Bible Commentary & Daily Devotional

 2 Corinthians 7- Joy in Godliness          My grandsons, Jack, Arch, and Colt           How do you feel when you sin?  This is an area where I have expertise.  I’m an experienced sinner.  Just when I see spiritual maturity and purity in one area then I fall in another.  It’s akin to dieting.  I know what I shouldn’t eat, but I eat it anyway.  I like the salty and the sweet, the chips and the chocolate.           But what I’ve found is that the Christian life is not defeatism.  We can lose weight and keep it off.  It takes discipline and good habits.  We can “work toward complete holiness because we fear God” (2 Cor. 7:1).           My greatest fear is not the condemnation of man - although I certainly do not seek shame.  My fear is that Jesus finally tires of my sin and weakness, of my failure to change my way.  I have the same concern for the church.  We seem so slow to fear the Lord God and to cleanse ourselves from all the worldliness that defiles our bodies and spirits.  But I hav

 2 Corinthians 7- Healthy Sorrow, Repentance, Complete Confidence in One Another           We will work through this chapter for a few days.  This is the follow-up encouraging chapter to the tough love chapters of 1 Corinthians.  Serious talk for serious people.  As G.K. Chesterton reminds the Christian in The Everlasting Man , only the live fish can swim upstream.  Paul is talking to live fish here.  Those that are alive with the Spirit of Christ.  They are earnestly concerned to clear themselves; they have righteous indignation, alarm at wrongdoing, longing for fellowship, zeal, and readiness to punish wrong.           Christian men must bring honor to Christ.  It’s a simple question, but man, what a dangerous one.  Has my conduct brought honor to Christ?  Does the way I treat my daughter and sons honor Christ?  Does the way I speak to, support, encourage, and love my wife bring honor to Christ?  Does the way I communicate with my elderly parents and my elderly in-laws bring honor to

 2 Corinthians 6:10 - Owning Nothing and Everything           God has a lot to say about money and riches.  Obviously, as we all know, there are earthly riches and spiritual riches.  Which do I think about more?  I’ve made and lost a lot of money over the years.  I’m in my early 50s now.  My highest earning years were my 30s when I was a securities lawyer and then as a private equity advisor.  I advised and invested in various industries including software, energy, and real estate.  I knew a lot; but, I didn't apply what I knew to my own investing.  I lacked wisdom.  I made and lost millions.           Through the years God’s been getting after my heart.  What do I really care about?  What motivates me?  I wasn’t a good steward of what God gave me.  At times I was extremely generous, and at other times extremely reckless.           Money is a funny thing.  You never have enough of it.  It so obviously does not make people satisfied.  Yet we are to be good stewards of God’s resource

 2 Corinthians 6 - God’s Heart           One of the most revealing and insightful things I learned as a husband is that one of my wife’s heart’s desires is for me to be with her, enjoy her company, and love her for who she is.  Once I saw that in writing a light bulb went off for me.  I love her company as well.  We don’t always have to talk, but we genuinely love each other’s company.           It is similar with God.  God’s heart says, “Come and talk with me.”  And our hearts should reply, “LORD I am coming to talk with you now, I seek to live in the LORD’s house, and delight in His perfection” (Psalm 27).  God loves us and wants us to open our hearts to Him.  Yes, we are to fear Him for He is Mighty God.  Yet He yearns for a genuine relationship with us.  No false fronts, fakery, genie-type stuff, or dishonesty.  Real genuine friendship.           It is hard for me to open my heart up to people.  We’ve all been hurt.  It is also hard to be brutally honest.           We need to take

  2 Corinthians 6:4-18 - Walk the Walk           The principle of holiness is the most important teaching for Christian living.  In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God.  We cannot function with the blessing of the Holy Father if our bodies and spirits are defiled.  With holiness and purity come God’s blessing.  Blessing in marriage, family, church, community, and nation.           Therefore, we show that we are ministers of God by first ensuring that we are pure from evil.  Get right with God this morning.  Be pure.  Never try to deceive others.  Fear God.  Trust Him to point out the road to follow.  For there is no harmony between Jesus Christ and Satan.           Be different from the devil.  He is darkness and evil.  And we, with Christ, are light and goodness.           So we must separate ourselves from unbelievers (6:17).  Some will get self-righteous here and justify unloving actions toward others and show their affinity for the dark through their legalis

