The Grace of God is sufficient for everyone (My review 2 Corinthian)

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2.
Sometimes it feels like a dream being part of God's people who are propagating the true gospel of water and the Spirit to the ends of the world. Before believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit I lived my life believing Jesus saved mankind by dying on the Cross. At first my heart greatly rejoiced learning about my salvation, everything was making sense, but down the road something I did not expect began to happen. My heart started growing faint, my faith began to have a question mark, because the sin which I was told Jesus died for it on the Cross started resurfacing until I was drained and gave up my salvation. I thought it was beyond my reach, for it seemed impossible and shameful to me to claim Jesus died for my sins yet my heart was swimming in an ocean of sin no matter how much I tried to avoid it.
Then after some time past I met a different gospel, totally different from what almost all the Christian believers I met preached. The book of Rev Paul C Jong introduced me to the baptism of Jesus as the most fitting way in which Jesus shouldered the sin of the world according to the scripture, then he died on the Cross for the remission of our sins, in three days time resurrected for our salvation and the Spirit bears witness to it. I didn't pay much attention to it for I made up my mind that Church and salvation wasn't my destination.
But after going through the word again, it sunk in my heart. I couldn't help but admit that it was indeed the truth unlike anything I have ever heard. Of course, I was a bit scared that maybe it was just one of those same teaching which gives an exciting feeling like I previously believed the gospel centering only the Cross and thought even with this faith it will end up the same for me. Today my heart is rejoicing knowing that I don't have sin because Jesus took it in his baptism and paid for it on the Cross, but maybe one day I will wake up and again find my heart swimming in an ocean of sin.
But to my surprise, the more I heard and dwell in the gospel of water and the Spirit, the more assured my heart became that I have no sin. Sometimes I could deliberately try to look for sin inside my heart but the response I was getting was like the women who went to look for Jesus in the tomb were he was buried only to find the tomb open and empty. While they were trying to figure out whether his body as been stolen, the angels appeared and told them why are you looking for the living among the dead he as already resurrected. Just as death could no longer hold Jesus, also my heart can no longer hold sin because the baptism of Jesus keep on telling me you won't find any sin inside your heart for I took it all and paid for it with my blood. I can not help but rejoice and give praise to the Almighty God for my salvation.
After reading the sermons on second Corinthian by Pastor Paul Jong, my heart keep on rejoicing for I am living a blessed life hearing words most people wish to hear but because they are blinded by the gods of this age they fail to recognize the truth even if it is presented before their eyes with scriptural evidence. Apostle Paul therefore exhorted not just the Corinthian Church but us as well on salvation that we should not “receive the word of God in vain.” To live a life for oneself and not propagating the beautiful gospel is receiving the word of God in vain.
Paul reminded the Corinthian brethren that “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again Hallelujah. 2 Corinthians 5:15.” Here Apostle Paul was telling the born again the importance of living a life that propagate the gospel. Apostle Paul wrote “And he(Jesus) died for all” meaning when preaching the gospel one should not show partiality by preaching only to those he/she likes and not preach to those they dislike but preach to all people regardless of the color, nation or tribe for this is God's will. Apostle Paul continued by saying “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 2 Corinthians 5:16.”
While ministering in God's Church it is not a secret that will face many challenges and difficulties because the devil stands as the enemy of the gospel who opposes it to the end, but we give thanks to our Lord for he has overcome the world. After Jesus got baptized as the first work for salvation and an indication for the beginning of his public ministry, the devil tried to oppose him in the wilderness. Matthew chapter 4 tells us how Jesus was led in the wilderness were he faced temptation. With this incident, Jesus was not showing us how to handle temptation but he was proclaiming our victory that himself has overcome it for us.
At first, the devil tried tempting him using his flesh when he was hungry saying turn the stone into bread, meaning the devil will do all it takes to use our flesh to cause us to stumble, but Jesus declared man shall not live by bread alone but by the word that comes from God. Apostle Paul was struck in his flesh with a thorn. Instead of insisting to be made well as if his life depends on the well being of his flesh, he said “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. 2 Corinthians 12:7-20.” The bible does not encourage us to neglect our bodies when we are sick nor starve ourselves when we have food to prove a point, rather it teaches us that we live not because our bodies are healthy and we don't lack but because of the word of God.
Second, the devil took Jesus to the highest building and said to him jump, God as promised to send angels so that no harm should come to you. With this scene, Jesus was telling us have redeemed and made you free from sin but do not use your freedom to make others stumble. Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church “We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1.” There came a time the saints in the Corinthian Church developed a stubborn heart in the name of freedom/knowledge, but Paul exhorted the brethren “You my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13.” Also in 1 Corinthians 9 he wrote “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible,” “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
Jesus did not come on earth to excise his power but to save sinners. In like manner, servants of God are equipped with every knowledge, power and freedom of God's kingdom not to condemn each other nor develop a stubborn heart because they feel they have the right to something, but to show love on one another to an extent of even refraining oneself from an act which is not wrong to do but if it benefits others if you don't do it.
Third, the devil asked Jesus to worship him in exchange for material gains, this means prioritizing human needs over Gods will. The Corinthian Church started dividing among itself by selecting who they follow, some Apollos, some Cepheus, and still others Paul, but that act does not come from spiritual minded people but a carnally mind one which puts human interest first. So Paul wrote “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10.” We should not put human interest first or try to please people when serving God, it only stand as an opposition to the will of God.
In summary, the second book of Corinthian has taught me the true meaning of living as God's minister. Paul did not hide is weaknesses rather he embraced them in Gods grace which works sufficiently in his weak body. Paul did not use his knowledge to excise power among the brethren but chose to build the Church in the love of God. Lastly, Paul did not seek human approval for his Apostleship by pleasing people in a fleshly way but followed only God's will and put it as of first priority.
Beloved Paul Jong and John Shin, bear with my writing for my heart joyfully and swim in the grace of God which came by water and blood. I know I have so much to write to you but my writing can not be enough to express how happy I have come to live in this gospel. I thank God for allowing the book of 1 and 2 Corinthian seen from the perspective of the gospel of water and the Spirit to be written to us. I have read it and will be reading it again for the profound word written in it can not be fully grasped overnight. May God keep on giving you strength and prosper you for the benefit of the Church and propagating the gospel. Am so excited to start reading the next book Galatians then later on Romans, my greetings to all the brethren and faithful servants of God in South Korea.

New Life Gospel Vision Church Zambia
Chris Mulonga, Zambia