Riches In Christ

6-25-21 Self Sufficient In Christ We invite you to like our Facebook page to continue receiving these teachings. Visit our website for more Bible studies, videos, radio broadcasts, download our app, multi-language translations, and much more! www.richesinchrist.com https://www.facebook.com/Riches-In-Christ-746790955407279/?ref=pages_you_manage

Lots of sincere Christians believe that God sometimes gives His people thorns in the flesh. This idea is based on something Paul wrote: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure (2 Corinthians 12:7). Many say that Paul’s thorn was a disease sent or allowed by God to keep Paul humble. From this they conclude th...at life’s trials are often thorns in the flesh permitted by God for some purpose. But this line of thinking is based on a misinterpretation of the verse. Consider some thoughts about what happened to Paul. When we carefully read what Paul wrote we see that his thorn was not from God. It was the messenger of Satan. The word messenger in the original language (Greek) means being or personality. It is used almost two hundred times in scripture and it never once means a disease (or a trial). When the word thorn is used figuratively in the Bible it refers to troublesome people (Numbers 33:55; Joshua 23:13; Judges 2:3). The thorn was a troublesome being sent from Satan to harass Paul as he preached the gospel. You may be thinking, Well, whatever the thorn was, God permitted it to keep Paul humble. However, the passage says the thorn came to keep Paul from BEING exalted, not to keep him from EXALTING HIMSELF. Paul had received tremendous revelation from God (2 Cor 12:1-4). Satan did not want Paul’s revelation to be accepted as a message from God so he sent an angelic being (a fallen angel, a devil) to harass Paul when he preached. This is consistent with the description of events in the Book of Acts. Paul would go to a city to proclaim the gospel. Someone or something would stir up the crowd, and Paul would be mobbed, put in jail, or thrown out of town (Acts 13:45; 14:2-6; 19:21-41). You might also be wondering, Why didn’t God simply remove Paul’s thorn when he prayed, especially if it was a being sent from Satan to hinder Paul’s ministry? Because Paul was asking God to do something He has not promised to do at this point in time. The Bible says that the devil is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and will continue his activities up to the time that Jesus returns to earth. Until then, the Lord tells us that our defense is to resist the devil in His Name: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). God promises us that His grace toward us and for us is sufficient to deal with anything the devil brings our way. That’s exactly what He told Paul: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We could say a lot more about Paul’s thorn, but space doesn’t permitted. For a more in depth study, check out our web page at www.richesinchrist.com See more

6-18-21 Independent Of Circumstances

Many sincere Christians believe that the trials and tribulations we endure in this life are part of our duty to suffer for the Lord. However, when the Bible speaks of suffering for the Lord, it never refers to experiencing sickness, car wrecks, financial set backs or any other such calamity. The Word of God defines suffering for the Lord as being persecuted for our faith in Christ and as any kind of personal sacrifice or related discomfort we experience as we live for Him. ...Continue reading

6-18-21 Independent Of Circumstances We invite you to like our Facebook page to continue receiving these teachings. Visit our website for more Bible studies, videos, radio broadcasts, download our app, multi-language translations, and much more! www.richesinchrist.com https://www.facebook.com/Riches-In-Christ-746790955407279/?ref=pages_you_manage