Dwell in the Word: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Contemplate these questions as you dwell in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18:

1. Paul paints a vivid picture of our bodies as fragile jars of clay yet treasures that demonstrate God's surpassing power. How does this perspective influence one's understanding of the human experience amidst the frailty of life? How might believers find solace and strength in recognizing their bodies as vessels of divine significance?

2. The passage emphasizes the paradoxical nature of affliction being light and momentary while also preparing believers for an eternal weight of glory. How can this understanding reshape one's approach to hardship and suffering in daily life? What practical steps can believers take to hold onto this perspective in the face of adversity?

3. Paul contrasts the transient nature of earthly things with the eternal value of unseen, spiritual realities. How does this contrast impact believers' priorities and perspectives on worldly possessions or achievements? What strategies can individuals employ to shift their focus from the temporal to the eternal in their daily lives?

Transcript:

 We have seen Paul talking about the salvation that we have and about how we were veiled from the truth, but God unveiled his glory in the gospel for us. The Holy Spirit gave us the gift of faith, and we have this assurance of salvation. But now Paul is talking about... This body that we have, uh, we, we talk about salvation, we talk about the assurance that we have in that salvation, but at the same time, things don't always seem so great here, do they?

I don't know about you, but I've had a little pain in my arm in the last week. Uh, did some exercises and, uh, I'm not as young as I used to be, this life, this body that we have is fragile. And that is what Paul is saying as we see here in verse seven, but we have this treasure in jars of clay.  He's calling it a treasure.

What clay jar is a treasure? A treasure is a big chest filled with gold and diamonds, uh, pearls, etc. That is what we consider to be a treasure.  But Paul says that these jars of clay are treasures.  Interesting. Our bodies are being described as a jar of clay, which means they're fragile. They can be broken easily.

What is he saying?  This is a treasure for us. God has given us this gift and what does it do? It shows us the surpassing power that belongs to God. This is failing. We feel it every day When you get up out of the chair and that that knee cracks, right? Little did you know that was a reason to give glory to God, but it is because it shows That the that the God that we worship the God who has given us salvation is able to give us eternal life He is able to restore these bodies He is able to take this fragile life and bring glory to it through Christ. That is the big idea here.

And even though we have these things that happen Notice what Paul says We're afflicted, but not crushed. Perplexed, not driven to despair. Persecuted, not forsaken. Struck down, not destroy.  Paul is making sure that we understand that these things can happen to us in this life. But ultimately God wins and so as we go down and we look at the heart of the matter here in verse 16.  We see that he says so we don't lose heart because even though this this body and even though the circumstances that we are in are things that show that this earth is wasting away  God is renewing his people day by day.

We are being renewed. Our inner self is renewed and so this momentary affliction and notice that he calls it a light momentary affliction. It doesn't feel light when we're experiencing it. But in the grand scheme of things, if we trust God, we understand that these momentary afflictions are light. And, you know, we should trust Paul when it comes to this, should we not?

It wasn't that long ago that we read through the book of Acts here in Dwell in the Word. Paul experienced some tough things, but yet he says these earthly afflictions are light.  But they are doing something. They are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory.  That whatever the light affliction we have now, there's a greater weight in glory.

We are receiving more, and it's beyond all comparison. And so, what do we do? He says that we look beyond the things that are seen.  And we look to the things that are unseen. Because the stuff that we see is fading away.  As much as we want to think about the eternality of the stuff that is in front of us.

Maybe not the eternality, but we think it's going to last a long time.  This stuff, this is, this is what matters. Well, that stuff is transient. It's passing away. When you and I are gone, the stuff that we value, chances are people aren't going to value too much. It's, it's passing away, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

We understand that the gift of eternal life is not something that you and I can physically touch. One day we will be resurrected. We will have physically resurrected bodies. Yes.  But it's not something we can see. We have to trust in what is unseen.  And we understand that God who is unseen is eternal. And so, we put our hope and trust in those things that are unseen, instead of the stuff that is fading, the stuff that is fleeting, the stuff that is transient, right in front of our faces.

We need to trust God and what He has done. And so, the application for us It is very clear, isn't it? In the face of all of the hardships that we face, in the midst of grieving, in the midst of persecution, in the midst of all of these things, it's really easy to focus on what is in front of us.  But we have to remember that we need to look to that which is unseen and trust God that what He has for us in eternity is better.

What we have now may seem like a lot, but ultimately it is light. He has prepared for us a weight of glory.