Separation

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. – 2 Corinthians 6.14-18

I almost fear to broach this issue. The concept of Bible separation has been an issue that has been hotly debated and discussed in my lifetime. What does it really mean? From what and whom must we separate? How far does separation go?

I still battle with this. There was a time when separation was the considered by some to be the most important doctrine that we needed to observe. And it is important. That’s why we need to know what it is.

Paul speaks of some vital truths. We live in a wicked world. Sometimes we must choose to separate ourselves from that wickedness in a very clear cut way. We cannot be unequally yoked with unbelievers. We cannot be tied in such away that we must compromise our faith. We cannot, for example, tie ourselves in marriage with unbelievers.

All this is true, but I think that the clear lesson on separation is found in Jesus’ prayer for the church. It is obvious that Bible separation is important to Him. He prays that his people would not be taken out of the world. We can’t just pull ourselves apart from it and live on our own. Instead Jesus prays that we would not become part of the world and its way and manners and systems.

While we are out in the world may God give us the strength not to of the world.

Enlarged hearts

 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. – 2 Corinthians 6.11-13

Paul could never get it right. To some readers he was far too liberal. To others he was restrictive. Apparently some folks some folks were comlaining that Paul was putting too much of a burden on them with his talk of ministry and the hardships of the gospel.

Paul points out here that that is not the issue at all. His heart and his words were wide open and clear and not hidden. It was not those words that limited them. They were limited and restricted by their own words. Paul wrote this second letter to commend them, but they still were constrained by their guilt.

Paul reminds the people of somethings we too need to hear. Our Christian life should not load us down with weights and burdens and a heavy heart as we try and fail to match up to someone’s expectation, or even worse, our own expectation of us. God doesn’t want us in a state of discouragement and despair. He wants us to live in victory.

Nothing, but everything

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. – 2 Corinthians 6.4-10

The very last phrase here really sums up the whole saga of struggles.

Sorrowful, but rejoicing
Poor, but made rich
Having nothing, but possessing everything

Dr Suess put it this way – ‘it’s a troublesome world, all the people who are in it, are troubled with troubles almost every minute.’ I think that’s something that we allcan indentify with.

There is a kept word in Dr Suess’ quote – it’s a troublesome world, all the people who are in it…

There are some folks our there who have plenty of material things. Some have never felt like they are poor or like they have nothing. I’m not talking so much about those of in the west. The poorest of us probably has more than the vast majority of the world.

Even if we do have next to nothing materially though we still can take joy in the fact that we have what is important. Our eternity is secure. We have strength to carry us through this world. We have the daily mercies of God. We have His sustaining grace.

We may indeed have nothing – but praise God we possess everything.

Testing and God's power

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. – 2 Corinthians 6.4-10

Another purpose of testing and hard times is simply to let people see the power of God working in our lives.

Nobody like troubles, but everyone sees them. Sometimes they are seemingly overwhelming and impossible to get through. Sometimes they are more than we can handle. Sometimes we want to just give up.

Our goal in a trial is not to prove how good we are. It is the chance for us to show that we are willing to trust the power of God. Even more it is a chance for us to let the world around us see the power of our God.

Now, our flesh may not like to admit that we can’t handle it. We like to think that we an sort things out. There is nothing like a trial to prove to use that we can’t and to teach us the need to rely on God.

Testing and the word of truth

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. – 2 Corinthians 6.4-10

There are a lot of things we could have stopped and reflected on in this passage. We could have spent weeks here. I chose however to only pick out a few highlights.

One of these is the truth that we can find the way through our struggles is ‘by the word of truth.’

As I look back on our lives and the testings and struggles that we have been through and do go through I can look back and see that more often than not it was purely a matter of God’s word getting us through the trial. I can think of and recounts exactly what God gave me in His word the perfectly suited the trial I was in.

In the darkest days of ministry the Lord reminds us to ‘not be weary in well doing.’ In times of uncertainly and anxiety the Lord reminds us to ‘take no thought of tomorrow.’

