II Cor. 1:8-14
It is good to be with you again today as we continue our study in II Corinthians. Today our lesson is a topic that will connect with everybody. How can you say that if you don’t know me, you might be thinking? You are right. I don’t know you. But I know you have been affected by this topic and I know this because you are a human, each of our lives has been touched by death.
Death – just the sound of that word is depressing. Thank God we no longer must fear death. He has provided the way to receive life, eternal life. I like the sound of that much better, and this is what God created us for. Death was not part of His original plan; He wanted us to live and live forever.
Our title today is Delivered from Death. Let’s go with J Mark to II Corinthians 1 for today’s lesson.
Many years ago, it was the day before Christmas, and my dad and I had driven to a local store to pick up some last-minute items. Driving home, the roads were snow-covered.
Not far from home, we were rounding a curve and I saw another car coming toward us across the center line. There was nothing else to do but sit and wait for the impact. There was a loud crash and the jolt of the impact. Fortunately, none of us were seriously injured. But there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid the collision; it was beyond my control.
Have you faced circumstances beyond your control where it seemed there was no way out? Perhaps you despaired of any positive outcome. At that point, it can be hard to remember the promises of God.
The apostle Paul faced numerous situations where he despaired of life itself. In our study this time, we’ll look at one of those situations and how the apostle responded. I’ve titled today’s teaching, “Delivered from Death,” and it’s taken from Second Corinthians 1:8 to 14.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
11 You also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.
13 For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end,
14 (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.
In these verses, we see the several MEANS by which we are delivered from death to live with confidence.
The First MEANS (by which we are delivered from death) is,
By Divine Intervention
In verses three through seven, Paul reminded his readers that God’s comfort was sufficient for any trouble or affliction they would face. To illustrate the point, he shares a personal experience with them.
He refers to something that happened in Asia. We don’t know what it was. Maybe the mob in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquilla risking their lives for his, or the death threats that led to his hasty departure from Ephesus. These weren’t just mild irritations!
The word Paul used means something pressed out of measure, a crushing burden, unable to be carried under normal circumstances. It was so heavy that Paul even despaired of his life! The Greek word means “no passage.” Paul saw no way out!
But then, just as Paul had written in the earlier verses, God appeared on the scene! Even though his tribulation seemed like a death sentence, God intervened. That intervention saved Paul’s life and taught him a valuable lesson that you and I need to learn too. God allows us to experience seemingly impossible situations, to teach us that our intellect, our possessions, our status, and our connections to important people are all inadequate. Like Paul, we need to learn to trust completely in God.
Divine intervention saved Paul’s life in this traumatic situation. But it did more than that. Look at verse 10. We trust in God “who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us…” Paul says God delivered us in the past, He’s delivering us now, and He will deliver us in the future. What a statement of triumph and confidence! You can have that confidence too.
I know people who have experienced very hard things in life. Some have become angry, disillusioned, and bitter. Others have clung to God throughout their heartache, and they have come through the affliction with a powerful life witness for Jesus. Like Paul, they understood that God intervened so He would be glorified and that their suffering would encourage others.
Are you going through a severe trial? Have you almost given up hope? Have you asked God to intervene in the situation? He wants you to understand that His power alone is sufficient to meet your need. He wants you to have complete confidence in Him.
Your trial may not end as the one Paul mentions here. Eventually, he gave his life for the sake of the Gospel. Yet, even in that, he trusted God completely. He knew that divine intervention was a means to being delivered from death.
The Second MEANS (by which we are delivered from death) is,
By Human Intercession
Notice the next thing that Paul wrote. He said God delivered us, [now listen] “you also helping together in prayer for us…” Paul recognized the role of God’s people in prayer.
Intercessory prayer is crucial to the release of God’s power and sovereign purpose. When we engage in intercessory prayer, we often have no idea of the result. But hopefully, we will continue to pray even when God seems silent. When Paul was going through his trial, it may be that the Corinthian Believers didn’t know anything about it. But because they had him in their hearts, they were interceding for him before the throne of God.
The result of this intercession is “that out of many upturned faces (in intercession), thanks may be given to God by many on our behalf.” The “gift” Paul refers to must be his deliverance. Because the Corinthians engaged in intercessory prayer, they shared in Paul’s joy. If you have never experienced the joy of being an answer to someone’s prayer, you’re missing something!
The goal of prayer is not to change God’s plans but to see Him glorified in those plans. We can be confident that God’s sovereign plans will be accomplished, balanced by the faithful prayers of His people.
We may not know the dangers faced by those we love. But we can be confident that God hears our intercession on their behalf. And we can be confident that one means of being delivered from death, physical or spiritual, is our human intercession.
The Final MEANS (by which we are delivered from death) is,
By Confident Expression
Paul writes in verse 12 about the testimony of his conscience. Paul states that part of maintaining a clear conscience is to live a holy life in godly sincerity. Holiness and godly sincerity are not something we possess within ourselves, but they are gifts from God.
He also reminded the Corinthians that his teaching wasn’t conducted in the power of fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God. And it was this grace that was the motivation for his conduct. Paul told the Corinthians that his lifestyle was a confident expression of his beliefs.
Further, Paul gave a confident expression through his communication. Some in Corinth had accused him of being deceptive. But Paul repeats that his writings to the Corinthian church were consistent with what he taught in person. He didn’t communicate with double meanings, and he had no secret agenda.
Now, back to the question, “How does confident expression deliver from death?” Let me summarize Paul’s motives as he expresses them. First, he said I have nothing to hide and that allows me to have a clear conscience.
Second, I lived a life of purity and holiness which you observed when I was with you. I didn’t teach you one thing and then live by another standard. And finally, I lived among you with transparent sincerity. What you saw is what I was and am.
These three aspects of conscience, conduct, and communication play a key role in deliverance from death. A guilty conscience causes one to be secretive and dishonest. Ungodly conduct hastens spiritual death in us and also impacts those who are looking to us for a godly example. Inconsistent communication brings confusion, charges of favoritism, and strife. I urge you to ponder these things and make an application to your own life.
Have you discovered how you can be delivered from death to live with confidence? That death can only be avoided by divine intervention. And what about human intercession? Do you believe in the power of prayer? Have your prayers resulted in divine intervention in the lives of others?
And finally, is your confident expression delivering yourself and others from death? Is your conscience clear, is your conduct in harmony with what Scripture teaches, and is your communication consistent and trustworthy? If so, you can be sure that these means will deliver you and those around you from death.
Thanks, J Mark for sharing this teaching from God’s Word. We trust that you have been blessed. The vision of Heralds of Hope is to use media, and radio, in this case, to make disciples of Jesus Christ to accomplish the great commission in our lifetime. As disciples of Jesus, we want to be like Him, and to be like Him we study His Word. So, thank you for joining us for today’s study.
If you have any questions about today’s teaching or if you like a copy. Just contact us and ask for it by title. Here is how you can reach us. The best way is by email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have an email, you can write to us, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, Pennsylvania 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is heraldsofhope.org.
On our website you will find other helpful resources and more teaching programs like this one, so please look around while you are there. Again, the website is heraldsofhope.org.
We look forward to next week and hope you will join us then as we study the next section in II Corinthians. Have a good week and as Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.” Go live in that joy and peace.
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.