Digging Deep: A Life of Gospel Integrity (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

Psalm 1 describes the blessed person as one who has dug deep into God’s Word, making it the source of his daily meditation. In pursuit of this kind of blessed life, we briefly review the sermon from the previous Sunday. May you be like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in its season (Psalm 1:3). This week we look back at Pastor Eric’s sermon on 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

An excerpt:

“One of the true defining hallmarks of gospel integrity is a love for others, a commitment to do the other person good, to the seek the interests of others. True Christian love never moves inward but outward. The person who lives in gospel integrity is the person who isn’t offended if no one asks about them, because they’re probably too busy asking about others. The person who lives in gospel integrity is the person who asks how can I serve you, how can I benefit you, how can I sacrifice for you, how can your needs be so prioritized that your needs actually become my own? The person who lives in gospel integrity is the person who is not begrudging or dutiful, but is happy to seek the happiness of another. The person who lives in gospel integrity is the person who says, “Nothing would make me happier than to make you happy.” The person who lives in gospel integrity is the person who knows that one of the greatest joys in life is found in laboring, pursuing and sacrificing for the highest good of another. Romans 15, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself.””

Question: Ask yourself if you have ever wondered why people say, ‘It’s my pleasure’ when someone thanks them for doing something? Why is that?

“But when you’ve come to understand your weakness and neediness, then you’ve positioned yourself to receive God’s grace most fully. And that’s the thing about the Bible—it doesn’t shy away from the difficult and the humiliating parts of our reality. It doesn’t sweep our troubles under the rug. It’s very honest with our struggles. The Bible isn’t shy to highlight the fact that we are needy and desperate for help. But the Bible isn’t shy to highlight the fact that God has given us help in Jesus Christ, the Man of Sorrows and our Prince of peace. Jesus fully identifies with our weak condition and by his own weakness he fully redeems us. What a friend we have in Jesus.”

Encouragement: Read Psalm 28:1-2. Pain and struggles aims to disrupt your normalcy – and that’s good. Why? Spend some time in prayer this week, reflecting on how God uses the struggles in your life for your good.