Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 26 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; 2Co 7:8-13; Rom 6:1-13.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 26 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; 2CO 7:8-13; ROM 6:1-13.

 

Announcements / opening prayer:  

 

 

In various terms the Bible describes two classes of Christians, the carnal or fleshly and the spiritual.

 

There are believers who abide in Him and those who do not. There are believers who walk in light and those who walk in darkness. There are those who walk by the Spirit and those who walk by the flesh. There are believers who walk in newness of life and those who walk as unwise men who submit the members of their body to the sin nature as instruments of unrighteousness.

 

All of this has to do with the quality of daily life of saved people. If they choose for the flesh and walk by means of the flesh then they are carnal. If they choose to walk by means of the Spirit they are spiritual.

 

By choosing the flesh, the believer either grieves the Spirit or quenches the Spirit or does both. However, he may recognize his error and adjust his heart to the ministry of the Spirit.

 

Being filled with the Spirit is to give us the power to overcome evil and the power to do good. The CWL is not just the avoidance of sin but also the doing of divine good.

 

Paul was concerned about the repentance of the Corinthians and not empty confessions.

 

1CO 11:31

But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.

 

2 Cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

The promises listed in chapter 6 are the fact that each believer is the temple of God, Christ indwells us, and God is our Father. This is who we are forever. Therefore, the Corinthians, the same as any believer, is cleansed fully by the blood of Christ, and some Christians, like the Corinthians, live carnal lives that are unclean. God reasons with us that we can only truly live in the new creature that we are and not in the dead old creature.

 

Hence he uses the word "holiness" or separation unto God in time. All believers are sanctified in position and so they are admonished to walk a sanctified life that is lived separate from the flesh and the world and unto God.

 

"perfecting holiness in the fear of God" - accomplishing or completing a life lived separated unto God in reverent fear of God.

 

It is not being afraid of God but a hearty fear of what opposes Him. God says that He gives grace to the humble and that He makes war with the arrogant. What opposes God will give us great pain if we accept it and it will remove any prosperity of soul that we have. But more than that, it will sever our fellowship with God and will put us in a walk that is displeasing to God.

 

One commentator defines reverent, godly fear as follows:

 

"This fear is self-distrust; it is tenderness of conscience; it is vigilance against temptation; it is the fear which inspiration opposes to high-mindedness in the admonition, 'be not high-minded but fear.' [ROM 11:20] It is taking heed lest we fall; it is a constant apprehension of the deceitfulness of the heart, and of the insidiousness and power of inward corruption. It is the caution and circumspection which timidly shrinks from whatever would offend and dishonor God and the Savior" [Vincent]

 

Paul's strong admonishment to them caused them sorrow, but Paul sees it as a godly sorrow since it caused repentance in them. Their position in Christ was holy but their lives were not.

 

2CO 7:8 For though I caused you sorrow [grief or distress] by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it —  for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while — 

 

The spiritual leader does not take pleasure in reproving others.

 

2CO 7:9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

 

"repentance" - meta,noia [metanoia] = to change the mind or to reform the mind.

 

 

ROM 2:4

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

 

2TI 2:24-25

And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth

 

So then, the sorrow in the end was not a suffering of loss but of great benefit because it caused them to see the real issue or the truth of the matter.

 

2CO 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation [deliverance without guilt or condemnation]; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

 

There is a sorrow that is not according to the will of God. It is a sorrow that includes guilt and condemnation and generally leads to the believer attempting to seek consolation in the world and to drown himself in the pleasures and the cares of the world. It may be a sorrow that occurs only because sin became public or that it was very painful or led to poverty and shame. This sorrow only focuses on self. But godly sorrow in the Christian who has violated the character of God in some way leads to repentance without regret. He simply sees that he has violated the perfect standard of his Father. And when the sorrow leads to true repentance why should it be regretted? In fact, the Christian would rejoice over it. Note that this doesn't say that godly sorrow is necessary or that it always occurs, but that when it does it leads to repentance. There is no command to feel sorry for sin or to have an emotion concerning it, but what is here addressed is the true godly sorrow that can occur.

 

2CO 7:11 For behold what earnestness [zeal or diligence] this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation [against the forces that oppose God and the false teachers in Corinth], what fear [vs. 1], what longing, what zeal [can be jealousy], what avenging of wrong [in themselves and in setting the church right]! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent [cleared of wrongdoing] in the matter.

Due to their repentance they had cleared themselves of any further blame.

 

2CO 7:12 So although I wrote to you it was not for the sake of the offender, nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.

 

In this verse Paul states the main reason why he had written to them on the subject. It was not principally on account of the man who had done the wrong, or of him who had been injured; but it was from tender anxiety for the whole church, and in order to show the deep interest which he had in their welfare.

 

2CO 7:13 For this reason we have been comforted.

 

All believers struggle with areas of sin in their lives and God is gracious and patient in instructing us and strengthening us. God is freeing us from its mastery.

 

When God discusses sin through the scripture, it is never designed to condemn us but to free us from the mastery of the flesh so that we don't spend our whole time on earth as babes.

 

HEB 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

 

HEB 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

 

But never once does God compromise with sin. The command to us is to walk in newness of life.