Adversity and Eternal Glory

Adversity and Eternal Glory
2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Paul’s ministry, and ours, is to reveal the life of Christ to others.

For some of us, that can seem out of reach. It can seem to us that some teachers and the more devout and pious of our spiritual siblings appear to be effective at this task, while we ourselves face adversity, or have too many flaws, or simply don’t get out enough to reveal Christ to anyone.

This is a lie the enemy loves to tell us. He says we are not enough. He says our attitudes and actions have disqualified us. He says that we should just resign ourselves to being less-than, and anyway our bones all hurt and we really need to focus only on ourselves.

Fortunately, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “we are not unaware of his schemes.”

Therefore, since we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have this ministry through the mercy of God. God, in His great mercy, was patient with us when we were still His enemies. While we were still in our sin, He withheld judgment and gave us time to come around to seeing things His way. Had He not been merciful to us, we would have no Life. We could minister the Life of Christ to no one.

Ephesians 2:4–5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (NIV) He saved us and Acts 1:8 tells us that He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NIV)

From this we see clearly that we have a ministry. We are His witnesses. It isn’t something to which we must aspire. On the contrary, it is a matter of fact. What’s more, we are qualified for the job. In 2 Corinthians 3:5–6 we’re told that it’s “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (NIV)

Since we have this ministry then, how should we approach it and what can we expect as we do? We might be tempted to think that we need to use fine-sounding arguments. That we must become expert apologists for the Christian faith. That we must be erudite and use words that impress. (See what I did there?) While this is the way of the world, it is not the way of The Kingdom.

2 Corinthians 4:2 continues, saying, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

I’m very fond of this verse because it removes the pressure to perform. We do not need to be well educated and speak in the words of academia. We do not need to use subtilty or treat the Good News as though it were a list of superstitious rites or ritualistic and secret incantations.

As Paul says, “on the contrary.” We have renounced all that. Superstition and magic have no place in Christianity. We need not distort the word of God. Neither must we deceive people as if the Gospel were some sort of bait-and-switch scheme. Our role is to “set forth the truth plainly.”

People can see when we are being disingenuous. They know when something isn’t right, and they are being sold a bill of goods. When we speak simply and plainly, we may not come across as theologians, but it’s clear we are being genuine and that puts people at ease.

Lest we think that speaking directly about Jesus is the only way we minister the truth of the Good News to them, let me be clear. The characteristics of God have been placed in us. The fruit of the Spirit is part of who we are in Christ and as we grow and mature, we bear that fruit more readily.

Like most fruit, the fruit of the Spirit has an aroma. It’s the aroma of Christ Himself, and it wonderfully wafts from us whether we’re speaking or not. Just living our regular everyday lives and allowing Holy Spirit to direct our choices in each moment, ministers Life to those in our orbit.

As we all know, however, sadly not all will receive the message.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 clarifies why this is so. It reads, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Saints, our enemy is also the enemy of every person we meet. The bondage in which that old snake holds the world is heartbreaking. Rather than getting angry, frustrated, or offended, we do best to follow the Spirit of Christ within us and react with compassion. As our passage goes on to clarify.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

We are not trying to convince people how wonderful we are. It isn’t our role to change people or even to control outcomes. We manifest Christ. We live the Love of God in public so others can see it.

When we speak, we do well to follow Peter’s advice in 1 Peter 3:15–16. There, he says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (NIV)

Far from being told to stuff the Gospel down anyone’s throat, we are advised that gentleness and meekness are the way. Our lives point to Christ.

Our passage goes on in 2 Corinthians 4:7 to point out that “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

What a relief to know that the power for ministering Life to those around us does not come from us. It is not something we muster up. It is not a skill we must practice before we are qualified to participate.

That Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use clay jars to portray our role as containers of the Spirit of God is, well, inspired!

Clay jars are made of the dust of the earth, just like us.
They can have cracks and chips, just like us.
Some may look polished, painted, and beautiful, just like you.
Others may look rough, plain, and unsightly, just like me.

We are a lot like clay jars.

Within us lives the all-surpassing Power that raised Christ from the dead. This is the Power behind the Gospel and the power of God has placed that Power within each of us who is in Christ. Paul says this in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (NIV) The Gospel is the good news of the Treasure that we have in these clay jars in which we live.

All is not rainbows and unicorns in our lives, however. We often find that no matter how kind, gentle, and compassionate we are, we are met with unkindness, distain, even aggression. The next section of our text is focused on that.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

We face pushback. We are hard pressed. We are persecuted, struck down, and perplexed.