God’s word is our place of comfort. It is where we need to run in times of fear and anxiety and distress. It is where we go when we don’t know where to go.

The word of truth is how we get by.

Proving ourselves in trials

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. – 2 Corinthians 6.4-10

Trials are just a part of life. We are never going to escape them. They come from everywhere. That leaves us with a choice – we can cry and complain and feel sorry for ourselves or we can learn how to deal with them and move on.

We need to learn that trials and tests are the chance to us to prove ourselves as servants of God. Trials makes us stronger as attested by James when he write that we should count it as all joy when we suffer various trials because they teach us patience and endurance and give us the ability to face trials in the future.

Trials can prove our mettle. Trials prove that we know how to depend on God during trials and it is that trait, the ability to trust God, that proves our ministries are real.

If we never suffered trials and everything always just coasted along how would we know the reality of our faith and how could we grow? Trials teach us to trust God, learn to be patient, and learn to trust Him more and more.

No offence

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: - 2 Corinthians 6.3

I see a lot of things and hear a lot about how people need to stop being so sensitive so and that people should not be so easily offended. There is a lot of truth in that. It does seem that folks in general have become very thin skinned and almost anything we say can cause offence.

Saying that, I think we do need to be careful not to just ignore it and take advantage of it. It seems like some folks just thrive on causing offence and then making fun of the one who is offended.

That is not God’s way for His people. We ought to be striving to never cause offence. We surely can’t avoid ever causing offence, but our goal should be that we never willingly or knowingly offend another and that if we do cause on offence that we are quick to make it right.

No Christian should ever look for a chance to offend.In fact, if we know or suspect we are going to offend we need to do all we can do to avoid it.

Why is that? Because we we cause an offence our ministry it going to be hurt. The gospel itself may very well cause an offence as people are forced to face their sin, but our words and actions should never offend.

It is easy to pass the buck and blame the problem of offence on the offended and sure, sometimes people do choose to find offence. Shouldn’t we, as God people though, do all we can do to avoid giving them a reason to find offence?

Co-workers with Christ

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) – 2 Corinthians 6.1-2

I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to have a lot of great co-workers in different jobs. I have also had some not so great co-workers. I once had a co-worker who wanted me to co outside and fight him. He wanted to beat me up. That’s sound very mature doesn’t it?

One of my favourite co-workers was a fella named Tim Watts. It been many years, but we used to work together for his dad’s heating and air conditioning company. I have to say that all of memories of working with Tim are pleasant ones. Our work was often hot or cold or dirty or difficult or demanding, but having a good co-worker could make even the worst day good. I remember one day on a particularly tough job when I was giving out yards about how tough it was to get things to go together. Tim popped us with ‘now Roger, let all things be done without murmurings or disputing.’ It cracked me up, lightened the mood, and we got the work done.

My co-workers at the Christian school were wonderful. We made a great team and many are still fiends. My current co-workers are not Christians, but we get along well and we make a good team. Our team of co-workers in our church make the labour so much easier than the days when we had to do nearly everything on our own.

No, with that truth, we look at this passage and we see these marvelous words ‘we are co-workers with Christ.’

As true as it is that good human co-workers can make tasks so much easier. It makes the intolerable or impossible seem possible. They share the load so we are not facing it alone. They can give us strength when we feel weak. There though we find out that as we go through life trying to serve the Lord and do His work we have the ultimate “Co-worker.’ Jesus Christ Himself is on our team! Here is there by our side sharing to work with us. He is there to share the work and encourage and lift us up and pick us when we are down and give us he strength we need to keep on going.

I am grateful for my human co-workers in the past and present, but I am overjoyed that Jesus says that we are His co-workers, striving side by side to see His work done in this world.

Christ became sin for us

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. – 2 Corinthians 5.21

Christ became sin for us. He knew no sin. Because He became sin for us all His righteousness is given to us.

