Posted at 22:42h
in
Devotionals
"But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:2
I once heard my pastor Adrian Rogers say, "If it's true it isn't new." Had the apostle Paul heard him he would have given a loud and hearty, "Amen!" I say this because I believe this is the essence of Paul's point in this statement to the church at Corinth. I understand Paul to teach that there shouldn't be anything purely original in a revelation. When he writes about "commending ourselves to every man's conscience," I believe he's talking about commending truth to the "consciousness" of man. Paul's point is that divine truth, like any other truth, must first speak to man's experience. It must appeal to something that the hearer already knows to be true. In other words it is "a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation."
Can I share a secret with you? Maintaining a healthy marriage is one of the hardest things I do. It's much easier for me to preach multiple times each week, lead a large staff, and pastor a church with a couple of thousand members than it is to take care of my most important area of ministry. I'm not proud of my shortcomings. I am, however, constantly - and consciously - working to improve in this important area of my life. I want to do what the Lord tells me, and what my wife needs from me, so that we can have a healthy and happy marriage.
