Summary of Chapter 5 so far…

  1. This body is. being changed into the likeness of Christ
    1. Through many trials we go through our outward man is broken so the glory of Christ can shine through us.
  2. There is the hope that we are going to be like Christ someday with a new body
    1. These bodies will be absorbed by a new body
    2. We will be changed.
  3. Knowing this, Paul is motivated by the fact that he is going to stand before Jesus someday and be judged for all of his life
    1. “Mitzvah” Those things we do yonder what we are required to do
  4. His other motivation is he knows what it is to fear the Lord.
    1. Walk in love. Obedience, and fear.

How does he live because of this motivation?

  1. Our message in light of eternity Vs 11
  1. We persuade men
    1. Knowing the place of men apart from Jesus and being in Jesus, we persuade them to live differently
    2. We know what it is to fear God, we warn people not to fall into the hands of the consuming fire of God.
    3. Like the woman caught in the act of adultery
      1. The motivation is not judgement and death
      2. It is the hope and forgiveness of Christ
      3. But there is a cost of rejection of Christ
  2. Paul was not just throwing out ideas, he was motivated to persuade men
    1. Paul knew the heart of God in this matter
    2. He was frustrated that he had to persuade the Corinthian Christians about their future.

2.  Paul defends and describes his ministry Vs. 12

  1. Paul was not bragging about his spirituality in front of the Corinthians
    1. He was almost at the point of death and he knew their prayers were all that got him through.
  2. Paul knew that there were those who thought less of Paul because of all of his struggles.
  3. There were those who only looked on the outward appearance and not on what was happening in the heart of a person
    1. Blessed = favor of God
    2. Trials = something spiritually wrong that we don’t know about
  4. Paul is making the point that God is working though all of these struggles to make him more like Christ.
  5. EXAMPLE: God to Samuel “The LORD does not see as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16 7
    1. It is so easy to have a judgement about everything we see around us.
    2. It is not that outward appearance is not important, but compared to the heart it almost is.

3. Paul isn’t crazy, but he is motivated by love of God Vs 13 -15

  1. Paul was accused of being out of his mind
    1. He went through many trials because of his motivation of spreading the gospel.
    2. He could have just been a teacher at a synagogue
    3. Jesus was also accused of being insane because of his lifestyle (See Mark 3: 21, John 10: 20
  2. Paul is letting them know that his motivation is for God first and then for them.
    1. He put up with anything to honor God and others
  3. Motivation for ministry in this valley
    1. When we really love Christ and are compelled to live for him…
    2. We will put up with many things in order to serve others
  4. Spurgeon Why do it? The Love of Christ.  Why go on? The love of Christ.  I have the love of Christ in my heart so I have a love for others around me.
  5. To say the love of Christ constrains us is to say that the love of Christ has power.  It is a force that can bind us and influence us.
  6. Christ died for all then all died.
    1. His death was able to save all who will come to Him
    2. This showed God’s love for mankind (See John 3: 16)
      1. 1 John 1: 22He is the payment for our sins, and not ours only but also for the whole world.
    3. This is not universalism where all are saved. (See John 3: 17)
      1. We died with Him which shows that we need to join ourselves with him in his death (See Romans 6: 1 – 6)
  7. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
    1. If we died to ourselves, then we live for Him.
    2. We are created for the pleasure of God (Revelation 4: 11)
    3. It is the constant battle in our lives to want to live for ourselves and judge what we want to do with our lives.
    4. This is expressed in how we live for others.
      1. We serve others
      2. We provide for the needs of others around us
      3. We show the love of Christ even to those who are taking our possessions from us.  (See Hebrews 10: 34

4. Because of Christ earthly attachments are far less important. Vs 16

  1. We look at others through different eyes
    1. We do not look at things which are seen but things which are unseen 4: 18
    2. This earthly tent will be destroyed but we will have a new body eternal in the heavens 5: 1
    3. We walk by faith not by sight 5: 7
    4. We do not glory in appearance, but in the heart 5: 12
  2. We are not trying to just follow Christ as he lived in the flesh, but we are trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
    1. NOTE Paul says we have known Christ according to the flesh so there is a chance he heard Jesus speaking.  He is saying now he knows him according to the Spirit and it is far better.
      1. The disciples followed him in the flesh and all deserted him
      2. When they followed in the spirit, they laid down their lives for him.
    2. This is why Paul said it is to your advantage that I go away and the spirit comes to you (See John 16: 7)