2022_09_14 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading- 2 Corinthians 5-6
There are plenty of stories of people, especially young adults, who are leaving and staying away from church and from even identifying as Christian. There are many reasons for this, but one that stands out is seeing so-called Believers act in ways that are unethical, immoral or hypocritical. All of us need to understand that we are being watched, and those of us who follow Jesus are under heavy scrutiny. I can see two reasons for this:
(1) The standards set by Jesus for His followers are high. Outsiders want to see if we really take them seriously, or if we are merely giving lip-service.
(2) There are high-profile Church leaders that have been exposed as hypocrites, and that arouses suspicion that maybe most Believers are hypocrites too.
None of this is new. Paul and his team faced this as well, and as a result, they were vigilant to make sure that in all situations they gave a reason for others to trust Jesus, and not an excuse to turn their back on Him.
“We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.” 2 Corinthians 6:3-6 (NLT)
God will use all sorts of situations so that you and I can demonstrate His power, love, peace and kindness. Often these circumstances will be challenging and tough (see 2 Cor. 6:8-10). Even when they are hard, if we will humbly rely on God to help us take the high road of humility and faithfulness, He will use our example as proof to those who are watching of the great value of trusting and following Him.
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor