Flesh vs The Spirit

Boasting and Persuasion

Boasting in the Flesh

The older I get, the less keen I am to boast in the flesh. That, sadly, leads to a disconnect with people who don't hear well from the Spirit, but are much more familiar with their flesh. (I am using flesh, carnality and related terms here as a contrast to living by the Spirit)

Apostle Paul had a problem with the carnal Corinthians. He found that just using the Word of God and showing the works of God were not convincing enough to them, so he felt driven to pen these words.

2 Corinthians 11:21-29 (NKJV) - But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

The key idea of Paul here: "I speak foolishly" and "I speak as a fool". In other words, Paul feels it is stupid that he even needs to bring up this topic, and that he feels embarrassed to have to appeal to his experiences rather than the Word of God and the works of God.

2 Corinthians 12:5-6 (NKJV) - Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

The problem with boasting in the flesh is that it can cause misunderstandings. The carnal people speak to each other carnally, and they know what is meant. When the spiritual use carnal boasting, the carnal can easily misunderstand the words.

Let me give you an example.

When I first started playing drums for worship, it was at a mega-church. In other words, you know they had people to spare, they had standards and expectations from their musicians, and it meant that for me to play drums there at the age of 20, I was not a total incompetent.

But if I were to talk of it, "I first started playing drums for worship at 20 years old, at a mega-church", there will be people to take it to mean I am really skilled or knowledgeable at drums. Nope, I wasn't. It's just that I was not totally incompetent. But I still had a lot to learn then, and I admit to my shame, I was quite arrogant and unteachable at that time. So I didn't learn as much as I could have.

That is why I'd rather not talk about that season. If I wanted to make a point about how drums were to be used in church, I would rather use logic, reason, Scripture (if applicable) and let my own ability speak for itself, if I was worth listening to or not. Look at my music, especially my playing, to see if you should give weight to my opinions on serving via music.

But if someone less skilled than the 13 year-olds I taught drums to when I was 15 would say that when it comes to drums in church, I really don't get it (but he in his incompetence does), and if there are church leaders who would even give consideration to his words (to think he has a point when arguing against something I thought was common sense), that is when boasting in the flesh becomes necessary. I could understand that guy's arrogance, I mean, I was young and arrogant before too (except that I had more skills to back it up of course). But I could not understand if church leaders ever needed me to boast of my experience from the days I am now quite embarrassed about.

2 Corinthians 12:11-12 (NKJV) - I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

I am no apostle; signs and wonders for me measured in how seldom my boys are late for school even though I am the one in charge of getting them ready for school in the morning. In church I have a cushy ministry; I play music and get to call it serving the church, the people of God. Things cannot get much easier for me, so I don't get to boast of epic works of service. But in what I do know, I would say I know well, and I let those whom I have served decide for themselves if what I say is true.

In other words, the sphere to which I have been appointed includes church music, especially in the churches I serve in.

2 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) - We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

Persuading by the Spirit

Now outside of that, when it comes to other aspects of the believer's life, I would rather use the Scriptures as my authority. When dealing with an unpleasant situation, if the word of God has given clear enough guidelines, that is pretty much all there is to it. I don't know everything in the Bible as well as I'd like, so if there are Scripture passages or principles I missed, do tell me. But if I didn't miss anything but expressed the clear and complete teaching of the Bible on a particular question, the word of God should just settle it immediately.

There are enough rules and guidelines in the Bible on how to live life. God knows how many churches would be fine if the members were taught to follow Matthew 18 in dealing with conflicts. The book of Proverbs contains enough wisdom to keep us from marrying narcissistic sociopaths by mistake. The Psalms transmit the essence of worship and prayer in ways that conferences and seminars are woefully inadequate to.

It's sad that for many of my fellow Charismatics who call themselves Spirit-filled believers, they seem to think they have a Catholic-like dispensation, an exemption from the parts of the Bible they don't like. The believers I know from traditional churches are much more serious about obeying the Word, and if they disagree with me on something they have Scripture-based arguments that I can respect, even if I don't agree with them.

The carnal are good at coming up with excuses. "You don't understand", "You don't know what it's like", "You have never been through what I have been through". *shrug Show me from the Scriptures since when those are valid reasons for nullifying the Word of God.

Don't Get Me Wrong

I don't obey ALL of the Bible either. I don't do everything I know from the Scriptures I ought to do. And because of that, I know I am NOT entitled to all the benefits of obedience. It is as simple as that. Any area of my life I do not obey the Scriptures in, is an area I cannot complain to God about when things go wrong or if I have no rest in my spirit.

And that is what I say to my fellow siblings-in-Christ. Obey the Scriptures, the best you can. Don't make excuses for not obeying, and later expect God to lavish on you the benefits of obedience anyway. Let me not have to boast in my flesh to tell you the Word of God will prevail. Let me not have to tell you stories of all the nasty lessons I learned from life because I was too stubborn to learn from God's Word directly.

