John F. Macarthur - Strength Perfected in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Romans 5: 
1 Peter 4:10
James 4:6
2 Corinthians 9:8

Though sanctified I still am broken, temporarily. I live a broken life with broken relationships. I hope this reinforces the idea the no matter how mature I am in my spiritual journey, I will always be struggling. Let this come as no surprise. God is sufficient for me because He dispenses sufficient grace, shouldn't I act like this? the necessary power of grace and sanctification in His presence.

Paul wanted the corinthians to know that there was nothing within himself that could explain his success. Rather he defended his weakness, he acknowledged it as a reality. He gave glory to God and not himself. In fact he hated defending himself! He found it to be not beneficial because there was little scriptural verification to justify it. HOWEVER Paul has to defend himself in order to persuade the congregation he started into trusting false teaching.

God uses suffering to humble us, in a way God forces us to become weak so we may be kept reliant on Him. This is why He refused to remove physical from Paul, (i think it was physical????) 2 Corinthians 12:7. God gave Paul an assault from Satan, for the purpose to torment Paul so that he will not exalt himself. What we read in Romans 5 is that out of trials comes proven character, God wants His children humbled even to the degree where he even allows Satan to torture us to assist in our humility. God doesn't answer us by taking away our trials for that wouldn't grow us, but by increasing the grace! He gives us the sufficient strength to persevere the the painful humbling process. (2 Corinthians 12:9 "power is perfected in weakness"). As far as I know, Peter denied Jesus three times and was overwhelmed with regret and gratefulness for forgiveness. God humbled him through this because he was way too proud in the beginning and was probably unprepared to face the ministry that was waiting for him.

Usually the times in which the most intense prayer occurs is when we are overwhelmed with adversity. There is no one to turn to but God. God uses suffering to display His grace to us. God help

It's not the extent of my influence that matters, it's the character of it. If I want to be honouring to EM I must embrace humility. If I want to teach SCY boys how to be the spiritual leaders of the household I must embody King Jesus. It is through the death of my pride that I rise in the power of my weakness. Samson was strong in weakness, he destroyed the enemies of God. Joseph was strong in weakness, rose to save Egypt from drought. Job was strong in weakness and proclaimed God above everything else. I ask for relief, God gives me unrest and exposure. I ask for power, God gave me weakness.