 2 Corinthians 6:3 - Cause No Stumbling - Have No Fault By the grace of God and His mercy, He shows us how to live as real Christian men and women.  We must live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.  If you are looking for a religion with a higher standard you will not find it.  This is Jesus' standard of excellence, nay, perfection.  No stumbling, no fault.  Of course, we will fall short of His glorious standard of perfection.  But aim high.  Aim to hit the mark.  If you’ve failed.  Today is a new day.  Repent, receive His forgiveness, and follow God. Making no person stumble means caring for the righteous living of every person.  Pastor Troy Warner calls it seeking the highest good for every person: love in action.  It means sincerity of purpose and action - not just platitudes of a one-hour Sunday sermon. What makes people stumble is the lukewarm acceptance of sin.  When we make political power our idol that ca

 2 Corinthians 6 - So Now What? I love this chapter because it reflects what real Christian living should look like.  It describes not just Paul’s hardships, but the blessed life of the ambassador for Christ. So now what?  Let’s think about, assess if you will, how we are doing as a modern church.  What are we doing to make students, disciples if you will, of Jesus Christ.  My sense is that we do an ok job with alter calls, but fail miserably in teaching Christ's followers how to live for God.           Think of the common case.  A young man hears about God’s marvelous gift of kindness, his help, and forgiveness for sin.  God’s rescue.  He accepts God’s offer.  He clasps God’s mighty hand and is pulled up from despair.  That is his day of salvation.  Then, the young man dries the tears, says farewell - have a nice day, and goes on his merry way.  He has things to do, a life to live, and the wonders of this world to explore.  He has a fortune to make and his name must be made im

  2 Corinthians 5 - Come Back to God! We need to work.  The child of God is a man or woman of action.  It is our actions that bring glory to God.  And shows that our faith is alive. I’m thinking about, and kinda awed and amazed at what God says in Psalm 22.  We all know it because Jesus Christ our Savior quotes that Scripture on the Cross.  God says, “The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him.  All the families of the nations will bow down before him.  For royal power belongs to the LORD.  He rules all the nations” (v.26-28).  Exciting.  Motivating.  Victorious.  Humbling.  God gives us a gift.  And we are then tasked with passing that gift on to others - reconciling people to God (2 Cor 5:18). Lord Jesus, help us to see every person as you see them today.  Help us to truly love them.  Help us to persuade others about your desire for reconciliation with them.  Please help us to do this by the way we look at people and how we act; and, if we have to use words, ma

 2 Corinthians 5:11 - Fearful Responsibility God doesn’t ignore evil.  He assesses it in the context of His justice.  He expects us to do the same.  Don't ignore the bad things people do, but keep it in context.  Remember how important it is to share God's love with people and to show them how much God loves them.           God brought us back to Himself through Christ.  In this reconciliation, our sins are not counted against us.  They were assessed against Jesus on the Cross.  Paid in full.  We are forgiven and now we are new people, in Christ.  It’s so good to get together, fellowship, and worship God.  We need the constant reminder of how much God loves us and that Jesus was the offering for our sins.  True love. God wants us.  All of us.  He wants us to come back to Him.  Maybe that’s the message He wants you to hear today.  Turn back to God, He loves you and offers reconciliation and forgiveness. When we understand what God did for us and what He’s doing for us we t

 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 - Confident in Tent and Home We have this tent for but a brief lifetime.  It’s a result of human inputs (i.e., mom and dad).  And it will fast decay when we die.  As opposed to a tent a home is permanent.  A home is stronger, more comfortable, and much more secure.  A home is a magnitude more complex than a tent.  Our eternal body, our home, will not be made by earthly parents.  It will be made for us by God himself, King, Creator, Promise Keeper.  It's all hard to fathom, but it's His plan, not ours. God designed our earthly tents well.  They are flexible, resilient, and unique.  But he designed them to wear; we peak at an early age.  After that we get wrinkles.  It gets a lot harder to lose weight.  And our strength wears out.  It’s rare to see a fifty-year-old in the Olympics.  That’s by design.  But don’t be deceived.  Even as older people we must maintain a growth and God-confident mindset.  Keep growing.  Get all the advice and instruction you ca

