Wake Up To Grace

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Wait. There is a world of articles, books, and information out there when it comes to Christianity, but we are mostly stuck with rhetoric and double talk when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, our new identity as believers, and the security and finality of the work of Christ. Are you getting everything you need spiritually from your church? Or do you find yourself feeling hungry for more? Wake up. Join Lenny as he unpacks what Scripture really taught about our Lord Jesus Christ in context and why this matters to you. Wake up, wake up, wake up to grace.

Naming Our Own Thorns

God’s Purpose Without Authoring Evil

Delivering Someone To Satan

Fear And The Way Of Escape

Building On Christ Under Fire

Endurance, Rewards, Final Prayer

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In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes a messenger of Satan sent to torment him, calling it a thorn in the flesh. Its purpose was to prevent him from becoming conceited as a result of the revelations the Lord gave him. Examining Paul's analogy of a thorn in the flesh, it is clear he speaks seriously. In Greek, thorn refers to a sharp stake or splinter, highlighting its severity. Some translations, like the complete Jewish study Bible, say the messenger of the adversary was pounding away at Paul, intensifying the image beyond tormenting or harassing. Continuing from the previous point, the word flesh in the passage derives from the Greek word sarx, which in this context refers to human vulnerability, our physical and moral weakness. Paul saw his thorn as a check against arrogance from the grace and revelations he had received, thus the Lord did not remove it. Paul did not enjoy ongoing torment or hardship, but when the Lord replied, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, he accepted his situation. Instead of despairing or asking for his revelation to be taken back, he chose to boast in his weakness, allowing the power of Christ to rest upon him. Embracing insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, he saw each as an opportunity for God's strength to be revealed in his weakness. Paul may have initially thought removing his obstacles would make his mission more effective, but God's message was clear. Suffering produces strength. The Lord allowed Paul's thorn to keep him humble due to his revelations. This raises the question, was God preventing inevitable arrogance or only guarding against its possibility in order to play it safe? In our own lives we may also encounter difficulties, challenges, or personal limitations that seem to hold us back or make our path harder. Just as Paul faced a thorn in the flesh, each of us may face our own thorns, situations or struggles that keep us dependent on God's grace rather than relying on ourselves. When we reflect on Paul's experience, it encourages us to consider how God can use hardships to shape our character, deepen our humility and strengthen our reliance on Him. Instead of viewing these struggles as obstacles, we can ask ourselves, what might God be teaching me through my own thorn? How can I embrace humility and trust in God's strength even when I wish my path were easier? We ought to believe what Jesus said regarding about how much God knows about us. In Luke twelve seven, Jesus says, Why even the hairs of your head are all numbered? What can we conclude about God protecting Paul from his weakness in the flesh? Though we might question why God refused to remove the messenger of Satan, Scripture shows that it kept Paul spiritually strong despite worldly suffering. According to the Lord, without the thorn Paul would have become arrogant, so God kept it to help him stand firm in the faith. If Paul's purpose had been worldly, he might have become afraid or depressed, since he could not change his circumstances on his own. Paul pleaded with the Lord for the removal of the thorn in the flesh, yet when told by God that difficulties would remain, he accepted the challenge and call to endure. Studying Paul and the Apostles, we see perseverance, endurance, and a life of true spiritual purpose. Satan's role in Paul's suffering is complex. Interpreting the thorn as a messenger of Satan does not mean God authors evil or sides with the adversary. Paul affirmed the Lord works all things for good for those who love him. Paul's experience shows that the grace he had received meant enduring insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, actions attributed to Satan. This consistently supports Paul's main argument about the source and purpose of his suffering. We also find here an explanation of what God proclaimed Ananias upon stopping Paul dead in his tracks on the road to Damascus. In Acts nine fifteen, we read, But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel, for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. These words might shock Christians, as if Paul were punished for his past life. But the thorn's purpose was not punishment, and enabled Paul to overcome weakness in the flesh and sustained his spiritual strengths, so he could endure everything Satan brought against him. In the same way, whatever hardships we face are not God's condemnation or punishment, but opportunities for him to reveal his strength in our lives. You can be encouraged knowing that your struggles can become a place where God's power and grace shine most clearly. Curiously, we find another example of God allowing Satan to serve his divine purpose in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Here Paul demonstrates discernment and recognizing how Satan's actions can lead to positive outcomes. Drawing from his own experience with the thorn in the flesh, Paul recognized that what was meant to harm can be used for spiritual growth. This is seen in his guidance regarding the correction of the sexually immoral brother. The congregation was taking pride in this sin, even boasting