Paul's desire for the Corinthian church was that he would be able to present them as a "pure virgin to Christ." He did not want them to be tainted by the false prophets, apostles, or gospels that had begun circulating within the church. And to put it quite bluntly, the false prophets, apostles, and gospels had something in common: They all required more of the individual than Paul's gospel.
The revelation that Paul had received from the Lord is quite simple. It was steeped in faith righteousness. This message was very hard for the Judaizers of his day to swallow. Unwilling or unable to accept this notion stirred up a zeal within them to protect what they believed to be so holy and right in the earth. That is why we read Paul's letters and find him addressing such things as circumcision, feasts/festivals, and what people eat. These teachings had already started poisoning the minds of the churches that he had established.
The way Paul describes this situation in 2 Corinthians 11 provides us with some incredible insights for our own lives as well. Think with me about the simplicity of Christ. The simplicity of Christ in the Gospel message is that He came, died on the Cross for the sins of the world, was buried, rose again, and now offers His life to each and every one of us. It was His blood that was sufficient. It was His sacrifice that paved the way for each of us to return to the Father. It was His resurrection that loosed the hold of death on humanity. Jesus WAS/IS enough!!! The idea that anything other than confessing Jesus as Lord and belief in Him was necessary to obtain salvation was foreign to the mind of Paul. He clearly heard the Lord's heart as it relates to what God had accomplished through His Son. He conveyed that message quite clearly in this letter: "God was in Christ reconciling Himself to the world." This was the Good News that Paul preached - the simplicity of Christ.
Is that the Gospel that you have heard? Is it your understanding that Jesus' death was enough? Was Jesus punished adequately for the sin of humanity? Was the wrath of God upon sin poured out on Jesus? If the answer to these questions for you is "YES" then be grateful that you have been able to hear the TRUTH of the Good News.
Another interesting aspect of this verse lies in the word translated as "simplicity." It can also be translated as oneness. This makes sense as you think about how the serpent deceived Eve. He went after her oneness with the Father. He will do the same with us as well. When you begin to see yourself in Christ - believing that all that He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection is enough - then you will find a place of rest in your oneness with the Father. You will understand that His forgiveness is not based upon your performance but what Jesus did. You will rejoice over the fact that Jesus' death was sufficient and that His resurrection accomplished far more than you could ever understand. But be careful with how you handle this knowledge because the enemy of your soul will always look for ways to pull you away from it. He will always try to get you to see yourself as less than what God had intended for you to enjoy.
I pray that the church will return to the simplicity that is in Christ. Why is it that man seems to complicate things so much? Enjoy the simplicity of the Gospel. Rest in the simplicity of God's love for you. Enjoy the simplicity of Christ in your life, your family, and your relationships.
During this week of Thanksgiving - be amazed at the goodness of God in the Gospel. Celebrate with your families over the wonderful news of your redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation to God in Christ. I will catch up with you next week. Be blessed and enjoy the love of God for you.
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