A Thorn In The Flesh

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Noblemen

Senior Member
Jan 14, 2018
498
149
43
#1
Have you ever wondered why God may have healed a certain circumstance but left others.
If your like me and thought if "I could get healed of this I could do more for the lord."
You have to look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-11, to see how the lord handled Paul.
When Paul, in his mind, needed healing more than ever, God was using it to remind Paul he had recieved a great revelation and God was going to remind Paul dailey.
If you look at the great Old Testament saints such as; Abraham or Moses, King David, even Jonah, none of them had a thorn in the flesh.
It wasn't necessary because of the relationship of Old Testament saints to God, and they all failed God.
All they had was a people to God relationship.
I suppose this is the way many in religion are because they have never been born-again.
If you like the grace message you must understand there are two sides to the coin.
One side says we simply believe unto salvation, and the other side is; you will have a thorn in your flesh.
Grace can be the hardest thing you can endure as a Christian.
We judge grace as a life of self living, going my way of anything I want.
That is a lie, grace converges on you dailey to live what you know, your Father will hold you accountable for what you know and expect you to live it.
Seems the law will be easier for you to live because you can just confess, and go back to that life.
To those that say my faith has kept me from all these trials, you should check yourself because if you are free from trials and afflictions in this life you are not growing in Grace and knowledge.
There is no need for a thorn in your flesh.
I have set with those through the years and shared the message of grace, some have said they could not do that.
They loved their life more than the Christ in them.
The pure Grace message is based on a love affair between the believer and the Christ in them.
The good news is we can repent of that kind of life and begin to understand grace and form a love relationship with the Christ in you.
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,585
3,616
113
#2
I have a different take on the thorn..

What was placed upon Jesus while he was on the cross?
Answer:: The sins of the world..

What was upon Jesus while He was on the cross?
Answer: A crown of Thorns.....

What did the Crown of thorns Represent?
Answer: The sins of the world..

So what was the thorn in the side of Paul?
The one that God would not remove?
The one that prevented Paul from becoming puffed up:

2 Corinthians 12: KJV " 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."

Why did God say about it "" My grace is sufficient for thee ""
Why did Paul need the grace of God to cover the thorn..
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
#3
I view the "thorn in the flesh" in another way.

Paul before His conversion as Saul followed what is called a "law of the fathers" or what the Catholics call "apostolical succession". This is following after a false zeal for knowing God. According to that false zeal Saul walked by sight after the oral traditions of the fathers. Killing what he thought was the competition as in out of sight out of mind. This was as if the Kingdom of God came by observation.

When on one of his missions to murder the Christians because he was serving a law of men and not the law of our father in heaven Paul heard a sharp opposing voice below

Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Pricks are as thorns . Thorns are that which is used to represent the letter of the law that kills or the curse of the law . The law of God in respect to our father in heaven was pricking the conscience of Saul to give Saul the proper manner of the law in respect to the "law of faith" the unseen . The law which brought the grace of God. Paul then joined those he was persecuting after as the proper manner, "walking by faith" in respect to all things written in the law and the prophets (sola scriptura)

A thorn in the flesh is the law of God pricking the dead conscience of men.

Better things accompany salvation like the redemption of our souls, the blessing of God

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.Hebrew 6:7-9