Quest Journal, sections 38-39

(continuing )

38-   Authentic “Faith” is based in revelation [spiritual] understanding; not on fleshly intellectual or emotional [mental] understanding, which are only meant to add strength, permission, and outward expression and workability to true “Faith.”  Hope is based on mental qualities; true “Faith” is based on spiritual qualities.  [Rom.8:2-9]

 39-   Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” [2^ndCor.12:1-10]

There has been much controversy over what Paul’s “thorn” was, and why the Lord ‘would not’ give him relief from that “thorn.”  There should be no controversy over whether his ‘thorn’ was a sickness, the backbiting and persecution that plagued his ministry, or any of the myriad of other things that hinder the demonstration and proclamation of Christ’s gospel.  Identifying the specific problem is insignificant, that is the kind of thing ‘religion’ and the carnal mindset like to focus on; it was simply something that caused him severe and continued problems.  There should also be no credence given to the idea that Christ ‘would not’ solve whatever problem this “thorn” represented.  The issue in this passage is not the “thorn,” or Christ’s ‘willingness’ to solve the problem; but rather, the tool and method Christ Jesus provided  to facilitate solving the problem(s), and Paul’s [our] utilization of that tool and method.  God did not set up a ‘New’ Testament [Covenant] system of Salvation whereby we must go to him with each adverse situation and attempt to gain his approval and power to solve it.  Jesus, in saying “⁹… My grace is sufficient for you: …”, is not telling Paul [or us] to “Just grin and bear it, you should not expect anything more from me than my condolence and  appreciation for your endurance of faith through this situation [as if that is what God’s ‘grace’ means].  Your endurance will earn you a ‘gold star’ in my book of remembrances” [as if any of this would encourage Paul, or us, to crave God’s presence (unless we are ‘religiously vacuumed’ into spiritual feebleness and irrational thought)].  God’s ‘New’ Covenant system is, that he provided us with the Holy Spirit [God’s “grace” (full provision) of Salvation extended to Humanity] and instructed us in how to appropriate the already-established-and-certified Covenant provisions inherent in the presence of that Holy Spirit.  God is glorified when his Covenant is properly received and applied to our life, and is allowed to propel us above and past any adverse circumstance, and into the blessing provisions of His glorious present day Salvation.  The prescribed route to our Salvation from adverse situations is not to beg and plead for God’s benevolent intervention; he already fully intervened through Jesus.  It is our place to be grateful for, by taking advantage of, the “Grace” the Father has so generously given us: the Holy Spirit “⁹… is sufficient …” and is all the wisdom, knowledge, and power of God we need in any situation, and has been freely made totally available to us [in stages and levels] through the provisions of his New Covenant. [Eph.4:7-16]

This is the same Holy Spirit [the Word] that Jesus had operating within himself and through his ministry.  It was not God’s responsibility to do something about Paul’s situation [or ours], just as it was not the Father’s responsibility to intervene in situations that threatened Jesus.  Jesus utilized the unlimited powers of the Holy Spirit [God’s Grace] made available to him.  It was Paul’s [and is our] responsibility and accountability to utilize the powerful blessings made available to him [us] through the Holy Spirit.  [Deut.18:18-19; Jn.3:30-36, Rom.12:1-3; 2^ndCor.3:18]

2^ndCor.12:9[KJV+]“⁹… for my strength is made perfect in weakness …”  {[EV] “⁹… However, my Spirit’s miracle working wisdom, knowledge, and power are only free to work in and through your life in direct proportion to your relinquishing to me the authority and power of your natural abilities and resources; and through your steadfast authentic faith, allowing my Spirit access to accomplish my will to bless Humanity in and through your life…”} 

Even when he did not realize it, it was only Paul’s fault if the problem(s) persisted.  It was to the glory of God’s ‘Grace’ [and Paul’s faith in that ‘Grace’ (the ‘Holy Spirit’)] when that ‘Grace’ was allowed [through Paul’s belief and cooperation (true “Faith”)] to solve the problem.  We, today, have that same responsibility, accountability, and benefit.  [Lk.22:42; Jn.9:1-11, 17:22-23; Acts 14:3, 20:32, 26:17; Rom.1:16, 12:3; 1^stCor.1:24; 2^ndCor.4:16; Eph.1:1-14, 2:7-8, 3:7, 16, 20, 4:7-8; Titus 2:11-15; Heb.12:15; 1^stPeter 1: 13, 4:10-11, 5:12; 2^ndPeter 1:2-4]

The Apostle Paul, in his writings, needed a ‘name’ to call the Holy Spirit, which incorporated all ‘its’ attributes as they relate to Humanity: the Holy, ever present, and powerful gift enthusiastically given to us of God’s own free will, and all the blessings incorporated into the Life-potential given to Humanity through this gift.  The ‘name’ grace [Greek: ‘charis’] quantifies this all-encompassing aspect of God’s gift that came to Humanity through Christ Jesus.  This is not just the power ‘hardware’ of God’s presence; but also incorporates the ‘software’: the character, integrity, favor, liberty, joy, willingness, personality, benevolence, vigilance, etc. [righteous spiritual and mental qualities] that are all manifestations of the eternally nurturing Love of our Father God and the expression of that Love in and through our life.  Try substituting or incorporating “Holy Spirit” in the places where “grace” is used in the New Testament, and see what new insights you gain.  {1^stCor.1:4-8[WSV], “⁴I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is [has been] given you by [through] Jesus Christ; …”; “… the Spirit of the Lord …” in 2^ndCor.3:17; and both in many more verses}

