II Corinthians Chapter 7 "No Rest in the Flesh." This Bible Study is written by Roger
Christopherson, and made available with written
permission by http://www.theseason.org In chapter six, we saw that if we follow God's simple plan of salvation, that's when we believe in Jesus Christ, and by our faith in Christ, repent in Jesus name, we become saved. It is that simple. That is something you can be joyful about it, for in the sixteenth verse Jesus said; "I will come and dwell in you," it becomes God dwelling inside of us. Our inner man becomes the Temple of God, the dwelling place of the very Spirit of God. So stop and think for a moment, if God is dwelling within you, do you think that Satan will attack you? He sure will, but Satan will learn very quickly of the use of the power that we have through the Spirit of God that is within us. We have the power to put him right back into his place, and after we use that power from a time, Satan and his evil spirits learn to keep their distance. It is important for us to remember this, that just because God is within us, it doesn't mean that Satan will not attack you. When you have received Jesus Christ, you have chosen which side you are on in that great conflict between God and Satan, and you become the enemy of the devil. However you can always overcome any trouble Satan gives you, when you have the Spirit of God within you. Its very difficult to go through this life without having this power within you, and using that Spiritual power and authority that God has given to each of us. II Corinthians 7:1 "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The promises that Paul is stating in this verse are the promises stated and studied in the first six chapters of this book of Second Corinthians. We perfect ourselves and clean out all filthiness and become holy through our reverence to God. When God is dwelling within you, Satan will attack you, so don't get to thinking that you are safe in some fort or hiding place from Satan. Satan will come against you, only you will not be on the defense, but the offence. However, when you perfect, or adjust in your mind to take on the holiness of God, through the study of His Word and your prayer life, then you will always win. There just is no room in your mind for entertaining Satan in any manner within your mind. In Paul's letter to the Romans in Romans 12:1, Paul wrote: "I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is you reasonable service." It becomes your duty to have this renewing of mind to perfect holiness in reverence to our heavenly Father. II Corinthians 7:2 "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man." Paul is asking these Corinthians to open their hearts and minds to what he is telling them. Paul is saying; "We have cheated no person nor have we taken advantage of anyone. We have spoken the truth from His Word, and we have shared all those promises of God with you." II Corinthians 7:3 "I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you." Paul is telling them that he is not saying what he is saying to have any reflection upon them, to scold them, but to show you that you have a place in my heart until the day I die. Paul really loved the Corinthians even through their hard times. II Corinthians 7:4 "Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation." Paul was the spiritual father to the Corinthian Church for he was the one that founded and established the church at Corinth. He spoke boldly to them because he loved them, and they were his spiritual children. Did Paul say he had it perfect all the time because God dwells within me? Absolutely not; Paul stated that even when the times are hard, when he was under attack, imprisoned, beaten and whipped, Paul was comforted by his thoughts of these dear souls in Corinth. Those hardships were all part of the price that he paid for the benefit of bringing the gospel of Christ to the Corinth and the other churches he founded. As a believer when we are at our weakest, we know we are at our strongest, for then Christ is dwelling within us and we turn it over to Him. The battle then is between the Spirit of God within us, and Satan. II Corinthians 7:5 "For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears." In other words, when Paul came into Macedonia, Paul had not heard from Titus about the Corinthians, as to whether they had turned from God. He did not know the extent that the incestuous affair had spread throughout the church, or whether things had come under control. When Paul had worked as hard as he did to establish the church there, naturally he was deeply concerned for his people there. II Corinthians 7:6 "Nevertheless God, That comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;" When Titus arrived in Macedonia with the good news from Paul, they received that first letter well. Paul was pleased that they had taken care of those matters that could have brought them down, for Paul found comfort in those words. We know from both of these two letters that the man which had the incestuous affair even straightened himself out. Because of Paul's first letter the divisions in the church were brought back together in the body of Christ. Even though some in that church were saying that Paul was a false apostle, that he was a nobody; the men and women of God took control. Then when Paul heard of the good report that Titus brought back to him, we can see the comfort that Paul received through this report. II Corinthians 7:7 "And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more." Paul is saying that when Titus told me just how much you were looking forward to my visit with you, it made me feel real good. Their "mourning" was was in repentance for the condition that the church had fallen into. So it is obvious this change had to come about within this church. The church was brought back into the oneness with Christ, into the body of Christ through repentance. The people were getting right with God individually, each man examining himself and each woman herself. They faced up to those things in their lives individually, confessed their sins to the Father in Jesus name, and sought to get those sinful things out of their lives. Individually they became one in Christ through their change of heart. II Corinthians 7:8 "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceived that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season." Paul is telling them that even though he knows that he hurt their feelings with that first letter that he send, he is not repenting for the words spoken; he is not sorry for what he said. Paul is not making a contradicting statement here. Paul is stating that the hurt within himself is not for what he said, but for the fact that things had gotten so bad that he had to make those statements and warnings to have to correct them that way. When placed in a position of responsibility that any person goes through, correction is part of that job. When a father sees his child in trouble and hast to scold or spank the child in correction, it becomes the duty of the father. When the correction is given it hurts the father while he is making those corrections. It is not a matter of repentance by the father for what the father does, but it is the child that must seek the repentance for the child's wrong deeds and works. Paul is the spiritual father figure in the correction that took place in Corinth. It always hurts the caring father [or mother] more than the child when any correction takes place for that is where the duty of the enforcement of the punishment falls. II Corinthians 7:9 "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing." Paul is telling these Corinthians that he held his ground and gave them the proper warning of a teacher, apostle, and a father to them in the spiritual sense. That letter readjusted your character to where