2 Corinthians 10:8 - For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction...
This is in following on theme behind "Power...for what" (published a few days ago). This is a message that cannot be overemphasized enough, as it is too easy as Christians to get carried away by new-found access to supernatural power. It is important that we understand our power has boundaries, the primary one being love. Love is the guideline for operating the power of God - whosoever loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love (I John 4:8). The power we have been given is to uplift others and not tear them down; to seek their highest good and not their downfall; to bring about peace, preservation, promotion and progress not just for ourselves but for others in the household of God. It is an edifying power.
We have not been given power to decree death to our enemies and those we don't like. That's not the spirit we are of (Luke 9:54-55). Our power is to edify, not to destroy.
We cannot fall into the devil's trap of flying off the handle when offended and speak curses - words of defeat, doom, damnation, or destruction over others or ourselves. That's careless, clueless and costly.
We cannot maliciously bring other's matters up as gossip under the guise of asking for prayers for them. God cannot be mocked. The deep matters of our hearts, as secretive as we think they are, are flung open wardrobes in the eyes of God (Proverbs 15:11). If we speak kind words with our lips but harbor evil in our hearts, God sees and God knows - there's no fooling Him. And He's the One we are going to give account to.
We don't have any business being haters of anyone, disliking others just because it seems cool to (the discussion around how concerning the 'hater culture' has been normalized is story for another day). "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). We don't have any business being part of a hate mob, piling in when someone is being attacked or dragged, no matter how cute or humorous it appears in the moment. Hating keeps us in darkness, keeps us blind (1 John 2:11).
We cannot use the devil's tools in the Lord's vineyard. There was a popular TV series that ran for years around this theme and it was incredibly disturbing how many Christians were comfortable watching it. Malice, offense, hatred, outrage, resentment, apathy must have no place among workers in God's house (Colossians 3:8-9). We cannot devolve to shade or pettiness when it comes to activities or operations in the church - again God sees the heart and cannot be mocked.
We cannot operate under the spirit of unforgiveness and expect answers to our prayers (Matthew 18:21-35). There's nothing anyone can do to us that we can't forgive when we weigh it in the light of God turning Himself to man to die a callous, cruel death just to make sure we get saved.
We cannot go off and offend someone else and then come to offer a gift to God. We must pursue reconciliation (Matthew 5:23-24).
The power we have been given is for edification, not for destruction.
Comments
Post a Comment