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September 4, 2002
If we want to succeed, our culture tells us, we must appear greater, stronger, and more put together than everyone else. In contrast, God calls us in our weaknesses and displays His power through them. Despite his own qualifications, Paul reminds us that we cannot boast; our talents and experiences of God are all gifts from Him. In light of this reality, Alistair Begg encourages us to offer our lives fully to God so that others may see His glory, which defies limitation.
1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and xrevelations of the Lord. 2I know a man yin Christ who fourteen years ago was zcaught up to athe third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, bGod knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into cparadise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, bGod knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, dexcept of my weaknesses— 6though if I should wish to boast, eI would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So fto keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,1 ga thorn was given me in the flesh, ha messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8iThree times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, j“My grace is sufficient for you, for kmy power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that lthe power of Christ may rest upon me. 10mFor the sake of Christ, then, nI am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For owhen I am weak, then I am strong.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
