Day 202/260: Read 2 Corinthians 10

In medieval times, the Catholic Church waged a war against Muslims in an effort to recover the Holy Lands. Eight major expeditions occurred between 1096 and 1291. Many lost their lives in these savage, bloody wars.

The children of God are at war against the forces of evil, but Paul reminds the brethren in Corinth that “we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

We are to “wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1 18); the Christian “must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). Yet we do not use the traditional weapons of war such as swords and shields, or in modern-day parlance guns and bullet-proof vests. Rather, our weapons are of a spiritual nature, designed to protect ourselves and make our enemies reconsider their rebellious position against the Lord.

Consider the metaphorical weapons Paul describes in Ephesians 6. Most are defensive, designed to protect ourselves; only one is offensive, and it is the Word of God. When we face our spiritual foes, we must be armed with the Scriptures for God’s Word is the final say and the ultimate authority.

Are you ready to go to war?

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Pray

Pray for strength in the spiritual war in which you are engaged.

Day 201/260: Read 2 Corinthians 9

Attitude—how many times will we come back to that idea when we study the New Testament? After spending some time with the concept of a “willing mind” in chapter 8, Paul shifts to the disposition of the one involved in the act of giving in chapter 9.

When you give, don’t do it because it is commanded. Do it, but do it because you want to, and do it because it brings you joy to help another person. Make it purposeful and heartfelt, “not grudgingly or of necessity.”

We read in the book of Proverbs about some of the things that God hates: “A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Paul takes the opposite approach and tells us what the Lord loves: “a cheerful giver.” And when we have the proper attitude in our giving, the apostle says that “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

God will bless those who give liberally and cheerfully. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Pray

Pray for the proper attitude in obeying God’s commands.

Day 200/260: Read 2 Corinthians 8

How important is your attitude? If you do a favor for someone, but you complain the entire time, how do you think that person feels about your effort? Your attitude can invalidate any good deed you may do.

The Corinthian church told Paul that they wanted an opportunity to help their brothers in need, and the apostle now tells them it is time to “complete the doing of it.” Certainly, they were not expected to give more than they had. Yet, they were encouraged to do all they could in fulfilling their desire.

“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” That “willing mind” is so important when helping someone. Had they begrudgingly fulfilled their promise, would it be as appreciated? If their attitude was such that gave the impression of saying, “I said I would do it, so here you go,” with a huff, what would the recipient think? How would it make them feel?

Friends, we need to be joyful when we help those in need, whether we are giving of our time, money, or talents. Smile and say a kind word, without complaining about any difficulty you may have experienced. It will be remembered more fondly by both the recipient and by you.

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for an occasion to show joy while helping a brother or sister in need.

Day 199/260: Read 2 Corinthians 7

When you get caught doing something wrong, are you sorry you did it, or sorry you got caught? Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about “godly sorrow” that “produces repentance leading to salvation.” The church was confronted with sin, and because of their godly sorrow, they changed their ways.

When one is just sorry he got caught, though, he doesn’t change. He just finds ways to hide his sin. Or his heart hardens so that it doesn’t even bother him to do it in the open.

Yet godly sorrow, the kind that leads to repentance and then to salvation, has an impact on a person that goes far beyond getting caught. Godly sorrow causes one to be more diligent in his faithfulness, examining himself to be sure he is walking according to the will of God. Godly sorrow causes indignation—getting mad at sin in one’s own life and at the encouragement and tolerance of sin in society. Godly sorrow produces fear, knowing that one who remains in sin is separated from God. What a terrifying thought! Godly sorrow produces desire and zeal to vindicate oneself, to get back into right standing with the Almighty.

Confronting sin should never be done in order to embarrass one who has fallen into temptation; the aim should be the restoration of that person’s relationship with God.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for forgiveness for your own shortcomings, and for wisdom in helping others to get on the right track.

Day 198/260: Read 2 Corinthians 6

Eternity is an urgent matter. When the Philippian jailer learned from Paul and Silas what he needed to do in order to be accepted by Jesus, Luke says that “immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33). He did not want to waste a single second outside the body of Christ, once he learned about the body of Christ.

In a passage addressed to the Servant of the Lord, Isaiah prophesied, “In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages” (Isaiah 49:8).

By inspiration, Paul makes application of the passage to the gospel age, writing, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We do not know if we will have a tomorrow, or a next week, or a next year. There is urgency—once we know the truth, we must accept it and obey it.

One of mankind’s greatest talents is that of procrastination. Finishing work minutes before the deadline, cramming for a final exam the night before, always going up to the very last second to complete a task. Yet, in the case of life, we do not know when that last second will come.