I can hardly even grasp the reality of that great truth of that statement. Jesus, God in flesh, the righteous, holy, perfect, sinless Son of God literally became sin in my place. All the pain, all the penalty, all the shame of my sin was taken on by Jesus on the cross. All of my transgressions were nailed to the cross in my Saviour.

The modern hymn ‘The Power of the Cross’ I think captures notion:

Oh to see the pain written on your face.
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought every evil did.
Crowning your blood stain brow.

This the power of the cross,
Christ became sin for us, took the blame bore the wrath
we stand forgiven at the cross.

This is a deep theogolical truth that changes everything. In sin we were without hope, but because we He became sin we have hope and assurance.  My sin, oh the bliss, of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.

Ambassadors for Christ

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5.20

Ambassadors have been a part of history since the the first time two villages decided to interact with each other. As relationships between peoples have developed ambassadors have been sent back and forth to represent one community to another. They travel to act on behalf of their home country.

Here we are called ‘ambassadors for Christ’ to this sin darkened world. While all of us have a home country, that is not to be our primary affection. We are not called on to represent our country.

We are though called ambassadors for Christ, and THAT is an awesome responsibilty! When people see us how do we represent Christ on earth? Does our embassage here in on earth reflect well on my heavenly home? Do I appear as a citizen of heaven in this present world?

We all have notions of how people from certain countries behave. I am not going to mention them here, but they tend to be negative. The problem is that certain visitors live up the the unfortunate stereotypes.

What to people think of God’s kingdom when they see me in my day to day life?

Ministers of reconcilation

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5.18-19

What method would you choose if you were in charge of getting God’s message of the love of Jesus and reconcilation between God and sinner to the world? Surely we would do something big and something that could not be messed up, something spectacular maybe that could not be missed. Maybe flashes in the sky or nightly spiritual world-wide broadcasts.

But that’s not what God chose. We chose and option that may seem flawed to us. He made us the ministers of reconciliation. He has given us the job of reconciling sinful man to a perfect God. Actually, the work has already been done, but our job is to share the message about how to find it.

This is not just the job of pastors or missionaries or evangelists or any other kind of Christian workers. It is a job for all of us. We are ALL ministers of the gospel. Each of has places to minister that no one else may have. If we don’t minister to those God puts in our lives who will?

Does the love of Christ compel you and me to be ministers of reconcilation? How seriously do we take our task?

New creation

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5.17

Paul wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. However, he also wrote them by his own experience. Paul knew he was not the man he was before the Damascus Road. It was such a change that we even use the term ‘Damascus Road event’ to describe a totally life changed event.

That is what salvation should be for all of us. Salvation changes us. The old man passes away and a new creation takes its place. For me on 12 February 1974 the old Roger passed on and the new Roger was born. The new Roger still lives in the flesh, but he also has the spirit of God living in him.

The question we must ask ourselves is whether or not that kind of new creation in evident in our lives. Do we reflect that new man in Christ or do our everyday lives look just like the rest of the world?

When I think of an old man/new man experience personally comes to mind. My dad was a not a bad man before Christ. He provided for his family and did the dad things. But, to be honest, he really wasn’t an easy guy to like, at least from our experience as adults. It was hard to please him or get a positive word our of him.

Then he got saved and the new Art Parrow was not a lot like the old Art Parrow. My near dad was the kindest, sweetest, most patient man you could even hope to meet. You could hardly have recognised New Dad as the same man as Old Dad.

The question that we have to ask ourselves is whether our lives represent that new person in Christ. Have the old things of our life passed away. Have things in our lives become new?

Salvation makes a difference. We can’t argue that. Is my life different? Is yours?

With Jesus' eyes

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.- 2 Corninthians 5.16

Because the love of Christ compels us we learn to see others in a different way. Before Christ it is natural that we see other based on our own prejudices and biases and preferences. Those prejudices and biases are the result of our sin nature. Sin separates man from God, but sin also separates man from man.

