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. 3 And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations,
God blessed Paul with an amazing spiritual experience. Why did he open with this explanation of it?
- told an amazing story or experience he had
- catches people’s attention
- people want to know what heaven is like
- told it as if it was someone else “I know a man …”
- making a point without bragging
- his point is not to brag or boast
Point: God honors and blesses those who are in Christ with amazing spiritual experiences. People will be drawn to Christ by seeing the difference He makes in the way we face the daily challenges of life more than by our boasting about spiritual privileges that we have come to us.
II. Hardships Can Prevent Pride
Listen for Paul’s hardship.
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations,
2 Corinthians 12:7b-8 (NIV) there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
What did Paul say was given to him to keep him from becoming conceited?
- a “thorn in the flesh” - some sort of physical problem or limitation
- a “messenger of Satan” - some sort of physical torment
What was Paul’s response to his "thorn"?
- pleaded with God to take it away - repeatedly – three times
What are some weaknesses or afflictions that you find difficult to live with?
- physical limitations (especially as we age)
- limited finances
- health crises
- being the care giver for someone
- raising a child with mental, physical, or emotional problems
- needing to work, even though well past normal age of retirement
- troublesome neighbor, boss, child, parent
“A messenger of Satan, to torment me.”
What Satan may intend for harm, God can use for good. What good can there be?
- we learn that God’s grace is sufficient
- we learn new lessons of God’s power and provision
- we have new experiences that enable us to depend on God even more
- God can open new doors of opportunity
- we see God work miracles
- temporary trouble can work out to bring more lasting blessing
- we learn to trust God more
Point: What Satan may intend for harm, God can use for good. We may desire that the Lord remove hardship from us, but He does not always do so. Life’s hardships can keep us from being prideful. Hardships can lead us deeper into the arms of God.
How can you handle it when a prayer isn’t answered as you hope concerning these weaknesses?
- keep praying
- keep praising God … He is Good, all the time … He is worthy of our praise
- ask God for patience
- tell God “I trust you anyway”
- ask God to help you learn the lesson He has for you
- praise God for His power, His authority, His wisdom, His love … even though the prayer is unanswered
- thank Him for His faithfulness in the past
III. By God’s Grace, We Endure – Listen to why Paul would boast
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
What promise did the Lord give to Paul concerning times of hardship?
- God’s grace is sufficient
- God’s blessings will over power, overrule any hardship
- God is better able to show His power when we are weak than when things are going well
- we are better able to see and experience God’s power and authority and love when we come to the end of our own strength and abilities
Karl Barth once said: “Grace must find expression in life, otherwise it is not grace.” What do you think he meant by that?
- Grace is not an abstract principle, but a reality of our life with God.
- And you can be assured that God’s grace will embed itself into your life in profound ways. That is simply how the Holy Spirit works.
How can you allow the Lord’s power to take over where you are weak?
Points: The power of the Lord becomes evident in times of weakness and frailty. The indwelling power of Christ is available to cover us from that which boils over on us, to hedge us from that which would besiege us, and strengthen us to endure even in the direst of circumstances. God’s grace is sufficient for all things at all times. Our weakness becomes strength when God is in it.
LIVE IT OUT
None of us want to suffer or face hardships – emotional, physical, or spiritual challenges that try our faith. However, most everyone knows that such things are part of life. While they may be unavoidable, they do not have to defeat us. In fact, God may use them to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Him. We discover, as did Paul, that in our weakness we can become strong. This is more than the result of increasing our stamina or “bucking up” under the pressure. In those times, we can find spiritual renewal greater than the adversity, grace sufficient for the moment, and strength that enables us to endure. We become strong in His strength.
Look at a timeline of your life marking those times of great spiritual blessing that came during times of transition, decision, or direction in which you clearly saw God at work in your life. How did those blessing further aid your growth as a Christian and prepare you for something else God had in store for you?
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
