“So That We Would Not Trust in Ourselves”
2 Corinthians 1:9
Concepts that hinder trust in God
- Authorized religious activities
- The concept of religious authority has been used to suppress the truth.
- Matthew 21:23, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2: The chief priests and elders challenged Jesus teaching with the concept of authorized activities.
- John 2:18: The leaders of the Jews challenged Jesus right to drive animal sellers and moneychangers out of the Temple with the concept of authority.
- Acts 26:10: Paul received authority from the Jewish leaders to arrest Christians.
- Rejection of religious authority has been used to justify sin.
- 2 Peter 2:10: Some in the church despised authority
- Hebrew 13:17: Religious authorities have responsibility for our souls.
- The fact that something is permitted does not make it best under the present conditions.
- Luke 9:59: Seemingly proper activities may not be best at the time.
- Matthew 19:8: Permitted activities may have been granted due to weakness, not righteousness.
- 1 Corinthians 8:13: Paul limited his own liberty for the sake of the weak.
- Conclusions:
- Rejecting authorized activities is ill advised.
- Supporting banned activities is ill advised.
- Limiting ourselves to authorized activities limits our freedom
- Settling for only authorized activities sets too low a standard
- The concept of religious authority has been used to suppress the truth.
- Minimum requirements
- Setting minimum standards is the product of poor hermeneutics
- Acts 2:37: “What must we do to be saved – minimum?”
- James 2:24: The definition of faith was defined by its minimums and perverted.
- Satisfying the minimum does not please God
- Luke 18:23: The rich young ruler.
- Micah 6:7-8: The true goal is not so easily defined.
- Setting minimum standards is the product of poor hermeneutics
How do we go about trusting in God?
- Faith is acting on the proven promises of God, not doing what we know we can do.
- We walk by faith, not by sight. If we knew how to do it, it wouldn’t be faith.
- If we feel justified by our level of effort, we become the rich young ruler.
- What Scriptural activities seem impossible to us?