Jesus told us that we are to love God and love others. His love knew no distinction among people. He saw all people the same – as sinners needing Christ. That kind of love should change us. We should see no one according to the flesh. We don’t see white or black or brown, We don’t see American or Russian or Iraqi or Saudi. We don’t see gay or straight or whatever. We don’t see rich or poor. We see men and women and boys and girls that Jesus died for. We see people who need a Saviour and that’s all that matters.

Once we are saved it is important that we see the world through Jesus’s eyes. We must learn to see the world as He does. When he saw the multitudes on the city we was not moved by those who rejected Him. He was not offended or put of by their sin. He was moved by compassion.

How do we respond when we see the multitudes acting like the world? Do we see them as souls Jesus died for or do we see them as a nuisance and a bother? When we see famous politicians we don’t like passing laws we hate, are we moved by our political agenda or are moved by Jesus compassion.

People need the Lord. All people. It is that simple.

Compelling love

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. – 2 Corinthians 5.14-15

Why do we do what we do? Why do we serve? Why do we strive to obey God’s word? Why do we want to love God and love others? Why do we follow Christ and tell others about Him? What motivates us?

There is only one motivation that will keep us going no matter what.

There are all kinds of things that motivate people. Riches, popularity, and fame and fortune are big motivators. Having the most stuff can be a motivator. Pride moves us. Peer pressure pressures us. Sometimes we can be motivated by good things like humanitarianism and the desire to be a nice guy can motivate.

All of these can be powerful forces.

But when it comes to living for Christ and serving Him we need only look back to His love to find our compelling force. Christ loved me when I was still in my sin. His love sent Him to the cross. We can only love Him because He first loved us.

When we look at a pattern for love it can’t be the love of anyone else. We can see examples and learn how to love through other’s love, but the test of our love is do we love like Jesus loves? How does His love change us?

Day by day by day as I encounter this world my motivation to keep on should be Jesus’ love for me. It ought ot change our I see the trials and testings. It ought to change how I see others and respond to them. It ought to change how I see the affairs of this world.

Does the love of Christ truly compel me?

The judgement seat of Christ

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. – 2 Corinthians 5.9-11

We must all appear before the judgement seat of Chirst that we may receive rewards for what we have done in the flesh, be it good or bad.

Here we have a passage that I still don’t totally understand. I don’t that our sins are not judged here – that was done and dusted when Jesus said ‘it is finished’ and when we put of faith in Him. We are saved, set apart, sanctified, and secure from that moment we accept Christ – He has taken on the judgement for my sin.

So what does it mean when we read ‘we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ?’ What does it mean by rewards both good and bad?

To be honest I am not sure about the details. What I do know though it that somehow we are going to be asked to give an account for how we have lived in Christ. What have we done for Jesus after all He has done for us?

No matter the details, the fact that our actions will be judged ought to motivate us to do all we can to honour Christ in this life.

Thank God that our eternity is secure. But let us strive to live lives now that honour Him and just Him with the details of the rewarding.

Absent from the body

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5.1-8

I first heard this passage in a Bible study in someone’s house when I was still living at home. It must have been about 1974. The basic idea still sticks in my mind after all these years.

Paul spends and extended time here talking about the reality that what we have here is not the end of the story. The ‘tabernacle’ we dwell in here is a temporary dwelling place. It is not a home of permanence. It is like living in a tent.

While we are in this present Tabernacle we may very well groan for better. In fact, as the years roll by I find myself groaning just about everytime I have to get up of a chair or out of the car. Our tents are wearing out.

While we are here we can’t see Christ – we walk by faith and not by sight. He is here, but we don’t sense his presence.

But one day – one glorious day, we will put off this tabernacle and be with Him face to face. To be absent from the body is to be presetn with the Lord. Then it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

So let’s just hold on till that glorious day.

Eternal

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 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. – 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

The last part of this verse is something that I think about all the time. It tells us to not look at the things we can see, but to look at the things we cannot see.