about the deeds of their Christian brother, and what was Paul's judgment? You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Paul, having been humbled by the Lord to prevent pride, sought genuine repentance and renewed minds in both the offender and the congregation. As Second Corinthians two five through eleven demonstrates, this was achieved. The Father restored the man to fellowship with his brothers, using the adversary as his vehicle. To man, Satan seemed an unstoppable threat. God wielded Satan as a simple tool for good. Satan's temptations hold no power over the Father. The temptation to become afraid, overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed is a feeling that Satan would have loved for the first century Christians to meditate on in their lives. Fear of the future, no matter how far away, can grip even the Christian mind and feed distress in our hearts. A practical way to respond in times of fear or anxiety is to pause and pray, asking God for strength and a renewed sense of trust. For example, when anxiety rises, you may say a short prayer like, Lord, help me rely on your strength and not my own. Another helpful step is to recall times when God has brought you through difficulty before, using these memories as a foundation for faith. We see these behaviors among the faithful throughout Scripture. Ask yourself, how can I actively choose faith and depend on God's promises whenever I feel overwhelmed today? And in these moments we ought to remember what Paul taught us in Scripture. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. We'll never be tempted beyond our ability to endure. So as things get really tough, we'll be removed from our circumstances, right? Well, no, not at all, actually. What we are promised is that we will always have an escape in Christ. We'll always be given the strength to endure, granted we're seeking the strength that comes from the Lord. Paul did not dedicate his life to solving his problems with the thorn in his flesh. He believed God would give him strength to endure all things. Notice he says God provides the way, not a way of escape. There's only ever one strength that sustains in difficult trials, it is the strength of our Father. Paul's escape was his secret, as he shared in Philippians four twelve. He didn't rely on his own strength, he relied on the Lord, confident that the Lord would always provide a means of endurance, no matter how bad things got. He set his mind on persevering, saying, He delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. Does this mean that all Christians will endure faithfully? Will we all fulfill this calling? Or will some fall away? As we know from Paul's statement recorded in his letter to the Galatians, falling away from grace was a real threat in a Christian life. And anything that does not proceed from faith is sin, according to Romans fourteen twenty three. So what does it look like to fall away from grace in this life? Paul paints a vivid picture of this for his audience and explains how it becomes possible. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him, for God's temple is holy and you are the temple. There's context here that certainly parallels the end times they were living in, and the impending destruction of Jerusalem. What we find here is Christians escaping through the flames of a fiery judgment. Those who built poorly on their foundation would have relied on their own strength after trusting the Lord for salvation. They would not face eternal destruction, unlike those whom the Lord had not granted eternal life, but they would suffer loss. The foundation was there, but they built upon it independently of the Lord. As a result, their strength did not endure. God gives no reward here because under trials they did not seek the Lord in his strength. Their building materials were not eternal and were lost in the fire. The essential takeaway is that enduring trials is not about our strength, but about relying on God's faithfulness. We're called to stand firm through challenges, trusting that He does not require our own strength for endurance. He himself is faithful even when we falter. Second Timothy two thirteen, if we are faithless, he remains faithful. He cannot deny himself. Jesus will never deny those who trusted him as their deliverer. It was a one time trust that brought us into his loving grace. It is trust that got us in, and it's trust that delivers. If trust promises us endurance into the heavenly realms, should we not follow in the footsteps of the forefathers of our faith in Christ Himself? Saying in our worst trials what Paul proclaimed, He delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope and he will deliver us again. There's no thorn in the flesh that our Lord cannot use for good. Set your mind on endurance and you will be delivered. Spiritual rewards abound for those who faithfully follow this calling. God has given us this promise. Don't be found escaping through the flames. Build on your foundation with truth and be refined by the fiery trials of life. I can't do this is not in our Father's vocabulary. So let's take it out of ours, shall we? Let us encourage one another and stand united in hope. May the Lord strengthen each of us, help us carry one another's burdens, and remind us that His grace is always sufficient for every need. Let's pray for humility, perseverance, and faith. So we might walk this journey side by side, lifting each other up and growing stronger together in Christ. That's what I got for this week, guys. I look forward to talking to you next time. Grace and peace. The content of this message can be found on my blog post at wakingup to grace.com. My writings include linked references and visual aids, which will give even more valuable insight, and it's always free of charge. The comment section below each message is a place where we can share mutual encouragement and insight with one another outside of the social media mat. And my blog post is always a flick of wait.