Unbelief

Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we’re going to look at a passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 10 ⁷ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

Many people are quick to judge according to what they see. They quickly judge others according to outward appearances. When Jesus walked with His disciples, He looked just like a fisherman. He didn’t wear anything that would make Him stand out in public. When Jesus was betrayed, Judas had to give him a kiss to identify him. He is the creator of everything that we see, yet was born in a humble manger. Many times people will judge you by your clothes before even getting to know you.

James 2 ² For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; ³ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: ⁴ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Many people try to find anything they can to discredit God’s chosen men. Their unbelief has gone on for thousands of years, saying things like,..you’re not a preacher, you’re not a pastor, you’re not a prophet, you don’t have a diploma, you don’t have a certificate, you’re not a man of God, you’re not of Christ, you don’t wear a robe, you don’t have a three-piece suit, you wear hand-me-downs, and on and on and on. This is because like those before them, they have always treated the prophets and disciples of Christ the same way throughout history. Their unbelief is amazing. They judge by appearances, which is exactly how they judged John the Baptist.

Matthew 3 ¹  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, ² And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁴ And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

⁶ And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Luke 7 ²⁴ And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? ²⁵ But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. ²⁶ But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

People even judged the Lord Jesus and John the Baptist by what they ate and drank. 

Matthew 11 ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. ¹⁹ The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

People were doing whatever they could to bring down Jesus in the eyes of the public. Many of them were religious leaders who were greatly offended at Him.

Mark 6 ² And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. ⁴ But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

⁵ And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. ⁶ And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Paul was an Apostle of Christ, proven by his works and his deeds, but yet some people still wouldn’t believe that he was a man of God. 

“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” 2 Corinthians 12:12

They even judged him because he wasn’t a professionally trained speaker. 

“But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.” 2 Corinthians 11:6

The Apostle Paul was a very humble, lowly and kind-hearted man. 

“Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:” 2 Corinthians 10:1

The Spirit is first meek and gentle, but just like an earthly dad, willful disobedience can provoke wrath. It is a justified anger. Jesus is extremely meek, yet he threw over tables in the temple, and whipped certain Jews. He is extremely humble, and laid down His life on the cross for our sins, yet those who reject His call to repentance and  faith will enter into a lake of fire that will never be quenched. With extreme love comes extreme punishment.

Sin provokes a response in most people, especially men of God who are placed in charge with the direction of the church family. Paul was a Spiritual dad to the church but if you chose to rebel against God’s Word, you were going to see a different side of him. His responsibility was not only to love and care for them, but to discipline and correct them when needed. At times his letters were very strongly worded, warning them about going astray. Some of the people really didn’t want to believe that the letters that he wrote came from the same person that they had met, and were mocking his authority. Sounds like the way that some people treated Moses. Some children think that their dad is so soft that he will never discipline them. If they got on the wrong side of the Apostle by choosing to live in disobedience and impenitence, they had better be ready for firm correction and punishment when he arrived. If their behavior dictated seeing the man from his letters, he was going to show up.

“I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:” 2 Corinthians 13:2

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, I should not be ashamed: ⁹ That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

¹⁰ For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. ¹¹ Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

Paul wanted to find an obedient church when he arrived. But if people were going to mock him, thinking that nothing was going to be done to correct sin issues that were going on among them, they were sadly mistaken.

1 Corinthians 4 ¹⁸ Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. ¹⁹ But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ²¹ What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

You never wanted to provoke Paul or the other Apostles to the point that disciplinary action was required. Those who judged him as a weakling simply because he was meek and lowly at first appearance, would eventually face the strength and power of God. From the treatment of John the Baptist, to our blessed Lord Jesus, along with all the rest of the prophets and disciples of Christ, people continue to reject the ones that God has sent. It is simply a continued manifestation of their own faithlessness, folly and….

……Unbelief

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc  where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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