The Strength that is Weakness

Another serious dysfunction in the pattern of santification is strength. Earlier I said “Now fortunately, most Christians do not have much natural mental discipline in the front-door part of their minds...” Now we come to those who do have a lot of natural mental discipline, and the great damage they can cause themselves and other Christians.

The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 12:9 that in a direct revelation, Christ told him “My grace [unmerited favor ] is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. ... “ Notice that. Weakness. Not strength. We receive unmerited favor from Christ when we are weak, not when we are strong. Why is that? It is so that we will know what Christ’s strengths are when we are weak. It is His way of showing Himself to us for worship and praise when we are really down, and out for the count. We do not think about Him and worship Him and love Him when we are strong. We’re too busy noticing how strong we are when we are strong.

So our real strength, the strength that brings Christ before our gaze, is not strength, but quivering human weakness.

This was a lesson that the apostle Paul had to have literally beaten into him (over time). On Mars Hill at Athens, the Greeks of Paul’s day held a sort of Greek culture version of The Gong Show. Anyone who came to Athens with a new doctrine was required by law to show up at Mars Hill and declaim their doctrine before a panel of critics. Paul went into this thing using a speech prepared in the classical Greek manner. It began:

Acts 17:22-23

22 ...Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

(KJV)

And the result was that he got gonged:

Acts 17:32-34

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33 So Paul departed from among them.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

(KJV)

But then Paul left this scene to go to Corinth, dejected and a lot less full of himself:

1 Cor 2:1-5

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

(KJV)

And the result was:

Acts 18:8-11

8 ... Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

(KJV)

But later on, he was brought before King Agrippa and Queen Bernice, celebrities in their day, and he slipped back into his Hellenic Speakers Bureau mode:

Acts 26:1

1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

(KJV)

With the end result that:

Acts 26:28

28 ... Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

(KJV)

... which the Greek of the original language makes plain was a sarcastic remark.

Most definitely, one of the hardest things about Christianity is being willing to be weak enough so that Christ will manifest His strength in us.

Luke 21:12-15

12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

(KJV)