“Weakness Must Bring
True Strength”
Series: How God Deepens Our Faith
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. 3 And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but God knows 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
WEAKNESSES DEEPEN OUR FAITH WHEN WE
1. SEE OUR HUMANITY’S PROBLEM with GREATNESS (verses 1-5)
"Whoever would be great among you must be your servant. “Matthew 20:20
"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world." 1 John 2:16
2. SURRENDER IN HUMILITY NOT IN PRIDE in our GOODNESS (verses 6-8)
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
3. SUFFICIENCY of HOPE in the POWER of GOD (verses 9-10)
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 2 Cor. 3:5
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” – Romans 15:1
