Gregg's Rest Stop (Glory through Weakness)

Published: Mon, 03/16/15

GREGG'S REST STOP

Glory through Weakness

March 16, 2015

I continue to bask in the joy and awe of being in union in Christ. Christ died for me for the forgiveness of my sins. And by God's grace, the old Gregg was united with Christ in His death and burial to be re-born a new Gregg in union with the resurrected Christ. Salvation is forgiveness and a new life in Christ!

It is through my union with Christ that I receive all of His resources -- indeed, it is through my union with Christ that I receive all of Him in order to intimately know Him and for others to intimately know Him.

The Holy Spirit gave the New Testament writers the phrase in Christ, in Him, and with Him over 150 times to emphasize this glorious union that God's children have with His beloved Son. This past week I came across one of these phrases that went straight to my heart and is renewing my mind to a profound truth:

For though He was crucified in weakness,

yet He lives by the power of God.

For we also are weak IN HIM,

but we shall live WITH HIM by the power God toward you.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:4

May this Rest Stop based on this verse encourage and edify you!

Scriptural Interpretation of Weakness

I have always understood "weakness" to refer to shortcomings in me. Certainly there are sinful weaknesses in my fleshly human resources that I can be deceived to depend upon apart from Christ who indwells me.

However, as a result of truth revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 13:4, I am now realizing there is a "weakness" that is not a liability, but that is an opportunity -- a glorious opportunity to grow in knowing Christ!

Such an interpretation may go against our preconceived ideas of what "weak" means because the world's perspective is so deeply ingrained in our minds, wills, and emotions. This fallen world views "weakness" as negative.

However, when we approach a Scripture passage prayerfully, surrendering our preconceived interpretations, and being careful to understand the context of a passage, then we can simply (and profoundly) allow God's Word to speak for itself (or for Himself).

In other words, we can witness God's Word being "exposed" by the Holy Spirit instead of us "imposing" our preconceived human interpretations upon God's Word.

Check me out on the following exposition of God's Word. I'd love to hear from you to help me better understand and live out of this exposition.

Ministering to Others through Weakness

What profoundly struck me in reading 2 Corinthians 13:4 is what Paul DID NOT say. He did not say: "We are weak in ourselves but strong in Christ."

What profoundly struck me in reading 2 Corinthians 13:4 is what Paul DID say. He said:

"WE ARE WEAK IN CHRIST and we will be strong in ministering His life to others."

Here is some context. Earlier in 2 Corinthians 10:10, Paul quotes some "super-spiritual" people who were ridiculing the apostle Paul as having "a weak bodily presence and contemptible speech." So, Paul was not very impressive by worldly standards.

Do you ever feel that way? I sure do. And when I do it is false humility, which is pride at its root.

Paul knew his presence and speech were not impressive, which is evident in 1 Corinthians 2:3-4a where he testifies:

"I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom..."

Yes, Paul knew he was not impressive from a worldly perspective. However, he also knew he was in union with Christ! And based on this foundational truth, Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 2:4b:

"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom...but (my speech and my preaching were) in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (through my union with Christ)."

So, in using the phrase "we are weak in Christ" in 2 Corinthians 13:4, Paul is not saying that we experience weakness when we are outside Christ. He is saying that it is because we are IN CHRIST (in union with Christ) that we experience a redemptive weakness by sharing in His sufferings!

Paul testifies of his life's goal in Philippians 3:10 is:

"To know Christ and the power of His resurrection,

and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

This, too, is our life's goal implanted deep within us by the Holy Spirit!

As we taste being weak in union with Christ through the fellowship of His sufferings, God molds us into His servants to minister Christ's life to others.

Paul succinctly states this truth regarding ministry service in 2 Corinthians 4:12:

"So then death is working in us, but life in you."

Indeed there are Scriptures that explicitly exhort us to Be strong in the Lord (for example, Ephesians 6:10). However, these verses do not contradict, but complement, being weak in the Lord. In all these verses, union with Christ remains foundational.

Again, we only have to read Scripture passages in their proper contexts to know their intended interpretations as illuminated by the Holy Spirit. And in 2 Corinthians 13:4, the context includes our humility of being in fellowship with Christ in His sufferings so that we can profoundly minister the life of Christ to others, for the glory of God.

In summary, Sinclair Ferguson (recently retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina) well describes this ministry truth: "Through our union with Christ, God wants to mold us (through sufferings) and to fill us up with Christ, and to fill others with Christ through us."

Sinclair further notes: "There is a deep costliness in being united with Christ for service. And there is a profound blessedness in seeing His resurrection power released into the lives of others."

I humbly agree.

Closing

The ultimate reason why there is a weakness that is not a shortcoming is that our Lord and Savior was weakened all the way to His cross while in perfect union with His Father and, therefore, without sin.

And it is our privilege, by God's grace and Spirit, to walk with the same redemptive weakness.

Isaiah 53:2-3 describe our promised Messiah as "Having no form or comeliness, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows acquainted with grief."

So in our unimpressiveness and weaknesses on the world stage, we, like Paul, are in good company! Indeed, we are in good union!

And it is because of this that I testify of 2 Corinthians 12:9 with my brother Paul, and with all my heart: "Therefore I most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Your brother in Christ, Gregg

PS, It is concerning to me when I hear people leave a Bible teaching more enamored with an "impressive" teacher rather than being totally enamored with Christ Himself. It takes a man willing to be weak in Christ to manifest the glory of Christ's life through the grace of preaching and teaching.

I am so grateful to have a pastor who keeps pointing us to Christ. I wish you could visit with me sometime at Holly Ridge Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC. Our church's purpose is to delight in, to declare, and to display the glory of God in Christ. And this purpose is fulfilled only as we are willing to be weak in Christ!

Journey in Christ, Inc. is a biblical, Christ-centered discipleship counseling, teaching, and training ministry with a heart to come alongside pastors and the local churches in the Greenville SC area. I am a member of Holly Ridge Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC.

We have three full-time staff members, one staff member trainee, six board members, one ministry assistant, dedicated prayer partners, and a multitude of ministry partners.

Visit http://www.journeyinchrist.org for more details.

I would love to hear from you!

Contact me at (864) 483-3201 and/or gregg@journeyinchrist.org if you would like to know more how I can support you in your journey and ministry with Christ.