The Spirit of Christ is Meek and Gentle on a Personal Level

2 Corinthians 10

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

• Bold in writing but meek and gentle face-to-face.
• Meekness and gentleness are not the same as being a “door mat.”
• We fight the spiritual battle not with worldly and fleshly weapons.
• The authority of the Spirit of Christ comes from within a person.
• In the Spirit of Christ, we are the same person in writing as in person.
• We do not compare our Christianity to the lifestyle of others.
• We boast within the boundary of the Spirit of Christ.

Bold in writing but meek and gentle face-to-face. “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.” 2 Corinthians 10:1 When we write a blog or whatever, we are not interacting directly with a person and do not know who exactly is reading the content. There is not a personal interaction with the spirit. That’s a lot different than interacting spiritually with a person face-to-face in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

When I see others face to face, I may not be able to share verbally one word from all the several hundred posts I’ve made, but I can always share the meekness and gentleness of Jesus Christ. That is the Spirit of Crist in us, as Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 While many are aggressive and harsh towards what we write, we would never engage in harsh and aggressive debates with them in person. Some might think we are not standing up for what we believe, but we are standing in the Spirit of Holiness.

Meekness and gentleness are not the same as being a “door mat.” “But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.” 2 Corinthians 10:2 Today, people judge spiritual qualities by worldly standards. For example, meekness and gentleness is considered being shy, introverted, backwards, weak, a “door mat,” not social, a coward, not assertive, etc. Christians are afflicted and persecuted for being “passive” by those who live by the standards of the mark.

When we are treated like a doormat, they find out that the Spirit of Christ does not passively conform to worldly standards. We do not “roll over” for them but instead we hold fast to Jesus. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.” 2 Corinthians 10:3 Although we are flesh and blood like the rest of the world, our fight is not physical, argumentative, nor full of debates. We are not fighting against humans, but we are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.

We fight the spiritual battle not with worldly and fleshly weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” 2 Corinthians 10:4 Carnal weapons consists of what is given by the thing that has the ability to form what we think, feel, and do. They give uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, extraordinary skills, amazing physical abilities, authority, etc. Those carnal weapons are given to those who live and govern by the mark of the beast. As followers of Christ, we live in the Spirit of Holiness through Jesus Christ and that is how we have the victory over this world. “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5 We have no need to argue and debate with those who deny God, discard the need for Jesus Christ, and trample on the Holy Spirit.

Those who live by the mark of the beast make themselves superior to the knowledge we have in God because they live by the thing that exalts itself above God, “…it opposes and exalts itself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that it sits as God in the temple of God, showing itself that it is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Disobedience to the Spirit of Christ is to allow our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to be contrary to the Gospel of Christ. In Holiness, that disobedience is punished because we are obedient to Christ, “…and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:6

By the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we are able to discern the thoughts and feelings imposed on us by comparing them to the teachings of the Bible and the Spirit of Holiness in us, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

The authority of the Spirit of Christ comes from within a person. “Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.” 2 Corinthians 10:7 We should not judge a person’s standing with Jesus Christ by outward appearances, not by social prestige, not by worldly success, not by the clothing that is worn, not by how much money they have, not by the number of possessions, and not by how attractive they are. The Apostle Paul didn’t have any of that because he gave it all up to follow Christ. He went from being a Pharisee of Pharisees to being put in a prison like a criminal. If we consider ourselves to be a Christian, then we look inwardly to see the Spirit of Christ in others.

Paul didn’t look like someone with authority, he looked nothing like the Pharisees at all, but he had the authority of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. “For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— lest I seem to terrify you by letters.” 2 Corinthians 10:8-9 The authority given through Jesus Christ, which comes through the Holy Bible and Holy Spirit, is to build each other up, not to tear each other down. Even though what is written in the Bible might sound terrifying, the personal relationship with Christ, other Christians, and while in this world is one of meekness and gentleness.

In the Spirit of Christ, we are the same person in writing as in person. “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 2 Corinthians 10:10 Many may see meekness and gentleness as being weak and meaningless for not physically and aggressively backing up what we write. “Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be will in deed when we are present.” 2 Corinthians 10:11 In the Spirit of Christ, we are the same person who writes what we write as we are in person. As the Spirit of Christ and His Holiness lives in us, we do not just surrender our Christian beliefs because someone is aggressive and harsh against us. We do not surrender our Christianity when we are afflicted. We will stand by the Holy Scriptures in what we write and in how we behave towards people when we are with them.

We do not compare our Christianity to the lifestyle of others. “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12 As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not compare ourselves with those in mainstream society which lives by the mark of the beast. They build up each other’s esteem by comparing how they each live by the mark of the beast. “All who dwell on the earth will worship it, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 It’s not wise to compare ourselves to other people, Jesus Christ is the only one we look to.

We boast within the boundary of the Spirit of Christ. “We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.” 2 Corinthians 10:13 Whatever we boast about, it will be within the boundary of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and especially for others who hold to the testimony of Jesus. That is a lot different than the world which boasts on behalf of the beast, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with it?” Revelation 13:4 Jesus Christ is able to make war with it and has already defeated it when He won the victory over sin and death.

“For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:14 Our authority does not reach beyond the Gospel of Christ, and we should not try to exercise authority beyond that. We would be overextending ourselves trying to manage the affairs of those who blaspheme God, have discarded the need for Jesus Christ, and trample on the Holy Spirit. “…not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,” 2 Corinthians 10:15 We do not interfere in what other people do, but we always have hope in building on the faith of Believers as well as hoping for the Salvation of unbelievers.

“…to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.” 2 Corinthians 10:16 We never take personal credit for what others accomplish in Jesus Christ, all glory and boasting goes to God through Jesus. “But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17 “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. ” 2 Corinthians 10:18 The only opinion that matters is the judgment of Jesus Christ.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1