Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Saturday, December 27, 2 Corinthians 5 13

"For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you."

I do remember, when we first came to Jesus back in the early 70's, there were some who thought we were a little crazy. I remember some saying, "Why do you always talk about Jesus? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Don't you have anything else to talk about?"

For me, it was odd when they would say that, because I did talk plenty about other things. As a matter of fact, because of Jesus, I straightened up a lot, and became diligent in my studies as a high school student, cleaned up my act, was a better son, and I think a better friend, conscious of not offending others for the sake of Christ.

But Christ was definitely a part of nearly every conversation because, well, He is all in all, and, since "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:2), He is integral to everything in heaven and on earth.

When one discusses the concerns of this world, seeking answers, once you know the Savior, you know that it is He "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)

But Paul was in good company. They thought Jesus was crazy as well, even His family, initially: "then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." (Mark 3:21) Of course that changed, as we know His half-brothers were the writers of the letters of James and Jude. But it took the Resurrection to convince them, from what I read.

Paul had written in an earlier letter that this "foolishness" was a specific design of God: "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe." (1 Corinthians 1:21)

It is incredible wisdom. God brought the Gospel in such a way that the weakest of minds could grasp the simple statement: "Jesus died and rose so that a sinner like me can be forgiven and go to heaven." And that is one thing everyone knows, weak or strong minded. They know, when they look inside their hearts that God is perfect, they aren't, and they need to be reconciled somehow.

And the wiser they think they are in their own eyes, the more ways they can dream up to justify their sinfulness. But the simple know the meaning of Proverbs 3:7: "Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil."

I remember one line in the song "Fool on the Hill", by the Beatles. "He never listens to them, He knows that they're the fools". After I got saved, no matter what the writers may have had in mind with that line, it reminded me of the opening lines of Psalm 14 and 53: "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God.""

So, we see in the first half of this verse, that "if we are beside ourselves, it is for God;", "so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:5), and in the second half: "if we are in our right mind, it is for you", "Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory." (2:6-7)

And when the so-called "wise" turn to Christ, they realize how foolish they really were. They see, and cry out with the Psalmist: "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." (139:17-18)

For Christ speaks to the mind of a New Creation. And when the old is gone, the new "awakens", and realizes that only in the Presence of God is there real wisdom, and real life. And although the "waking" is made in a simple prayer of the heart, the vast knowledge of how God worked His Purpose out from the very tiniest of atoms to the vast universe is too much for even the wisest of minds to grasp.

And what a great comfort it is for every believer, the assurance that "I awake, and I am still with you." For He will never leave or forsake those He has called unto His own. And if you sense that tug, that longing, that calling, you can turn to Him as well, like a child to his Father, and He will point you to the Cross. But more importantly, to Him who was on that cross to reconcile you to Himself.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Memory Helps:

"For IF we are be SIDE ourselves, it IS, for GOD;
IF we are in OUR right mind, it IS, for YOU."

One of the easiest verses to memorize in this chapter: This is arranged in a little "couplet". Note: "if we are", "it is for". As you can see by the capitalized words, I've made a simple rhythm and a simple melody that I made up. But because I want to use familiar (relatively) melodies other than my own as an exercise for this chapter, I'll be trying to think of something during the day. For the time being, I'll be using my own to memorize it.

Hey, I just thought of one I can finagle because the first line fits, from Simon and Garfunkel's "El Condor Pasa", repeating the last part: ("I'd RATH er be a SPAR row than a SNAIL,"(a SNAIL))

"For IF we are be SIDE our selves it IS, for GOD." Then repeat that first melody line, skipping the "pick up"

"IF we are in OUR right mind it IS, for YOU." Try it!

Later, I also found "When JOHNNY comes MARCH ing HOME a GAIN, hur RAH, hur RAH" works even better, so take your pick!

A very simple word picture: Imagine you putting your arms around a couple of "yous", one on one side, one on the other, so you are "beside ourselves". Then point to God. After this, point to the "right side" of your mind ("right mind"), and point to out to "you". Should be pretty easy to grasp.

Of course, I am linking verse numbers, so my "memory character" will be singing between two Corinthian pillars and have rather large "5-fingered" hands. And for 13 I use Tiny "TiM" of "A Christmas Carol" fame, doing all of the actions (T=1, M=3, vowels fillers). That way I link the verse to 2 Corinthians 5:13.