 2 Corinthians 4 - Serve Well for Jesus’ Sake I’m thankful God has not given me what I wanted in business.  At one point I wanted to build a conglomerate.  I thought I’d call it Bell Enterprises (to match the Bell Capital that had already been mildly successful) and have a mixture of good cash-flowing businesses.  God had other plans, thank God!           God wants to get a hold of our hearts.  He cares about our motives.  Psalm 17:14 says, “By the power of your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward.”  May that not be us.  May we not seek to build up kingdoms for ourselves here on Earth.  The potential is there in each of us to be an utter monster.  I think many men attempt to gain the world and justify it as somehow related to God’s will.  It’s not.  What matters is lives transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, transformed by the Spirit of Christ.  We are blessed by God’s grace and His light shining through us to bring life-changing grace to others. 

 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 - Never Give Up - God is Our Power  It’s a new day, thank God!  Our bodies are getting older, we have troubles, pressures, and enemies, and we get knocked down.  But we have great news.  Our spirits are being renewed every day - this day!  Hallelujah. When God says the same things multiple times in one chapter it is beneficial for those slow learners like me.  It’s a warning.  God is trying to get my attention.  And He has it.  He says in verse one and again in 16 to never give up.  I needed to hear that this morning.  The Bible says that, “since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up” (v.1).           But never give up what?  Never give up pursuing godliness.  Being upright.  Rejecting shameful deeds and underhanded methods.  Trust me, someone will try and get you to cut a corner today.  Don’t do it.  Be a man or woman of integrity.  Be hungry for knowledge.  Be a good person - as only a Spirit-filled person may be.  Make an effort.  Work

 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 - Be a Good Coach A good hockey coach knows the importance of the balance of encouragement, admonition, approbation, and challenge.  Jesus is the Master Mentor and Master Coach.  He sent his disciples out two by two, teaching them to rely on God.  And He sends us out into our communities now, giving us everything we need for success so that more and more people will know and receive God’s grace. The message of this passage is not doom and gloom.  Instead, we ought to live with confidence because God is victorious and his glory will increase until he returns. Take a new grip on your stick today.  Get on the ice and finish your checks.  Play smart.  Play clean.  Stay out of the sin bin.  Make smart decisions in every zone.  Don’t turn the puck over; if you do, dig in and regain possession.  And don’t be selfish; no gliding.  When your legs are spent, get off the ice, and let’s get fresh blood out there.  Short shifts, boys.  Hard shifts. Hockey’s a good game

 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 - You are a Letter from God God is making us more and more like Him.  Here we see the truth of the Good news.  When we believe in Jesus we have the veil taken away and we can finally see the glory of God and then, as if He’s writing a letter to others through us, we reflect the glory of God.  You are a letter from God to the world, a living portrait of God's glory and grace.           God uses your life as a testimony about Christ.  You’ve heard it said the Saints are His ambassadors.  That’s true.  Our lives, for better or for worse, show what we value, who we resemble, and the result of God’s work in and through us.  We need God’s help.  We have to rely - fully depend- on Him.  God sets a firm sail and a strong rudder.  With God we are secure through even fierce gale and heavy rain.  Move today from a culture of fear to bold confidence in the future, victory, courage, and freedom in Christ.  The future is God’s and by being His child, ours. The Christian’

 2 Corinthians 2 - The Sweet Smell of Life Our motives must be pure.  A man is adequate to share the life-giving knowledge of Christ if he knows the forgiveness, grace, and authority of Christ the King.  God invites us to live a life of wisdom (Proverbs 9).  He encourages us to instruct and to teach - this is a double benefit for those who minister and those who hear the Good News.  Our lives, everything about us, show Christ’s impact on us.  We need no worldly qualification.  Christ alone qualifies us for the task of spreading His life-giving message.  And the proof is in the pudding.  The Spirit of the Living God will show through the impact on others the results of new life through the new covenant of Christ.         You see some churches led by hucksters with nothing but scandal and dysfunction.  They are characterized by worldly traits.  You can see other churches overflowing with good and godly people, humble preaching, teaching, and overflowing with God's blessing.        

