Bible Study - Broken (3) - The Gift of Grace - 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 - August 6, 2017

Bible Study – Broken (3) – The Gift of Grace – August 6, 2017

This is lesson three (3) entitled “Broken Vessels: How GOD Uses Imperfect People.”

Our focus scripture is 2 Corinthians 12:2-10.

GOD’S grace allows me to face anything life throws at me.

GOD is in the repair business. HE is the potter and we are the clay. HE can repair the broken vessel to make it like brand a new one.

If you feel broken, confess what lays heavy upon your heart and ask JESUS to forgive you. If you have never asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your heart do so now. In that instant you will be born into HIS family, never to be unborn. Once HIS child; always HIS child. Be an obedient child and serve HIM as HE leads and guides your life by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Why? It is because every person, one day, will die and go into eternity. The Apostle Paul shares in this scripture an event that happened in his life. It is believed that when Paul was stoned, he either died or had a near death experience as described in Acts 14:19:

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

Paul wanted all to know there is life after life upon earth and that he had witnessed it.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:2-7a:

2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows.

It is general consensus that the person to whom the Apostle Paul was referring was himself. He did not know whether this happened while he was in his physical body or in his Spiritual body. Certainly, only GOD knows.

So where is the third heaven? The first heaven is where the birds and clouds are. The second heaven is where the moon, stars, planets and universe exist. The third heaven in where GOD is.

3 I know that this man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-

4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak.

Paul found himself in paradise. What he heard could not be uttered.

A preacher friend had an experience which he related to me some years ago. 

His name is Brother Ron. He was a pastor in the mountains of Kentucky. 

While Brother Ron was in seminary at Clear Creek, Pineville, KY, he was in an automobile accident in critical condition in Knoxville, TN. During a class, he would have been in if had not been in the hospital, a fellow classmate stood up and announced to the class, “We must stop what we are doing and pray for Brother Ron.” They did. A chapel program followed the class. The class went into the chapel service and told their fellow classmates that all of them had to pray for Brother Ron, which they did instead of having the scheduled chapel program. What they did not know was pieced together after the fact and is written as I recall:

Brother Ron was pronounced dead in the hospital in Knoxville, TN at the moment Brother Ron’s classmate stood and asked the class to pray for him. Prayer time extended to the end of that class and continued to the end of the chapel program. What was happening in Knoxville? Brother Ron’s body had been taken to the basement for the funeral home to pick up. A nurse happened by and she saw his eyelid move and began CPR. Brother Ron was revived and that time corresponded to the end of the chapel program. He told me that he was escorted around heaven but there were no words for him to describe what he saw. He did say that the creature that escorted him was frightening. He said that GOD may give him the words one day. But what he saw was inexpressible in human words.  

I had an experience in 1971. There are near death experiences, which often are questioned. I had an experience where I was fully awake and driving along I-85 in August of 1971. I along with several co-workers had been praying for the mother of a co-worker who had cancer.

I had an overnight trip to Washington, DC. The day I left Spartanburg, SC the mother of our co-worker was at home. She had some fluid drawn off her lungs and was resting.

I flew out of and back into Charlotte, NC the next day. As already stated, when I left for DC my co-worker’s mother was at home. The following day, I was driving from Charlotte to Spartanburg and somewhere around Gaffney, SC, I had a vision or very clear and distinct scene. The scene was to my right and outside of my car high in the sky. It was a scene of a man and woman walking down a reddish looking path which was lined with greenery and curved slightly toward what appeared to be an entrance through the greenery. The greenery on their right was tall, thick and was a barrier. The greenery on their left was more like shrubs and sparse.

A voice like I have never heard before or since said “Mrs. Green just passed away but she is walking with The LORD.” The voice was clear and very distinct but not as I would hear another person speaking to me. The voice sounded as if it was coming from 360 degrees and slightly above and over my entire head. It was a voice that was intended to be heard regardless of my position. A joy and excitement swept over me and I began to sing. The voice said a second time “I told you Mrs. Green is fine, she is walking with The LORD, you pray for the family.”

I prayed for the family. I happened to look at my watch. It was 3:45 PM. I got to my place of work a few minutes after 4:00 PM and asked about Mrs. Green. I was told that she had taken a turn for the worse and they had to take her to the hospital but she was doing fine. Her daughter had called about lunch time and said that her mother was resting and stable. She said that some of the family would have to stay with her that night.

I told several co-workers in the office area what I had witnessed while driving from Charlotte. They assured me that if she had died they would know about it. I went into the lab and asked the lab supervisor about Mrs. Green. She told me what I had already been told.

I told the lab supervision what I had witnessed. As I finished telling her what I had witnessed, the lab phone rang and it was Mrs. Green’s pastor’s wife. She let us know that the doctor had pronounced Mrs. Green dead at 4:10 PM. I thought, “Oh, no! She was walking with The LORD at 3:45 PM.”

What I saw was very clear. The scene was angled such that I saw The LORD from under HIS chin downward toward the scene. I never saw HIS face. The LORD was clothed in a beautiful emerald/green garment. HIS stature was big and tall compared to Mrs. Green.

The top of her head came to the top of HIS left shoulder. She had long, flowing brunette hair striking her about her waist. She had on a white robe. She appeared to be in her twenties. They were walking down a gentle slopping path. The path appeared to be a reddish path with greenery on each side. Taller greenery was on their right side and scrubby greenery on their left side. There appeared to be a horizon in the background as they descended.

It was not a still picture. There was movement as they descended the path which curved toward what appeared to be greenery on their right side, as mentioned earlier, which they would have to walk through. It appeared to be an entrance. The scene stopped.

If the voice had not identified that the lady in the vision/scene was Mrs. Green, I would have not known who she was. The voice identified the person next to Mrs. Green as “The LORD.” Again, I would have not known who she was walking with, if HE had not been identified. This is the truth as I experienced it.