One’s soul is too precious to be subject to procrastination.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for a sense of urgency in obeying and teaching the gospel.

Day 197/260: Read 2 Corinthians 5

Are you nervous about the Judgment Day? Paul expressed his confidence that on the last day, he would be accepted by the Lord. He wrote, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

For some, though, that may not inspire a great deal of confidence. Those who have not been living by the faith of the Word, who have rather put their trust in their own merits or in the faith of others, will not have a leg to stand on when the last day comes.

Will L. Thompson, a member of the church of Christ who lived from 1847 to 1909, wrote a hymn about how that last day will be seen by various people. First, he calls it a “great day,” pointing to the fact that “the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left.” Next, he says it is a “bright day…but its brightness shall only come to them that love the Lord.” Finally, it is a “sad day…when the sinner shall hear his doom, ‘Depart, I know ye not.’” Brother Thompson asks repeatedly, “Are you ready for that day to come?”

How do you see that great day that is coming? Will it be a bright day, or a sad day? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for forgiveness when needed, and for boldness to do the will of the Lord always.

Day 196/260: Read 2 Corinthians 4

Paul suffered many things throughout his ministry. Reading through the book of Acts, one sees persecutions coming from both Jews and Gentiles, stonings, imprisonments, and more. What was Paul’s opinion of these struggles?

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Whatever he faced, Paul knew there was something better waiting for him beyond this mortal life.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.”

As Christians, we should be able to look past the difficulties of this life and see the glory that awaits us in eternity. Our focus should be on getting there and taking as many people with us as possible. “For the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

I don’t know who said it originally, but there is truth in this statement: “Being a Christian doesn’t change what you deal with, but it changes how you deal with it.”

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for wisdom and patience in the struggles of this life, and thank the Father for the eternal reward that awaits you.

Day 195/260: Read 2 Corinthians 3

Notice the reverence with which Paul speaks of the old covenant. He says it was “glorious.” In other passages, he calls it our “schoolmaster” or “tutor” (Galatians 3:24) which leads us to Christ. And that is where the true understanding of the Old Testament lies: in the light of the life of Jesus Christ.

The most valuable aspect of the Law of Moses was that it guided genuine seekers to the One who was able to do what the Law never could. The old covenant is called “the ministry of condemnation” by the apostle because it did not have the power to save. But the new covenant—the gospel of Christ, the “ministry of righteousness”—“exceeds much more in glory.”

The old law, though glorious, no longer has authority over the people of God. The new law is “what remains.” That is the standard by which we must live, for that is the standard by which we will be judged on the last day (John 12:48).

Do you want to understand the Old Testament? Read it through the eyes of one who believes in Jesus, “because the veil is taken away in Christ.”

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for wisdom when studying the Scriptures.

Day 194/260: Read 2 Corinthians 2

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul confronted them about their tolerance of a sinful situation. They were not dealing with the problem, but rather they were boasting about their tolerance! The apostle chided them because they had not “mourned” over this sin, and urged them to “deliver such a one to Satan,” and to “purge out the old leaven.”

By the time we get to the second chapter of 2 Corinthians, discipline had evidently been enacted, but the brethren would not let the formerly sinful man forget what he had done. Paul again corrects them, writing, “This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.”

When one of God’s children repents, we, as that person’s brothers and sisters, should embrace them in their repentance and encourage them as they make the necessary changes in their life. The Corinthians were told to “reaffirm your love to him.” Show the brother that he is forgiven, and that he is welcomed back into the fellowship of God’s saints.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, ______________, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is ______________ in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for those who are caught up in sin, that they may find their way home. Pray for yourself, that when they do come back, you will show them the love of Christ.

Day 193/260: Read 2 Corinthians 1

Several years ago, a novel called Pay It Forward was published and later made into a movie. The basic premise is to do a favor for someone, and instead of them “paying it back” by doing a favor for you, they “pay it forward” by helping others.

Does that sound like Christianity? The Father sent the Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. That is beyond our ability to repay, but we can “pay it forward” by telling others what He did, and how they can benefit from His sacrifice.

Paul says something similar about comfort in the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

The comfort that God provides when we struggle, we should be able to “pay it forward” by comforting others who are struggling. In so doing, we can influence others in a godly way, and perhaps lead them to the truth of the gospel.

We are comforted so that we may comfort others. We are won to Christ that we might win others. We are taught the truth that we might teach others. Pay it forward!

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ______________, immovable, always ______________ in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for opportunities to show others the love of Christ.