2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says...
Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, which read,
v.16 - Therefore we do not lost heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
This is the second time that Paul says that he is not losing heart in the face of persecution and opposition of sharing with them the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Even though he is getting "beat up for the faith" and his physical body is taking the brunt of it, his insides are rejoicing at the results of those answering the call of God on their lives.
As our "outer man" is decaying is our "inner man" growing? As I get older in my physical body and start seeing it not being able to do what it used to do or look as it used to look, am I noticing that my spiritual body is doing more than it used to do and look more and more like Jesus than it used to? One body is fading away but the other body is reflecting more and more of Christ. A physically old Christian, one who has been of the faith for a long time, should be displaying a greater capacity to display Jesus to the world because of the greater time spent with Him through His Word.
v.17, 18 - For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, which we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
This has been a couple of verses that I have used at funerals over the years. Paul is calling the persecution and opposition that he and his companions are facing as "momentary, light affliction" when you compare it to Christ and the cross and when you compare it to the glory of being in His presence in heaven. How do we see persecution in this way? We need to be looking at something else. We need to be looking at what is not seen now. We have to choose and we have to act upon the spiritual disciplines that keep our eyes focused on Jesus rather than the persecution lead by Satan through sin.
We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of time with the Lord privately in the Word. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of serving the Lord. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of praying to Him and for others. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of giving as worship to the One who provided all that we have and even the faith for salvation. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of corporate worship with a local body of saints that we can fellowship with, serve with, and practice the "one anothers" with. We will not being growing more like Christ in the inner man while the outer man is decaying if we do not choose and act upon the spiritual disciplines that keep our eyes on the things which are not seen yet.
"Lord, as I grow older in my physical body and as I grow older in my spiritual life may the decay of the one not affect the flourishing of the other. May I be more of a witness for You even though my physical capabilities are diminishing. May the impact be even greater as I get older because I am more focused on You than on myself. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.16 - Therefore we do not lost heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
This is the second time that Paul says that he is not losing heart in the face of persecution and opposition of sharing with them the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Even though he is getting "beat up for the faith" and his physical body is taking the brunt of it, his insides are rejoicing at the results of those answering the call of God on their lives.
As our "outer man" is decaying is our "inner man" growing? As I get older in my physical body and start seeing it not being able to do what it used to do or look as it used to look, am I noticing that my spiritual body is doing more than it used to do and look more and more like Jesus than it used to? One body is fading away but the other body is reflecting more and more of Christ. A physically old Christian, one who has been of the faith for a long time, should be displaying a greater capacity to display Jesus to the world because of the greater time spent with Him through His Word.
v.17, 18 - For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, which we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
This has been a couple of verses that I have used at funerals over the years. Paul is calling the persecution and opposition that he and his companions are facing as "momentary, light affliction" when you compare it to Christ and the cross and when you compare it to the glory of being in His presence in heaven. How do we see persecution in this way? We need to be looking at something else. We need to be looking at what is not seen now. We have to choose and we have to act upon the spiritual disciplines that keep our eyes focused on Jesus rather than the persecution lead by Satan through sin.
We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of time with the Lord privately in the Word. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of serving the Lord. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of praying to Him and for others. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of giving as worship to the One who provided all that we have and even the faith for salvation. We need to choose and act upon the spiritual discipline of corporate worship with a local body of saints that we can fellowship with, serve with, and practice the "one anothers" with. We will not being growing more like Christ in the inner man while the outer man is decaying if we do not choose and act upon the spiritual disciplines that keep our eyes on the things which are not seen yet.
"Lord, as I grow older in my physical body and as I grow older in my spiritual life may the decay of the one not affect the flourishing of the other. May I be more of a witness for You even though my physical capabilities are diminishing. May the impact be even greater as I get older because I am more focused on You than on myself. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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