Day 1,151: 2 Corinthians 10- Confidence In Christ Alone

​I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
 
7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
 
13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
 
Meditation
The gospel gives an internally structured identity, freeing us from toxic comparison with other people and poisonous people pleasing. Secure in God’s steadfast love, Christians live from secure identity in Christ rather than for comparison and competition with others.
 
God’s mission and purpose comes in surprising ways, not to the fastest or smartest or richest or biggest producer… but to whom the Lord has chosen for Himself. Paul takes aim at the toxic culture created by the self-proclaimed “super apostles” who slandered Paul by calling his bark worse than his bite. Paul offers a corrective to the “super apostles” comparing themselves to Paul in ministry competition, seeking to devaluate Paul’s ministry in Corinth and validate their own.
 
To seek validation horizontally is to walk according to the flesh, something Christians must wage war against by taking every thought captive for Christ. Christ gives us confidence in our call as Christians, Christ is the One who gives us ground for service, “setting the bounds” of our influence. Christ is the only place to boast. Christians must cultivate an ecosystem where we look up to God from the ground of the gospel and not look around to see how we compare to others. Christian service is not a competition.
 
When we live in comparison with others to commend ourselves, we have drifted from the gospel. Secure identity through Christ gives the approval we need (18), healing a heart sick with horizontal comparison.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially regarding the culture of comparison, the need to take every thought captive, and secure identity through Christ?
 
-How do you fall prey to a culture of comparison and competition in life, even within the church?
 
-Where can you wage war against the flesh, winning the battle of the mind, so that the secure identity of Christ is all you live from? Take time to look UP, asking the Spirit to secure your heart in God’s steadfast love and to help you stop looking around to validate yourself.
 
Key Verse
18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.