WHEN AN APOSTLE IS CONCERNED The success of these erroneous gospels, that present "another Jesus" and "another Spirit," is largely owing to the lack of edification – or building up in the most holy faith – within the church itself. Because of this, the "unity of the faith" and a unanimity in "the knowledge of the Son of God" has not taken place. The result is that the "body"never matures, and is therefore vulnerable to the corrupt doctrines of men. -- Tomorrow:
"Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:1-4
Devotion 27 of 29
Here is how the Spirit states the case."And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph 4:11-14).
In this condition of being "tossed too and fro," the people never "grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ" (Eph 4:15).
However, the people do not become static, remaining at a juvenile level. Instead, they become vulnerable to "another Jesus," "another Spirit," and "another Gospel."
This is precisely what had happened in Corinth – except that it was even worse than the case stated to the Ephesians. The Corinthians had "come behind in no gift" (1 Cor 1:7). All of the resources were in place for them to grow up into Christ in everything. For eighteen months they had been exposed to the uninterrupted ministry of the most prodigious apostle of them all (Acts 18:11). Yet, upon Paul's departure, their attention was diverted by those who brought "another gospel," preaching "another Jesus" and "another Spirit."
We know from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians that they had conducted themselves unacceptably at the Lord's table. The situation was so bad that God has to strike some of them with sickness, and even took the lives of others. As it is written, "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper . . . For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor 11:20,26-30).
We know from this that a significant number of the Corinthians had placed Christ into the background of their thinking. That is why they could not discern the Lord's body at His table. In so doing, they had actually desecrated the table of the Lord, "profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (RSV).
This condition had given power and influence to the merchants of false gospels. The Corinthians easily received their erroneous gospels, accepted their false Christs, and gulped down "another Spirit." It caused everything to go downhill from there. It is not difficult to see how immorality could break out among them. Their contempt for one another easily arose, even to hauling one another before godless judges. They could easily disdain weaker brethren, be utterly confused about marriage, deny the resurrection, reject Paul as an apostle, and forget about the poor saints in Jerusalem.
Such things CANNOT take place when you embrace the real Jesus, possess the real Spirit, and believe the real Gospel. Such reactions are rather the result of receiving "another Jesus," "another Spirit," and "another Gospel. "What is true can never be the fountain of unrighteousness, and what is false can never be the stimulus of righteousness.
There is no sense in which the real Jesus can promote or condone sin. By that I mean one cannot look to Jesus and walk in sin at the same time. There is also no way that a person can walk in the Spirit and fulfill the lusts of the flesh. It is not that this should not be done. Rather, it is that it CANNOT be done. Equally true, it is not possible to embrace the Gospel that is God's "power unto salvation," and indulge in iniquity while doing it. You have to let go of the Gospel to do that!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for faithful messengers, send by You, through whom we are brought to believe.