I bet this resonates with some of you.
No doubt there are some of you who have been treated unjustly by family or friends.
I’m confident some of you know what it’s like to be rejected without knowing why.
Very likely at least some of you have been told you’re hypocritical.
You may have had your failings thrown back in your face.

Whatever adversity you’ve faced, it is in this way that we carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies.

The good news is that though we may feel like it, we are not crushed. We are never abandoned, nor are we destroyed.

Let’s look into this further. Picking up now at 2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.”

Did you see that? It’s exactly like Jesus said it would be. In John 16:33 He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

This place in which we currently live is the kingdom called The Valley of the Shadow of Death. We are ambassadors here. While we minister to the people of this kingdom we live in this kingdom with them.

We who are in Christ are not exempted from the calamity, evil, and pain that characterizes this place. We are being given over to death for Jesus’ sake. While our eternal Life is assured, our mortal life can be ended and even if it is not, it can feel as though it has been.

As we live life in Christ, we sometimes find that the godly choices into which Holy Spirit leads us often result in our loss for the gain and growth of others. This is a selfless kind of life that puts the needs of others ahead of our desire for comfort, recognition, or worldly acceptance.

The spiritual fruit we bear is outward focused in large measure. Love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, even self-control are traits that benefit and bless those around us. Peace and joy, the remaining two aspects of His fruit, are more inward benefits to us.

So, in this unselfish way of living, we die to the fleshly desires of our life in favor of the godly desires and works of His life being lived through us.

So, take heart, saints! We are being given over to the death of our preferences, our comforts, our pride so that the Life of the Lord Jesus may be revealed in us.

Notice that the verse says that His Life is revealed in our mortal bodies. This isn’t just some ethereal idea we are presenting that people may or may not catch on to. Our very presence reveals the Life of our Lord. That’s why the responses we sometimes get are so vehement and harsh. It is the Lord Jesus they are actually rejecting. This what Paul is driving at in verse 12 when he says, “So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” (NIV)

Deep within yourself you know for sure that the very best thing for your loved ones and everyone around you is the Lord Jesus Christ. They all need Him. They all need Life. That’s why no matter how badly you are being treated, you just can’t shut up about this and you just won’t stop being loving, kind, and compassionate.

Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 “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.” (NIV)

Paul went through the same sort of things we all go through. He told the Corinthian church that he did it for their benefit so that the wonderful boundless grace that had been given to him would continue to reach more people and cause overflowing thanksgiving.

Romans 5:5b tells us that “…God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (NIV) With love that big poured all over our soft warm new hearts, how can it be prevented from overflowing onto those around us? The answer is that ultimately it really can’t and when it does, the grace of God will reach some people and cause thanksgiving to overflow, and that brings glory to God.

People can break off ties with us. They can leave. They can say awful things about us and block us on social media. Even if they do, the great love that is constantly being poured out into our hearts will not be stopped. We may feel unloving toward someone for a time, maybe even a very long time, but this will not characterize our lives. How can it? The one who has overcome the world lives in us. His seed remains in us (see 1 John 3:9) and we share in His nature. (see 2 Peter 1:4)

As Peter says in 1 Peter 3:17–18 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (NIV)

This is the good news about adversity. Look how Paul relates it in the closing verses of 2 Corinthians 4.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 “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.”

Whatever adversity we face in the body is light and momentary compared to the surpassing glory of the eternal effects knowledge of the Lord has on those around us. Yes, we may suffer it’s true, and none of us enjoys suffering. But we can look ahead. We can look to the eternal glory—the joy set before us—of knowing that we participated with God in drawing, wooing, and urging people to seek Him. Some will be saved, and we will rejoice over them with the multitudes in heaven.

We live in these jars of clay, and they are wasting away. We feel worn down and worn out by the evil, harshness, and persecution we find in the world. Paul can identify. In his first letter to the church at Corinth he wrote about the difficulty he endured in preaching the Gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:31 he said, “I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

But we are not without hope, and we are not without help. Jesus sent the Spirit to come alongside us and to be our helper. The One who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit Jesus sent to us.

Colossians 3:1–4 encourages us with this, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (NIV)

Romans 8:11 declares that “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (NIV)

In Isaiah 40:28–31 the prophet said it like this:
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)

For all these reasons, Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “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.”

When we are faced with adversity as we live upright and godly lives in this world, we can remind ourselves to change our mindset from earth to The Kingdom. We can remember that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. We can remember that we are ambassadors here—not exempt from the effects of the curse that lies upon this fallen world, but above them. Our future is sure. Our inheritance is secure. The One who guarantees it cannot falter. We are sealed in Him, safely kept until the day of redemption.