PATHWAY TO PERSEVERANCE PART 3

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10

2 Corinthians 6:1–10 ESV

1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

1-TRUTHFUL SPEECH

LITERALLY THE WORD OF TRUTH

WHAT IS THE WORD OF TRUTH?

THE GOSPEL

1 Corinthians 15:1–6 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

2-THE POWER OF GOD

THE POWER THAT SPOKE LIFE INTO MOLDED DUST AND TURNED IT INTO HUMAN FLESH

THE POWER THAT SET IN MOTION A HEBREW BOY TO BE BEATEN BY HIS BROTHERS, SOLD INTO SLAVERY, THROWN INTO PRISON, JUST TO BECOME THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN EGYPT, AND USED THAT POWER TO DELIVER GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE FROM STARVING TO DEATH IN A SEVEN YEAR FAMINE

THE POWER THAT SENT PLAGUES TO EGYPT AND DELIVERED HIS CHILDREN FROM A TYRANNICAL RULER.

THE SAME POWER THAT PARTED THE RED SEA AND ALLOWED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WALK ACROSS DRY LAND TO SAFETY.

THE POWER THAT CAUSED THOSE SAME WATERS TO COME CRASHING DOWN AND DESTROYED AN ENTIRE EGYPTIAN ARMY

THE POWER THAT TOOK A SMALL SHEPHERD BOY AND HELPED HIM KILL A GIANT IN THE MIDST OF BATTLE.

THE POWER THAT DELIVERED THAT SAME SHEPHERD BOY FROM THE GRASP OF A ANGRY KING AND EXALTED HIM TO THE POSITION OF KING HIMSELF.

THE SAME POWER THAT DELIVERED SHADRACK MESHACKAND ABEDNEGO FROM THE DEATH FURNACE THAT WAS HEATED 7 TIMES ITS NORMAL STRENGTH.

THE SAME POWER THAT CLOSED THE MOUTHS OF LIONS WHEN DANIEL WAS THROWN INTO THE PIT.

THE SAME POWER REIGNED DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN TO PROVE HIS EXISTENCE AS ELIJAH STOOD BEFORE MOBS OF UNBELIEVERS AT MOUNT CARMEL.

THE SAME POWER THAT BROUGHT SIGHT TO THE BLIND.

THE SAME POWER THAT CAST DEMONS OUT OF VICTIMS

THE SAME POWER THAT MADE A CRIPPLE MAN WALK FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THE SAME POWER THAT HEALED A WOMAN THAT WAS BLEEDING FOR 12 YEARS

THE SAME POWER THAT SAID TO HIS SON GO AND BRING SALVATION TO THE WORLD.

THE SAME POWER THAT SAID TO HIS SON THEY WILL TRY TO DESTROY YOU BUT I WILL RAISE YOU UP FROM THE PIT OF THEIR DEATH.

THE SAME POWER THAT TURNED FISHERMEN INTO APOSTLES

THE SAME POWER THAT TURNED A PERSECUTOR INTO A PRO CLAIMER

THE SAME POWER THAT MAKES THE ADDICT- CLEAN

THE SAME POWER THAT MAKES THE ADULTERER- FAITHFUL

THE SAME POWER THAT MAKES THE GREEDY- GIVING

THE SAME POWER THAT MAKES THE RACIST -TOLERANT

THE SAME POWER THAT MAKES THE SINNER- RIGHTEOUS

THE SAME POWER THAT SAVED A WICKED SINNER LIKE ME

AND THE SAME POWER THAT WILL SAVE YOU FROM THE TORMENT OF HELL NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IF YOU WILL JUST CALL ON THE NAME AND BELIEVE IN HIS SON JESUS

3-WEAPONS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ephesians 6:11–17 ESV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.