13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”b Since we have that same spirit ofcfaith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:13-15)
Thoughts: We speak out of our belief. The world recognizes that there are Elmer Gantry types who are gifted speakers but shallow because they do not practice or believe what they preach. For Paul this is personal. He knows God raised Jesus and will therefore also raise us. It is personal. Everyone must make an individual decision, but each individual is a part of the group that follows Christ. We are called to be together- to encourage one another. So Paul is speaking about individual salvation- but more than that He is speaking about loving God and each other. When we come to God- and then come together there is "thanksgiving that overflows to the glory of God" (2 Cor. 4:15). We learn to be grateful for what God does for us as individuals and what God does for us as a group.
Prayer: Lord let my lips reflect my heart. May my belief bubble over so that I might want to say something to others about what is in my heart- your love.
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