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September 3 - 2 Corinthians 2 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's Sean here. It's the 3rd of September, it's
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  Tuesday, and I'm so glad to have your company because you and I
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  are going to continue reading through this book of Second
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  Corinthians, which is a strange little character.
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  It is just one sent into such a divisive and difficult
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  community, this church and Corinth.
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  Oh yes, churches are great. But churches can also be hard
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  work, can't they? This collection of people who
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  love Jesus sometimes can find it hard to love each other.
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  I'm sure we've all had experience of that at one time
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  or another in our lives. And Paul speaks directly into
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  that as he calls them to put the past behind them and to move
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  forward. And maybe there's something in
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  this for you and I as we listen to this.
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  Maybe we can we can put ourselves in the situation and
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  perhaps a conflict or a challenge that we've been
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  facing. Ah, yes, Holy Spirit, you have
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  truth in every word to communicate with us.
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  We pray that your truth would resonate in our hearts as we
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  hear these words of Paul. All right, friends, let us do
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  it. Let us read together Second
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  Corinthians chapter 2. So I decided that I would not
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  bring you grief with another painful visit.
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  For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad?
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  Certainly not someone I have grieved.
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  That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I
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  won't be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the
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  greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy
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  comes from your being joyful. I wrote that letter in great
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  anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears.
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  I didn't want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how
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  much love I have for you. I'm not overstating it when I
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  say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more
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  than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and
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  that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to
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  forgive and comfort him, Otherwise he may be overcome by
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  discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm
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  your love for him. I wrote to you as I did, to test
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  you and to see if you would fully comply with my
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  instructions. When you forgive this man, I
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  forgive him too. And when I forgive whatever
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  needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your
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  benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us, for we are familiar
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  with his evil schemes. When I came to the city of Troas
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  to preach the good news of Christ, the Lord opened a door
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  of opportunity for me. But I had no Peace of Mind
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  because my dear brother Titus hadn't yet arrived with a report
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  from you. So I said goodbye and went on to
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  Macedonia to find him. But thank God He has made us his
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  captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal
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  procession. Now He uses us to spread the
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  knowledge of Christ everywhere. Like a sweet perfume.
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  Our lives are a Christ like fragrance rising up to God.
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  But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are
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  being saved and by those who are perishing.
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  To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death
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  and doom. But to those who are being
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  saved, we are a life giving perfume.
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  And who is adequate for such a task as this?
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  You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for
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  personal profit. We preach the Word of God with
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  sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is
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  watching us. Oh Lord, I pray that we would
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  indeed be a sweet perfume, that us as transformed people might
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  live differently, might live in a way that includes a way that
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  doesn't exclude, a way that lifts up in a way that blesses
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  in a way that forgives, in a way that loves.
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  So that as people encounter us, they encounter you and the
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  sweetness of your presence. And in order for us to be these
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  people, to be your ambassadors, we are going to need your help.
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  Holy Spirit, please continue to transform us from the inside
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  out. Wash away our broken, sinful
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  human condition and replace it with your holiness and your
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  perfection. And although we'll never attain
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  that this side of eternity, we hope to become ever closer to
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  being a real presence of your Kingdom in our lives.
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  Come Holy Spirit, we ask all of this in the name of Jesus.
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  Amen.