  2 Corinthians 1:23-24 - Mentoring With Sam, Barcelona Mentor well.  You’d be surprised at how many people we can influence.  There are some, however, that God allows us to indeed encourage; nay, to make disciples of Christ. God is our witness.  He is our audience.  His approval is what ultimately matters.  We should act like Paul and lead with grace.  There is a time and a place for a rebuke and a time for mercy and forgiveness.  Our culture in the church must not be one of dominating each other.  Do you see signs of that?  Are there boss men in your organization lording their power over others?  Do you have a culture of mentoring, servant leadership, and actively making disciples of Christ?  Are your women teaching the young women well and showing them by example how to be servant leaders?  What about the older men, are they stepping up and showing the men how they watch for God at every step, taking initiative without hesitation; yet showing patience and humility rather than se

 2 Corinthians 1:17-22 - Strategic Planning Rely on God.  Put that as the heading of your strategic plan.  Not your wisdom, money, or financial projections.           This is one of the exciting things about being a Christian, one of the many paradoxes.  Just like in James 1 - with rejoicing in troubles and persevering while you build endurance and godly character.  God’s way is different, better. God’s people take great care in making plans.  We should not be reactionary.  We must not be careless and haphazard in our planning.  Yet we see that in personal finance, municipal, state, and federal government, and our church organizations.  Let’s up our game.  Let’s plan well and rely on God’s grace as we seek to serve others and spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere. We see here that Jesus is God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says.  All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” You see, God’s a planner.  And God is a promise keeper.  I

 2 Corinthians 1:15-16 - Understanding and Trust We get a sense here of the growth mindset of the Christian.  No matter our age, position, or circumstances we must keep growing.           Do you have others that understand how much you love them?  We are to be others focused.  We will nod to our brothers and sisters in Christ on the day of the Lord’s return (v.14).  It will be a nod of thankfulness and perhaps relief - happiness and joy.  We will be proud of them and they of us.  Who will you be thankful for and proud of on the Lord’s return?  Well, your family, friends, churchmen - all of those who understand God’s grace and know your love for them.  Jesus wants for us to yearn (deeply desire - not that you needed my definition) for fellowship in heaven.  That is, Christians are designed to love others.  When we are following Jesus we seek God’s benefit for others. Let me try and be a little clearer.  I want my buddies to be in heaven.  I want to see them there and know that they

 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 - Sincerity - the Mark of the Christian I’m reminded this morning of the need to give thanks to God.  Let’s give thanks for all God has done for us and for all He is doing.  For our relationships, health, the doors of opportunity for service and growth, and, most of all, for being our merciful, loving Father and source of all joy.  Lord Jesus, thank you. It is the mark of the mature Christian man, like our brothers in Christ Paul and Timothy, that we can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with God-given holiness, honesty, and sincerity in all our dealings.  Not some of our dealings.  All of our dealings.  When we write, "Yours sincerely," let's mean it. Lord Jesus, we know that people will know us by our love.  Our love for you and for others.  May we also be known for our honesty and sincerity in all our dealings - before you and before everyone. May our letters be straightforward with nothing written between the

 2 Corinthians 1:1-12 - Get Back on Track Happy 4th! Men, all praise is due to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is God who loves us, forgives us, and is merciful to us.  He is the Source of our comfort, even when we are weighed down with suffering and troubles.  God showers us with His comfort through Christ (1:5).  And we shall comfort each other as believers in Christ Jesus. Men, let’s face it, we need God’s help to be holy.  We just can’t do it on our own.  Where do we get our comfort, approval, and approbation?  People disappoint and fail.  But God does not.  Let’s be content in Him, and fear Him for God is holy and just. Troubles, being crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, bring us closer to God.  It is to our great benefit when we stop relying on ourselves (or others!) and learn to rely on God Almighty.  He alone has all power and might.  God alone is Sovereign.  He’s so sovereign that he truly gives us free will and holds us accountable for ou