THE Comfort of God. 2nd Corinthians 1:1-11 Right from the beginning of the church in all parts of the world where the Gospel is preached, there were conflicts motivated by Satan and satanic influences that for generations had their way in the darkness of the world. In Corinth, the same as in Jerusalem, Antioch, the churches in Asia, and Galatia there were struggles by God's faithful servants against false teachers, heresies, false accusations, deception, and misleading brethren. The problems of affirmation of the truth are still with us today and will be until the end of this age. Satan is determined to stop God's people because he could not stop Christ from doing His Father's will. Now it is our turn to affirm the principles of the ministry we have received. It will not be easy. If it was it would be a false spurious ministry.
Paul and Timothy knew their calling and the roles they were to fill in preaching the Gospel and establishing biblically sound New Testament assemblies. The was no question in their minds as to what they were called to do and who was the Source of their strength and comfort. Paul was the Lord’s special representative to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles by the authority given to him as an apostle by the will of God. What he said and wrote was to be accepted and obeyed as divine authority.
Grace and peace come to God’s people as an act of His great kindness and benevolence for their well-being. His mercies emphasize His love for His own people as He comforts, encourages, and gives them the needed strength to live for Him. The more we experience His sufferings, the more the consolation of His grace gives us the strength to endure and draws us to Him. Paul was an example of suffering afflictions and enduring through God’s strength with the objective of the consolation and salvation of others. Consolation includes needed grace, strength, and deliverance that is received in testing times.
Confidence in God and the work to which He has called us does not depend on the ease of the circumstances. In times of difficulty, the needed grace and peace to pass through them in faith comes from our heavenly Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. We will not necessarily be released from the tensions and trials that accompany a work for God, but we will find what we need when we remember what He is to us. He blessed us in the past [Eph.1:3]; He is our Living Hope as it relates to the future [1Pet.1:3]; and He comforts us in the present [2Cor.1:3]. Because we have received and experienced suffering ourselves, we are able to be a means whereby God’s grace is passed on to others who suffer.
Our God is the Originator of all mercies. It is of His "mercies" we are not consumed. He has demonstrated to us manifold mercies. His mercies are tender and they are exceeding great mercies. His mercies are a multitude of blessings to us. When we remember what He is to us, it is possible for God's people to move through dark valleys in faith and confidence that this is the right way to go. In all the experiences God arranges for us to pass through, there are benefits that we did not know now or even realize they are benefits that will enable us to fulfill our ministry for others. Our God is the God of all comfort, not merely sympathy. He comes alongside those who need comfort and the Holy Spirit enables us to minister to those needs.
Comfort comes from our Lord but it also comes from others who are willing to share our pain and offer comfort in practical ways. Genuine grace goes beyond pat answers. We will have to go through tough times but because of Christian fellowship, we don’t have to go through them alone. It may not take much: the pressure of a hand, the sympathetic look in your eye, a compassionate silence. It may not take long: a short talk on the phone, a few lines on a card, or an appropriate email. It may not cost much: in fact, it probably would be better if it came from you personally, not a store. It may not seem like much: some measured worth in tangible terms – money, flowers, inexpensive gifts. Comfort comes in many different ways – God started it all off.
When disappointments come: draw near and pass on some experiences of your own. When trials come: take time to pray with one who is going over the path of testing. When pain comes: hold a hand with a gentle touch and try to be silent. When sorrow comes: pray first – then go and sit and stay as long as you are needed. Then leave. Comfort can be given in many ways – the same way God gives comfort appropriate to the need.
Comfort the lonely with your presence: it takes time for one to know if you really care. Comfort the bereaved with your prayers: it is more important to let one know you intercede with the Father, on their behalf. Comfort the one in pain with your present: a card or bunch of flowers is visible proof you care. Comfort the one in anger with your patience: to be able to vent to a hearer is a way for one in the bands of bitterness to move on. Comfort is needed to bring different conclusions – the way God chooses.
An individual can comfort: sometimes one person is better than two or more because of the need. A couple can comfort: the interaction of husband and wife can give a larger perspective. A family can comfort: children often can give a sense of normalcy to one who has suffered a great loss. A church can comfort: the church family can rally around and meet great needs effectively. Comfort can meet many different needs – the way God supplies.
Past lifestyle does not always go away quickly. Those early laborers knew experimentally what it was to suffer because of the ministry in which they were involved. They were affirmed in the rightness of this suffering because it was the sufferings of Christ and for Christ, they were enduring. But further and better was the fact that in the suffering, they had the needed consolation that gave them peace. Challenge against God-given authority is not uncommon even among God's people.
However, we know that even though there may be noisy discontented believers who are motivated by the flesh, God has His faithful, dedicated people who continue on in their faithfulness to God. Commitment to Christ does not stop at conversion but is intended to increase as we live consistent lives in this world in spite of the pressure to compromise. The affirmation principle comes into effect when the Spirit of God enables us to abound by Christ even when enduring suffering for Christ in times of trouble.
The two men who labored together, one older and one younger, in the immoral city of Corinth, knew that in spite of the evil in the city, God had many there He was going to save from their sins. To "Corinthianize" was a commonly used term to describe sexual immorality that was rampant there. People who lived there were used to that and the practice wasn't seriously frowned upon. It is impossible for us to change society or even socially accepted practices through our efforts. Those changes happen when God changes a person from within through the Word of God and the Spirit of God bringing about the new birth.
When we understand the "comfort of God" does not mean our trouble will go away, but means we are given needed strength, hope, and encouragement to go through difficulties, then we can remain confident, and to a certain degree, joyful as God affirms to us the value of what we are engaged in. Because of that divine affirmation that we have experienced, we are able to participate in and share in the suffering of others. In the service of Christ, He has identified Himself with us, and we pass on that affirming principle to others as we go through times of persecution. Christ suffered with the early Christians in their persecution.
The Lord Jesus charged Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road, with persecuting Him when he was persecuting the believers in Christ. There are wide varieties of suffering people go through when they minister to others in Christ's name. When our trust is in God, suffering can make us more like Christ, draw us closer to Christ, help us to grow in Christ, and develop a Christ-like character. When that happens, we are far more qualified to come alongside and encourage others who are going through difficult times.
The “troubles” (tribulations) Paul endured in Asia were so very great that he was beyond any help but that which God alone can give. God who can raise the dead, can preserve the living in the most stressful times of trouble by giving the grace that is sufficient for every need we have. The prayers of the Lord’s people in such times are invaluable both to meet the present need and also to give the needed consolation that one is the object of concern of the people of God. Trouble accompanies active Christian service that reaches out to lost souls. Satan is not going to give up territory or people without a battle.
We must be willing to obey God in our service even though it will mean hardship. Our own abilities and skills are not enough to do what is needed in our ministry for God. It is our attitude of dependence on God that gives us the right mindset for God to be able to work through us. By prayer, we are able to participate in another person's ministry even though they may be far away from us. Satan will challenge those who pray, to give up their spiritual labor as well as those out in the field ministering the Gospel in Christ's name.
It is an interesting fact that the identification word, "Christ," is used alone 38 times in 2nd Corinthians. This indicates the urgency of the people to remember it is God's Anointed Person whom we represent when we affirm the word of God by principle and precept. The word "ministry" is used on 17 occasions to remind us of our obligation and privilege to pass on God's truth constantly and confidently. We find our encouragement to do this in God Himself. It affirms what we do when we remember who God is to us, what God does for us, and what God does through us.