2 Corinthians 4 - Rally Time
If you're feeling crushed by life, get fired up by this inspiring rally.
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2 Corinthians 4 (ESV)
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2 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.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 In 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.
5 For what we proclaim
is not ourselves,
but Jesus Christ as Lord,
with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For 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.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay,
to show that the surpassing power
belongs to God
and not to us.
8 We are
afflicted in every way,
but not crushed;
perplexed,
but not driven to despair;
9 persecuted,
but not forsaken;
struck down,
but not destroyed;
10 always carrying in the body
the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
11 For 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.
12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,”
we also believe,
and so we also speak,
14 knowing that
he who raised the Lord Jesus
will
raise us also with Jesus
and bring us with you into his presence.
15 For it is all for your sake, so that
as grace extends to more and more people
it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart.
Though
our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
17 For
this light momentary affliction
is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
18 as 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.
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Read previous DIG DEEPER posts on 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4 Summary
The first word of chapter four - therefore - should always trigger the question "what's the therefore there for?" In other words, on what facts do the conclusions being reached depend on?
In this case, the come from the last verse of chapter three:
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.
This amazing statement applies to your life in several ways:
Since this transformation comes to you by God's mercy, do not lose heart (v1)
This treasure is delivered to you in jars of clay (v7), referring to the fragile life we live now.
Life is at work in you now (v12)
Again, the critical instruction is repeated in v16: Do not lose heart!
Dig Deeper
Maybe you've been part of a team that was getting hammered in the first half of the big game, but then after an inspiring halftime speech by the coach, charged out into the second half and won the game. This chapter, and especially v8-10, makes a terrific halftime speech for our Christian lives:
We are
afflicted in every way,
but not crushed;
perplexed,
but not driven to despair;
persecuted,
but not forsaken;
struck down,
but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body
the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The One who raised Christ Jesus from the dead who will also raise you to Himself (v14)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Keep focused on what is unseen in this world and do the will of God (v18)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: