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2 Corinthians 4 concludes with a contrast between the growing power of eternity within and the slow decline of our outward "tent" of our earthly body. In doing so, Paul shares his secret weapon against "losing heart" with us!
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2 CORINTHIANS 4: 13 - 18
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
THE “ALREADY” AND THE “NOT YET”
We often speak in Vineyard circles of the tensions that exist between the kingdom of God will one day be fully consummated at the return of Christ and the way it is already breaking in to our life experience and environment now.
In a similar way, Paul contrasts the rising tide of eternity within our souls to the increasing physical deteriorations that go along with our being housed in earthly “tents”.
“THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART”
How are we tempted to “lose heart” in this life?
What does Paul want us to remember so that we are not so prone to do so?
1.Two things are mentioned: physical deterioration and the afflictions of this world
2.What is Paul’s “secret weapon” in overcoming these factors?
“FIX OUR EYES”
The text concludes with his urging us to “fix our eyes” on something in particular – the “unseen”.
This is a little ironic since he wants us to gaze steadily upon the invisible! But, yes, that is exactly what he is wanting us to do.
Why?
JARS MADE OUT OF CLAY
As we reflected in our Lectio Divina passage from last week – there is an earthly jar that contains a heavenly treasure in all of our lives.
If “the good life” is all about the jar (to the neglect of the treasure) it is a recipe for a tense and anxious attempt to preserve the unpreservable.
Rather, the path to the “good life” is to fix our eyes on the surpassing value of the eternal and to weigh our present troubles against the glory of that which “God has prepared for those who love Him”.