That’s one of those strange parts of serving Christ. Look at what you can’t see sounds like an impossibility doesn’t it. How can I look at what I can’t see?

The truth is that as Christians we live in two worlds. We live in this world, the problem with that is that this world is so stinking visible. We can’t avoid it. It is there right in front of our eyes from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night. It demands our attention literally all the time.

We also live in the invisible kingdom of God. We can’t see it with natural eyes. We have to look to it. We have to focus on it. We have to choose to set our affection on it. We have to choose to look to Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

The difference between the two is vital for us to grasp. One, the visible world, it temporary and fleeting. The other, the invisible, is eternal. At the best I can only hope for another 25-30 years on this earth. That ought to make me more aware than ever of the invisible world. I ought to be treasuring it more. The world, and everything in it, is passing away. My investment now needs to be on the eternal. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Sure, I still need to live in today. I have to feed and clothe and house myself, but my focus must be on the ever approaching eternity down the road.

Where is my focus today?

Looking at the invisible

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 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. – 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

Don’t lose heart – that’s Paul advice to the Corinthians.

‘Yeah right,’ might be there response, and ours, if we are not careful. ‘How do I not lose heart in the real world?’ ‘Things are tough. Sometimes stuff we go through may seem unbearable – how do I not lose heart?’ Our heartward man is perishing.

What we must keep in mind is that this affliction that we are going through is just for a moment when it comes to eternity. What we are going through can indeed be tough. It is so easy to see that because it is so obvious. It is front of us every day.

The eternal things are hard to see because we have to choose to look at them. We have to choose to spend time in God’s word. We have to choose to set our affections on things above, not on things here on earth.

I guess the best picture of this is Peter walking on the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he was fine. He got in trouble when he focused on the storms. We are told in Hebrews that we we run the race that we are given we need to be looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

It will indeed be worth it all when we see Christ.

Renewed

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 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. – 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

This is a very timely passage. Just last week I saw a video by Joni Erickson Tada celebrating the 52 anniversary of a diving accident that made her a quadriplegic. Her story is amazing and well worth following up by reading her biography of just googlin the story of her life. Her story has always interested me because she broke her neck almost exactly how I broke mine with damage to the same area of her neck.

Joni chooses this time to celebrate what God has allowed her to do since. She, more than most of us, understands the phrase ‘our outward man is perishing.’ Her injury and subsequent paralysis has taken a tremendous toll on her body. On top of that she has had a couple of bouts with cancer. Her video describes her perishing out self.

What she chooses to focus on though is that her inner self is being renewed day by day by day. As we age and our bodies start to break and wear out there is no excuse for our spiritual lives to fail. This is the time for us to press on to greater and greater things in our spiritual lives. God will keep renewing our inner selves as we depend more and more on Him and less and less on our flesh.

May I dedicate myself to the renewal of my inner man day by day.

Grace and thanksgiving

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. – 2 Corinthians 4.13-15

It is hard to understand troubles and trials. Most of the time they make no sense to us. One of the things that can keep us going through them though is this special knowledge that God who raised Jesus from the dead on day will raise us and present us to God.

Trials in this broken world are just part of a broken world. They are something that just comes from living here. We don’t escape them just because we are God’s children. Life is just tough sometimes.

We can be confident though that we will have God’s grace to get through the fight. God’s grace saved us, God’s grace will take us to heaven, and God’s grace will carry us through our current afflictions.

So God is due our thanksgiving. This broken world is always going be broken. We are not going to fix it no matter how much we try through earthly means. But we have God’s grace to see us through. Thank God that we have that grace as we look forward to better days ahead.

At the root of all this is the spirit of faith, trusting God to do as He says.

Knocked down, but...

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. – 2 Corinthians 4.8-10

From my earlier years I remember a professional (read fake) wrestler named Hulk Hogan. He was exciting and fans either loved him or hated him.  The thing I remember the most was when he was almost beaten. He’d be on the mat, somehow he’d throw his opponent off, make his way to his feet. He’d rip his shirt off and glare at his opponent. The other guy would try everything but Hulk would just glare. Finally Hulk would go on a rampage and quickly pin the other guy and win the bout.

