“⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹ For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

¹² So then death works in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

In our flesh, this earthen vessel of which we exist, there is a death that works in the born again Believer.  A death of which we were baptized into at Salvation, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“³ Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-6

Looking unto Jesus, our faith is authored.  Precept upon precept and line upon line, the Holy Spirit delivers us once again unto death; Jesus’ death…the death of which brings life, the Cross of Christ.  Perplexed, we may not now know the solution but we know in Whom we have believed and have accounted Jesus Christ and Him crucified sufficient to supply all of our needs.

This death is not self abasement or humiliation of one’s self but the death of Jesus Christ working in us a new creature through faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Daily our self will and self efforts are denied.  Perplexed, our intellect is denied.  Despaired, our efforts are denied.  We pick up everything the Lord provided for us there, at the Cross of Christ…and we follow Him.  The power of God is then made manifest of God and not of us.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14

-Donna Clark Warren

“²² And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father (Noah), and told his two brethren without.

²³ And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

²⁴ And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

²⁵ And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

²⁶ And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

²⁷ God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” Genesis 9:22-27

True godly love does not spread the failings of others; it does not stir strife but calms strife.  Hatred in one’s heart will stir contention among the Brethren…and they will do it with a smile.  Hypocrisy is unrecognizable when covered in sincerity, yet it remains hypocrisy.

Until one properly sees the Cross of Christ, Who Jesus is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross, one does not see their own frailties.   The more we see Christ and learn of Him, seek to know of Him; the more we will see His Perfection…not our own.   Many reject the Cross of Christ for daily living because they do not want to know their own frailties.  The Cross of Christ is an offense.

“¹¹ And I, Brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the Cross ceased. ¹² I would they were even cut off which trouble you. ¹³ For, brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:11-13

The best way to reveal a crooked stick is to lay a straight stick next to it.  Some in the modern church will indeed use Jesus Christ and His perfection as an example on how to live but the source to achieve such perfection is self and the means is humanistic psychology.  For the modern church to point to Christ as the Source and His Cross the means , one would need to admit their frailties, inabilities, insecurities and overall lack of power to achieve the perfection of Christ Jesus which would offend the majority of the congregation.

When the Blood of Jesus is lifted up among the people, Jesus as the Source and His Cross the means by which the sinner is Saved and the Believer is Sanctified, the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts and lives of the people who willingly choose to respond.  Humility and utter dependence on the Cross of Christ is wrought in the heart of those who have believed because they have denied themselves, picked up their cross and followed Jesus (Luke 9:23).

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

If a Brother or Sister is overtaken in fault, hatred in the heart of another will stir and spread strife…and they will be cursed just as Canaan and Ham.  While the peacemakers, those who calm the strife with a spirit of meekness lest they too be tempted, will be blessed as Shem and Japheth were blessed for covering the sin of their father…which was drunkenness by the way.   Those who cover the failures of the Brethren understand their own frailties.  They do not condone sin but neither do they gossip about other’s sin.

“¹² Hatred stirs up strifes: but love covers all sins.

¹³ In the lips of him that has understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.” Proverbs 10:12-13

You will know them by their fruit. Discern the fruit.

-Donna Clark Warren