Does this make me special? No! But it does make me more accountable to GOD. There is life beyond physical death.

Mrs. Green was a wonderful Christian lady as I learned more about her at her funeral. I had never met her. The first time I saw her was in her casket. She did not look like her physical body in the vision/scene.

GOD had prepared a special Spiritual body, fully clothed, for Mrs. Green when she slipped from her earth suit into her special Spiritual suit. Her Heavenly suit will serve her until she will return with JESUS at HIS second coming. At the rapture of all Christians from earth, she along with all Christians who have departed earth in physical death and are already in Heaven will receive their Glorified body which will be their eternal body. Our Glorified body will be like JESUS’ Glorified body after HIS resurrection. If interested read what JESUS did after HIS resurrection.

So why give accounts of such events?  Our LORD desires for us to know that there is Spiritual life after physical life upon earth. How do we, as humans, receive eternal life? JESUS gave HIS life for all who will place their faith in HIM. HIS shed blood paid, in full, the penalty for sin. HIS physical death opened a direct path between GOD and all mankind. That path is through faith in JESUS.

All people can receive eternal life through the miracle of rebirth in their spirit. Every human is a sinner and must be forgiven for his or her sins. The penalty for sin is eternal death but the gift of GOD is eternal life through faith in JESUS. 

(Romans 3:23 - 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 - 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 10:9-10 - 9 if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.)

JESUS is the gateway to GOD’S Grace! Every person must go through JESUS for redemption from sin and eternal death and for him or her to receive eternal life and be born-again Spiritually.

Only the Spirit of GOD can change the human spirit into a re-born Spirit, through the miracle of rebirth. Spiritual rebirth results in a person being born, Spiritually, into GOD’S family. Every re-born person becomes a Son or Daughter of GOD. The re-born person can call GOD, Father and come into HIS very presence and call HIM, Daddy and enter to HIS presence.

Can a person become unborn, once he or she is born Spiritually?  No! Once, GOD’S child always GOD’S child. A Christian’s obedience determines his or her rewards. Let’s read on ---

In 1 Peter 1:21, we read in the Amplified Bible “You have been regenerated – born again – not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm) but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of GOD.

In 1 John 3:9, again we read in the Amplified Bible “No one born (begotten) of GOD (deliberately and knowingly) habitually practices sin, for GOD’S nature abides in him (or her) – HIS principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him (or her) – and he (or she) cannot practice sinning because he (or she) is born (begotten) of GOD.”

Just as you and I were conceived physically by the union of the human sperm and human egg to become a human, we can use this concept to help us understand Spiritual rebirth. In order for every human to be born Spiritually, he or she must be born Spiritually by the Spirit of GOD, The Divine Sperm. Consider our human spirit as the egg. (There is no Biblical reference to our spirit being an egg. But the Bible is clear that the Spirit of GOD is referred to as the Divine Sperm.) Only GOD’S Spirit can result in the miracle of rebirth in the human spirit.

In John 3:3, JESUS told Nicodemus that he must be born-again.

JESUS gave HIS physical life upon the cross by the shedding of HIS blood to pay in full the penalty for sin. GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead as proof and a guarantee that JESUS not only paid the penalty for sin, in full, but HE also conquered physical death. The resurrection is GOD’S guarantee that all who place their faith in JESUS will be resurrected from physical death to eternal life. As mentioned earlier, every Christian will receive their Glorified bodies when JESUS returns to earth to rapture all Christians from earth. 

Christians who have departed earth in physical death, before HIS return, will return to earth with JESUS. Their special Heavenly body will be changed to their eternal Glorified body. We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they found themselves naked in the Garden of Eden. It was GOD Who fashioned clothes from the skins of animals for them.

Genesis 3:21:

21 The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.

GOD has fashioned a special Spiritual body for all Christians, which will serve them during their stay in Heaven before the return of JESUS at the rapture, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10:

1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,

3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

4 For while we are in this tent (human body/earth suit), we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Christians will not be judged regarding their sin because JESUS said in John 5:24:

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

Yes, all will stand before JESUS but Christians have already passed from death to life eternal by their faith in JESUS. They have been redeemed by the shed blood of JESUS because they have placed their faith in HIM. Christians will receive rewards for obedient service.

Yes, life is eternal. All humans will live either in Heaven with GOD and JESUS or in Hell with Satan, his followers and the unredeemed. Will you live eternally with GOD through faith in JESUS in Heaven or eternally separated from GOD and JESUS in Hell? The choice is ours to make. I choose JESUS as my Savior. How do you choose?

The Bible is very clear; no person can earn his or her way to heaven. Eternal life is only through faith in JESUS. JESUS said it best in John 14:5-6:

5 "Lord," Thomas said, "we don't know where You're going. How can we know the way?"

6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Now back to our focus scripture. The Apostle Paul continues to relate to his experience.

5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

It is often difficult to speak of Spiritual events that take place in our life. But those who experience such events should share it or them. It does not mean that those who have experienced such events are more Spiritual than others. It just means they have had a glimpse of eternity and more accountable.

6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,

7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:7b-8:

7b Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.

Those having such experiences are not to think more highly of themselves. We are all sinners saved by GOD’S Grace.

8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.

Some of the time, those who have these experiences can get puffed up but the LORD keeps the person humble as HE did with Paul. To those HE has given much, much is expected.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.

10 So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

GOD is our strength and HIS grace is sufficient but a person must belong to HIM through the miracle of rebirth in the spirit.

Heaven is real and waits all who place their faith in JESUS.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9:

9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—

We have not seen, heard or conceived of what GOD has prepared for those who love HIM. Do not miss this! Give your heart to JESUS now!

Blessings!!!