Knocked down, but not knocked out.

That’s where Paul and his team found themselves. Hard pressed, crushed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down – but not defeated because they were happy to bear the body of Christ.

If anyone has really tried to fully serve the Lord you know what it feels like to be where Paul is. It seems like you just can’t go on. You’re on the mat and the count is about done.

But we need not quit. We have the power to allow God to lift us up and put us back in the fight.

Why? Well, Hulk had one purpose. The script was written to glorify him. In that we differ, he pick up and go on so that Christ might be seen in us.

Beaten up. Ready to quit. Tired.

Sure, but that’s the time to walk in God’s strength. Seeing we have a ministry. Seeing we have God’s mercy. We do not lose heart.

Earthen vessels

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. – 2 Corinthians 4.7

Earthen vessels. Jars of clay. Chipped tea mugs. Cracked pottery. Not very pretty on the outside. Just about ready to be thrown out. Seemingly useless.

Who would use that kind of vessel to do an important task? One would think that to do as serious a job as spreading the gospel. Only the best and most able and most influential people to do the job. God would use the wise and the strong and the powerful and the influential. He would use vessels of gold and silver and the finest material.

But God uses vessels made of clay. Things that are fragile and easily broken. Things that are prone to cracks and cracking and chipping and wear. If you use pottery daily it is probably going to get worn.

That’s what God uses in us. God uses the weal and the foolish and not less prestigious things to do his work.

Why does God use the unusable? Why does He flawed and broken people to do His work?

He does it so that people can see the power of God and be drawn to Him. God works in impossible situations in people’s lives because He is not willing that any should perish. He does so people will realise that He, not any man, can provide hope.

Let us rejoice that he chooses to use people like us.                                                                    

This little light of mine

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4.5-6

God said ‘let there be light’ into the darkness and His light broke the darkness. Jesus came into the dark world as the Light, but for the most part the world rejected Him. Now He sends us as lights into the world.

We don’t preach us – good thing, huh?

We preach that same Light we read about all through scripture. We preach the Light that God spoke out of darkness. We preach the Light that into the world. We preach the light that shatters the world of darkness that does not comprehend it.

We preach the light that has shone in our hearts to give light to those around us. We preach the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ.

But can we really preach that light if we are not walking in that light? We must ‘let our light shine before men so that they can see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.’

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let is shine?

Showing the truth

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. – 2 Corinthians 4.2-4

Lies, trickery, deceit, half-truths, innuendos. These are ugly, ugly words. Just reading them makes us think that these are things that should never be a part of the Christian’s life or ministry.

Sadly though we see a lot of that in the church and in ministry today. We can see tricks and gimmicks and deceptions to try and help people see their need of the gospel. We can use exaggeration and hyperbole to make the world look extra bad. I saw a video recently that tried to make every Disney film into some type of attempt to subconsciously pervert the minds of the child. In the past the same thing was done with rock music and other things.

We don’t need this stuff. It is often so absurd that it does more harm than good.

Instead we just need to simply speak of and manifest the truth of God in our lives. Only that is going to prick the conscious of man into his need of Christ. Only that will break though the veil that blurs men’s vision.

Just speak the truth. Just live the truth. Just be the truth.

Nothing else will work.

Seeing that we have this ministry

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. – 2 Corinthians 4.1

This is one of those passages of scripture forever inscribed on my heart. There are specific verses that God had used at specific times and in specific siutations where the Holy Spirit spoke them clearly and directly to my heart.

This is one of those verses that will forever stick in my mind. Several years ago I was out walking the dog while I was praying/complaining to God about some frustrations with our ministry here. More than once, I will have to admit, I have been tempted to just quit. All I could see that morning were my failures and weaknesses and such. So I was telling God about it.

Suddenly, as clearly as if He was walking by side the Holy Spirit used this passage to speak to my heart.

