“Living By The Power Of God”

II Corinthians 13:1-5

1) This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

2) I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:

3) Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

4) For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

5) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Preface

I

f we believe, we will live in our belief. Putting aside all of the things that plague the human being, will, of course, prove impossible. Furthermore, if such things are not put aside, the one possessing them will not be able to be saved, therefore, we know that one who intends to be saved cannot, at the same time, be a human being.

Main Thought

In this walk of salvation, neither physical strength nor will power is any advantage. One’s “advantage” is gained through one’s relationship with the Lord and it is this, alone, that will determine whether or not we are triumphant.

Many, today, we are not saved because of the human mind. It is this that determines one’s thoughts, and the mind mired in the flesh will attempt to convince its “operator” that he is being required to try to understand what he cannot—and that is “unfair.”

We have a simple “gauge” for knowing our spiritual “state” and that is to assess whether or not our “goal” is understanding.” You see, only human begins seek for understanding, meaning that the man’s goal is to process information according to what he already knows in order to reach a conclusion or obtain a solution.

In his attempt to “organize” things in their proper order, he runs into difficulties because he has no “frame of reference” for what is spiritual. However, in that he (the human being) believes that he is “grown,” it is difficult to get him to accept that this is not acceptable.

Anyone widely acknowledged, recognized, or accepted as being spiritual, today is either regarded with awe, or spoken of as believing he is “better” than others. If obtaining “spirituality” were something one could “do,” these “labels” would, perhaps, be deserved. But, in that spiritual understanding is always “accepted by faith,” the ability of anyone to be able to “accomplish” it is “zero.” You see, spirituality is attained by accepting what God has already done and given, so, right away, we are “out of the equation.”

The things of God with which we find ourselves “puzzled” are “issues” to us because we attempt to “make sense” of them. Understandable, the human being, being fleshly, thrives on this. However, the spiritual being is lost when he tries to operate by this temporal principle, for how are the actions of One Who made “something from noting” to be understood by the one who was created?

Essentially, what our scripture, today, is telling us is that “What God has established, He will also confirm.” Note that Paul makes special mention of the fact that he is writing for the third time. Why might this be? Because God had already established that it takes two or three witnesses for spiritual confirmation.

Concerning the subject of “confirmation,” there are things that the people of God need to know. In many instances, it appears that some speaking in these “last days” are “making things up” as they go along. Contrary to what some might like to believe, if one believes that he has received something from the Lord, the 2^nd person who should be consulted is the pastor. Also, one spouse cannot be confirmation for the other because “the two are one flesh.”

It seems to have taken us a long time to accept that the life required of one after salvation, though very “specific,” is expected to be lived by all precisely because of the fact that we are admonished to “(live) by the power of God.” Now, if this were not the case, the Lord would have to adjust requirements,” for we would be coming to Him with differing abilities.

Though we may not want to have to accept this, the fact that He “equalizes” s through His requirement takes away our “excuses” about our “testing,” as well. You see, what He allows, He does so that we might become “strong” and “make heaven.” Should He not be praised for His care?

Contrary to popular opinion and what we would like to be believe, trials and tests do not necessarily come because we are out of the will of God. On the contrary, they often come because the Lord has a “point” to prove to the enemy concerning those who truly “belong” to Him. However, when we handle them with head hung down, we are actually showing “shame” in Christ.

We live in an age where “praise” has become “the order of the day.” Unfortunately, as with all things touched by the human intellect, the true purpose of praise has been lost. You see, the Lord already knows Whom and What He is; He already is aware of His glory and strictly speaking, really has no need of being reminded of His majesty. Yeas, we are encouraged, even admonished to praise Him and know that, in the end, all created beings and “things” will give Him the proper praise. But, from those who have been redeemed by Him, praise is meaningless unless it emanates from a vessel that is fully dedicated and devoted to Him and knows, through experience, exactly Who He is. The only way to exhibit this is through how one lives.

We know from scripture that never is the power of God stronger than when the one who must call upon it is at his weakest. This is when one who must call upon it is at his weakest. This is when one truly “(lives) by the power of God.” Apart from living “in the Spirit” and reckoning oneself wholly dependent upon the Lord, one will fail to “benefit” from Jesus. Why? Because the One Who made the heavens and the earth has absolutely noting to offer us in the flesh. How could He, when flesh is associated with “darkness”—and He is the “God of Light?”