 What greater gift can be given to anyone, than to be open-handedly presented with the Key [the Holy Spirit] that accesses all the eternally secured attributes, powers, and blessings of God?  What greater disappointment to God, than to have the recipient of that gift be ignorant of it, or to know of it and be too self-sufficient, lazy, insecure in adventure, or swindler hearted, to read the user’s manual [Christian Bible] and actually use the Key to personally enter into a whole new and greater way of life on earth+?  [Lk.11:52; Rev.3:7-13]

 The following is my interpretation of 2^ndCor.12:1-10 based on the immediate context and other New Covenant precepts revealed in other passages of Scripture.

 2^ndCor.12:1-10[EV]

 “¹Undoubtedly it is not to my advantage in our relationship to continue this rampage of rejoicing, but I will venture to continue; however, now only in things obviously Spiritual: the visions and revelations I have received from the Lord._S

“²I knew an individual in Christ more than fourteen years ago, who appeared to be a man (whether he was actually in a physical body, or not, I was not able to discern: God knows).  This individual was escorted to the third level of the Spirit realm._S  ³I interacted with this individual (whether I was interacting with my physical and mental senses, or not, I cannot be sure: God knows), ⁴and understood that he was elevated to the place of eternal plenty where he received communications that could only be understood through the Spirit, and was not for general publication: or actually even possible to articulate or describe their substance or splendor in human language._S

“⁵I will glorify the experience of such an individual: yet I will not glory of my personal achievements, but only in my lack of ability to achieve such great spiritual heights through my natural abilities._S   ⁶Although I would enjoy glorying in my spiritual explorations, I will not be foolish in this matter.  I will at some point let you in on the plain and simple Truth of these things; but for now, I restrain myself in order to keep anyone from imagining more of me than they should, but only rely on what they observe me to be and that which I communicate in written or spoken words.  ^7aI do this lest they focus too much attention on me because of my abundance of revelation in spiritual matters, and thereby hinder the development of their own potential in the Lord.”

 ‘Thorn in my side’

“^7bSatanic envoys were sent against me, to be a ‘thorn in my side’: to assault me mentally and physically everywhere I went, to keep me from achieving the full potential of my spiritual and Earthly life and ministry, and from becoming stronger than a measure they could control._S   ⁸On three different occasions I earnestly called upon the Lord to make this interference cease.  ⁹His response to me [that I finally understood] was always, ‘The Holy Spirit [My ‘grace’], with which I have endowed you, is fully capable of helping you achieve victory over all these things.  However, my Spirit’s miracle working wisdom, knowledge, and power are only free to work in and through your life in direct proportion to your relinquishing to me the authority and power of your natural abilities and resources; and through your steadfast authentic faith, allowing my Spirit access to accomplish my will to bless Humanity in and through your Life.’  Therefore, I most gladly identify the aspects of my life where I am to relinquish my natural abilities and authority in life by submitting them to Christ, so the power of the Holy Spirit in me has freedom to manifest the superiority and majesty of God as it develops me and works through me into the Earth._S 

“¹⁰Therefore, I appreciate the limitations of my humanness; and am not distracted by insults or rebukes, dissuaded in times of fatigue or lack, dismayed by persecutions, nor cower away from any other stressful or calamitous situation that comes my way as I demonstrate and proclaim the gospel of Christ.  Continuous total submission to Christ is my goal; because as I submit my humanness to Christ, only then do I become strong in Life through the wisdom, knowledge, and power of the Holy Spirit.”_S 

 2^ndCorinthians, 12:1(s) Mt.11:25-27; Acts 16:9, 18:9-10, 22:17-18, 23:11, 26:13-18, 27:23-24; 1^stCor.2:9-14; Eph.3:1-5; Phil.3:15; 12:2(s) 10:17-18, 11:17-18; Gal.1:10-12, 2:1-2; 12:4(s) Lk.23:43; Acts 16:20-21; Rom.8:26-27; 12:5(s) 11:30, 12:10; 12:7b(s) Num.33:55; Prov.26:9; Ezek.28:24; Mic.7:7-8; Mt.13:~; Mk.4:~; Lk.8:~; Heb.6:8; 12:9(s) Deut.31:6, 8; Ps.118:6; Isa.40:29-31; Jn.14:2-3, 16, 18, 20-21, 26, 28; 15:26; 16:13-15; 2^ndCor.11:30; 1^stPeter 4:14] [Acts 10:34; Rom.2:11; Eph.6:9; Col.3:25; Heb.12:1-4; James 2:1; 1^stPeter 1:17; 12:10(s) 11:30, 13:4; Josh.6:1-20; Deut.31:6, 8; Ps.103:19, 118:6; Isa.40:29-31; Jn.14:2-3, 16, 18, 20-21, 26, 28, 15:26, 16:13-15; Acts 16:16-26; Rom.5:3-5, 8:35-39; Eph.3:20, 4:13; Heb.12:1-4; 1^stPeter 4:14; Jude 20-21

(Journal, to be continued)