And if God brings mentors into your path, for God's sake listen to them. Don't talk to them about how well you heard from God before, and that is why you don't need to obey the Scriptures immediately, now. A God-sent mentor can drastically level you up in your wisdom and following the ways of God. Empty your cup, be humble, let the Word of God through your mentor prune you further that you may bear much fruit.

John 15:2-3 (NKJV) - Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you



More blog posts coming up, God willing. :)

Standing Your Ground

It's amazing how writing a book can bring back so many memories. "THIS is how I learned the right way. THAT was when I really got it. THAT was the day I finally understood." And so on and so forth. God has been gracious to teach me many things, especially in the area of praise and worship.

When you place yourself in a position to learn things from God, expect a lot of trouble to come into your life. Look at this passage:
 

Hebrews 10:32 (NIV) - Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.

When did the Hebrew believers encounter great suffering? After they received the light. And that is what you should expect also. Expect opposition and suffering after you receive the light about something. What kind of light did the Hebrew believers receive?

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) - So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

From this passage we see that they received the light about the promises of God. Whenever we receive any promise of God, the Devil will try to intimidate us away from standing firmly and confidently in it. The last thing the Evil One wants is for us to persevere in the promises of God to the point when we receive what God has promised. Why? Because he knows that once we know that we can receive one promise from God, we can receive another. And another. And another. Once that happens the only limit we have is the word of God. The Devil's only hope is to try and stop us before we get to that point.

By the way, this is why for me I see the receiving of the first promise of God as a major turning point in the growth of any believer, because he/she then learns two important lessons: First: God's word can be depended upon; Second: it is possible to outlast the Devil!

All that is when we receive light from God.

What happens when we receive great revelations?

2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV) - "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

People have debated the meaning of this passage for ages. Many have taken it to refer to physical infirmity. Many have also wrongly used it to describe their own troubles in this life. I personally don't believe it refers to physical infirmity. Why? Because in the Bible thorns in the flesh have NEVER been used to describe infirmity. In fact, they have been used only to describe people.

Numbers 33:55 (NIV) - But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.

And another point: we need to remember that Paul was given a thorn in the flesh ONLY after he received surpassingly great revelations. How many of us can say that we have received great revelations? If we haven't, then let's not think too highly of ourselves by calling our problems that or using Paul's experience to justify our own…

But what WAS Paul's thorn in the flesh? I am sharing this with you because I believe that some of you are right now at the point of receiving great revelation from God. Some of you will do so in the future and I want you to be prepared and not blindsided by the Devil.

Let's go word for word into this:

The thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan. What do messengers do? They bring messages, right? What was that message from Satan? When we look into Job 1 and Zechariah 3:1-2, we see that Satan accuses and condemns. Therefore, the message that Paul was afflicted with was the message of accusation and condemnation. THAT was his thorn in the flesh.

For us, in our modern vernacular, the messenger of Satan might say "Who do you think you are? What makes you think God will show you things from Scripture that others have not seen? And who are you to carry this revelation anyway? You are demonstrating the very heights of presumptuousness! Just look at your life!"

By the way, the "Just look at your life" line is one of the best lines ever invented by the Devil. Because it naturally slants us towards looking at our lives in terms of where we are weak and struggling, not where we have seen the workings of God's grace and victory. Sneaky, right?

But whatever the line, whatever the accusation, the end purpose of Satan is the same: to get us to stop looking at the God who entrusted the revelation to us, to stop sharing that revelation with the body of Christ and to get us all wrapped up with ourselves, our shortcomings, our failures and our weaknesses rather than Jesus. Don't let him succeed!

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV) - That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Weaknesses in any area of our lives give us the choice: will we look to ourselves or look to God? Insults sting ONLY if there is some element of truth in them. Will we let that element of truth bring us down? Or will we look to the grace of God that covers our shortfall? Hardships can lead us to doubt the undeserved favor God freely gives us. The accuser will often present the hardships as our own fault (often quite true) and therefore that we are unworthy of carrying the revelations and truths of God.

That's why we go back to God's grace for everything.

Even our sacrifices of praise are acceptable only when offered through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:15) and the only way to nullify the work of Christ in our lives is to seek to be made right with God through obeying God's law (Galatians 5:4) Which shows the sheer wickedness of Satan's accusations, because if we listen to it we will either give up (which is what he wants) or try harder to live a better life (which nullifies the work of Christ in our lives, which also serves his purpose).

The point of all that I am saying is this: I am in and of myself unworthy of carrying the revelations that God has entrusted me. Those of you who know me better know my past, my weaknesses and my struggles. It wasn't my hours spent in Scripture each day or my dedication in ministry that qualified me for all these revelations. It is entirely of the grace of God that I know what I know today. And God wants me to teach, share and impart it with the rest of the body of Christ while looking to his finished work on the cross, not at my own weaknesses and failings.

And that is what God wants you to know as well.

You have your own role to play in the body of Christ. Your effectiveness in that role will depend a lot on how much revelation you have received in that area. And when revelation comes, accusation will usually follow, to try and shake your confidence and intimidate you from continuing. Don't let it succeed! Remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! It will be sufficient for you, to sustain you and carry you through.

"He who began a good work in you…"

Be blessed, everyone!