now you are living after a godly manner. It is now better for you in that you are following in the ways of God, and His Son Jesus Christ. Paul is talking about discipline here. "Discipline" within the body of Christ, within the church and amongst all the members of that church. Each member was brought into a body of oneness. In order for each individual member of a church to be happy in their lives, they must individually seek discipline for their own lives. Discipline brings correction and with the correction points out sins and mistakes that must be dealt with through repentance. We all make mistakes, and when we error and sin, then is the time to seek repentance for those things. As each member seeks repentance, there is pleasure as the bonding back together takes place. This pleases our Heavenly Father whereby His blessings can come all the more. You must have discipline in your life first and then within your family, and then the church. II Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." In other words, the discipline that come through repentance brings forth eternal life. The ways that Jesus gave us in His life and Word, brings eternal life. However, the ways of this world brings on sorrow, and in the end, the death of your soul. Once you understand that within the full meaning of "God's election", it means that we never say good-bye. Even though there is a parting on this earth at death to this physical body, we never say good-bye because we know we are together for an eternity. The bonding between God's children is an eternal bonding, and though there is separation for a while, in Christ we will be brought back together in God's kingdom. Even though you are apart for a while, as Paul was from Titus and the Corinthians, Christians are bonded together for an eternity. II Corinthians 7:11 "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefullness in wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." When you seek to live a godly life, it will bring "carefulness" which is "diligence" to your life. It changes your life in all aspects, "clearing of yourselves" is the peace of mind within your mind that comes upon repenting of your sins. The "indignation" that it brings is a righteous indignation, in the Greek it is "aganaktesis", "the sore desire to move against something that goes against God and His ways". The "fear" is a "reverence" that you have for our Father and His Son Jesus Christ and His Spirit that is within you. The "revenge" is the vindication that God gives you against the devil and the ways of this world. So what Paul is saying here is that he has talked to Titus, and he can see that these Corinthians have cleared up the whole mess that was in your lives. You have repented of it and are now zealous for Christ in your lives. It is a beautiful thought. You have to realize that while we are in these flesh bodies, we that have accepted Jesus Christ and have God dwelling within us, are automatically enemies of Satan. You simply cannot be on both sides at the same time. When you chose one, you become enemies of the other. It is a spiritual battle and that is what spiritual warfare is about. Satan has already been sentenced to death, and he desires to take you into the same perdition of hell fire that he is going to. It is a life and death struggle, and not just a game like most churches are playing. The life that you are playing with is not your physical body, but the death of your very soul, that inner man that dwells within your flesh body. Satan knows that he has but a short time, and that is why we must keep ourselves properly armed with the spiritual powers we have. We must put on the armor from God's Word, for Satan will attack you over and over. This is why you must put on the whole armor of God to protect our every move, to allow God to work through you. Putting armor on is done by the sealing of all of God's Word in your mind so that you know what to expect in our generation of these end times. All people of every race and nation have the right to hear the truth and come into the full salvation that God offers to you. II Corinthians 7:12 "Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, not for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." There is several different thought as to who this is directed to, however, it appears that this verse is directed to the fellow that was involved in that incestuous affair with his fathers wife. Some say it was one of the men that called Paul an false apostle; However, Paul was a better communicator than that of addressing a false preacher. If a false preacher attacked him, Paul would have named him by name, and that is why Paul must have been addressing that certain man. So Paul is saying here that his first letter to the Corinthians was not written just to that man, or to a group of people but I wrote that letter to all of you Christians. When any part of the body of Christ is hurt, then that hurt is spread to the entire body of Christ. When you stub your toe, the entire attention of your body and mind is making that toe well, and until it is tended to, all of the body is miserable. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians started the cleansing process, and though outwardly it may appear that they were in one accord with God, they were all flirting with falling away and losing their eternity. II Corinthians 7:13 "Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all." When Titus came back to Paul and the others, Paul was thrilled with the results that the first letter to the Corinthians had upon that church. Paul was very satisfied with the Christians there and the zeal and attention that they gave to clear up this whole mess. It made the entire trip of Titus to Corinth worth while, as Titus gave story after story of the changes that took place while he was there. Paul's mind was completely set at ease. II Corinthians 7:14 "For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth." Paul is calling attention that when he was in Corinth the first time establishing the church there, he withheld nothing from them. These Corinthians caught on well the understanding of all of God's Word. However, as we will see in the next chapter, financially they were living on very hard times. Thus everything that they did for Titus made Paul feel that much more boastful of these Corinthians. II Corinthians 7:15 "And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembered the obedience of you all, how with fear all trembling ye received him." Remember that Titus is the one that we are discussing here. Paul is saying that Titus' heart went all out to you Corinthians, for the love and obedience that you gave to him when he brought my letter to you. Each time that Titus would share an events of those days in Corinth, his heart would bubble over with joy. II Corinthians 7:16 "I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things." This is quite a statement that Paul is making to the Corinthians. Paul's rejoicing is over the confidence that he has in these Corinthian Christians "in all things". Paul is saying that he trust each of these Corinthians and to their obedience to the Word of God in all things on all matters. They may misunderstand a part of the Word, but when it comes to their attention you can be sured that they will correct any fault in their lives individually, as well as in the whole body of believers. Paul was a very happy person and very proud of his converts in their walk in the Lord. The Corinthians had taken all the things that were wrong in their congregation, and started within each of themselves individually cleaning up what was wrong. Before they cleaned up their neighbor's house, the cleaned up their own house, and then tended to what was needed to be tended to within the church.
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