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...in 2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
You can see through Paul's entire life
that the power of Christ dwelt in him.
It did not just come to visit once in a while
when he had a few bright moments
It dwelt there.
It was in his heart day in and day out.
That is how it was for him.
And in the Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of counsel and might.
Then we are abiding with Christ, on that downward path -
in His sufferings, in His death.
For example, think about your temper.
How many people really have victory over that?
It requires a powerful hatred and death to overcome your own temper
in the many circumstances of life;
not least when you have small children -
- then you notice it! You cannot overcome in an instant and suddenly become completely free.
You have to hate your own life!
And you have to stand with Christ on the downward path.
the way on which you humble yourself
if you are going to thoroughly overcome it.
Most people do not have victory. Their nature comes out.
When you humble yourself, you are on the path that leads upward
into His resurrection and into His glory.
Then you get the power of the resurrection in your life.
But you must acknowledge your own weakness and believe in the power of God.
When your mind is bowed and humble,
and you acknowledge the power of Jesus,
then it is also present in your life -
- then God allows salvation to come!
Then he saves you.
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul had learned this lesson in life.
He had been a strong man according to the flesh,
but he understood that in this he was powerless.
He came to an acknowledgement -
that he in that weakness had to believe in the power of God.
That is how it is for you and me as well.
You think about your circumstances and your issues, and how it is for you.
You see your weaknesses.
Now you must believe in the power of God.
For it is by faith that we overcome the enemy.