September 7, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Corinthians 4 (NIV)
Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. , 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.…..Continue Reading
Sometimes as a parent we hear people say “if your kids don’t like you, you must be doing a good job!” and this chapter made me think of that from the perspective of my Christian walk. Not in so much that people will “like” us but that if we are truly living a life pleasing to God we should many and most times be in opposition to this world. We should be carriers of the truth (in love of course) but it would many time leave us at odds with friends and loved ones. Now I do not think we should be fighting with everyone we see but in reality if we are standing up for the things of God there should be discomfort and persecution in our lives but we have the hope that God will be with us through it all. Chapters like this remind us that Jesus didn’t have it easy when He was on earth and we have committed to share in His suffering so life should not be a rose garden for us either and if it is maybe we are not living according to His will as much as we think and are just letting the world’s ways become our default.
Ch. 4. Is there anything better than Gods word. Active and living. Paul talks about suffering during this life. God has left us incomplete. For great reasons. To rely on him. To remind us of our Lords sufferings. Keep us from pride. To look beyond this life God can show his power in our weaknesses. Can’t imagine going through life without knowing these truths.
Read chapters 4-13.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
What a powerful chapter this is. As we seek to minister the gospel, we need not do anything other than appeal to people’s conscience about the truth we profess. And yet we recognize the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. May we pray that eyes may be opened to see the truth in spite of the veil that satan puts in front of people. But for us we have the glory of God in us to sustain us in our challenges dealing with the world. And yet we have this great treasure from God in jars of clay to make sure we make it about who He is rather than who we are. Everything in this life is temporary and compared to this glory is secondary, so if hardship draws us closer to Him or causes the glory in us to shine brighter, then we should say, bring it on. And even beyond all this, heaven is always before us as the final consolation for what we face on the earth. And I could not say the principles better than Paul as he expresses them in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
2 Corinthians 4 done
2 Corinthians 3&4
2 Corinthians 4
“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.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.4.18.NIV
2 Corinthians 5
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.5.21.NIV
Oh boy, I just noticed that I’ve been commenting on 1 Corinthians, not 2 Corinthians oops! Well, at least I’m on the right track now…It’s important to evaluate ouselves and our motives throughout the day to be sure we are not doing things to build ourselves up or look good or please others but rather to do the things that advance the kingdom of God. And when we do this, we can be sure that we will not despair, be abandoned by God or be destroyed. As his grace abounds, and more people come to know him, God will receive more and more glory. So let us not focus on todays troubles, which are temporary and short lived, but focus on the eternal hope that we cannot see but will last forever.
2 Corinthians 5
2 Corinthians 6