Light and Treasure

Today I was reading from 2 Corinthians 4, finding it an interesting chapter to read. it's one of those things that I like about following a bible reading plan, I read books of the bible that I am not as familiar with. Gives me more knowledge of the Lord I serve. And that is always a good thing.

Anywho... back to chapter 4.

This chapter starts off with a connector word "Therefore". this means we have to understand what comes before it, to know the importance of what comes after it. In chapter three Paul talks about how his ministry is seen through those he teaches.

And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

he goes on to say, how we are being changed by God. God changes people through the work that he calls us to do.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

So therefore.....Starts chapter four.

We know that we have our ministry because of the mercy of God. So we should not lose heart in what we are doing.

Since we should not lose heart and since our ministry is from God....

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

Those who will hear our message from God, will hear our message from God. God will make sure it reaches the hearts and minds of his people. The message is only veiled from those who

are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

After all, what we teach is not something that we have made up. We teach Christ!

5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Did you know that we possess (because we are the Lord's) a treasure. Christ is in us. He lives with us. Our frail human bodies carry this treasure of God with us. Because of this treasure, we can be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and so forth, and not be destroyed! The Lord God sustains his people.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.

This means that, the more grace is extended towards us, the more God's glory is seen.
It means that we don't need to lose hope or heart.
Even when things are tough, we know that Christ is still within us. Strengthening us. Helping us. Keeping us from despair, from being crushed, from being forsaken, from death.

What we go through now, merely prepares us for

an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Wow!
This is the God that we serve.
He helps us all the time. Keeps us from getting bogged down by the events of life.
So that even when it feels like everyone is beating up on us, he is still there.
Keeping us, helping us, sustaining us.

May all the glory be to him!