“Roger, I have given you a ministry. I have given you the mercy you need. You have a mission – don’t give up.’

I realised, not as a permanent change sadly, that I am where God has put meet. I remember the thought (from God perhaps) that I needed to love and focus on the people God has given to me to minister to instead of focusing on what I don’t have.

Jesus did not lose heart through His arrest and trial. He did not quit on the way to the cross. He loved me enough to finish His work.

How then can I lose heart when things don’t go the way I want? I have a work to do. God pours out his mercy on me fresh every day. How can I quit?

Being transformed

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 3.18

What do we glory in? We certainly live in a world that magnifies self glory don’t we? It’s easy enough for us to get caught in that trap. Before Christ the veil we have been talking about keeps us from seeing the reality of who we are and who God is.

In Christ though the veil is lifted. We begin to see what is really important. We see the vanity of self glorification and we see the joy of glorifying God in our lives.

Now, as time goes on and we grow in Christ, we ought to be in the process of being continually transformed from self glory to God’s glory. We are no longer focused on what makes us look good and instead focus on what makes God look good.

Notice though that the action here is continuous. We are in the process of being transformed. It is not a fait accompli achieved the moment we get saved. We need to ask ourselves whether we ourselves are indeed in the process of being transformed.

Liberty

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. – 2 Corinthians 3.17

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. In Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit we are free from the law and we are free from the power of sin in our lives.

Liberty is a wonderful thing. It is so, well, liberating. No longer bound we are free to live our lives. We didn’t get saved by our works and we can’t keep ourselves free by our works. We are free.

So what do we do with that liberty? A lot of folks seem to think that since we are free we can do just about anything we want.

That’s not the purpose of liberty at all. Our liberty is never to be used to serve and gratify our flesh. Our liberty is to give us occasion to love one another.

Under the law every move people made and every decision they took were limited by the chance they might violate the law. Sabbath rules may have kept people from helping the neighbour on the Sabbath. Food laws may have kept people from feeding the hungry.

Now through we have the liberty to truly ‘love God and love others.’ We don’t need to stop and weight every decision by whether or not we are going to break a rule.

The purpose of our liberty is to love each other. How are we doing with that liberty?

The veil is lifted

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. – 2 Corinthians 3.14-16

For decades God’s people had His word, but it was seen as Paul put it, through a veil darkly. Moses saw God through a veiled face. The Jews saw God through veiled hearts. Apart from the Holy Spirit the word of God can be seen and understood with human limitations there is still a veil there because the word of God is diving truth.

But, when people turn to the Lord the veil is lifted. Now the word of God makes sense because we have a teacher. The Spirit gives life through His word and the veil is lifted. Now we see our real selves, not ‘though a glass darkly,’ but in the light of the word of God clearly. Now we see the glory of God and we see ourselves in that light.

All now have free access to God. It is available for everyone. Jesus opened the door to salvation to all when the veil in the Temple was torn in two.

Thank God for the veil being removed!

The glory of ministry

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:   How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?   For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.   For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.   For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11

There is no doubt that the Jews knew there was glory in being God’s chosen nation. God gave the Jews His Law. It was enscribed in stone. It was their’s and there was a certain amount of glory in that. Those who did a decent job of keeping the Law could find some sense of glory in that.

The glory though is always going to fall short because it is based on our efforts and we are always going to fail. We are humans and sinners – how well can we really do?

Paul in the the midst of a tough time in his ministry. He says though, despite the hardships, that he has cause to glory.

Our glory does not come in success in the world’s eyes. Our glory comes in the very fact that we get to take part in the ministry of reconciling men to God.

Think about it – God allows us, sinners, to take part in His divine work of turning men from their sin to His love. We have the chance of sharing in the glory of presenting God’s message of salvation to a lost world. We get to be part of the greatest work which can ever be done.

The glory for us is not in the results – that it God’s. The glory comes in being able to take part. That ought to motivate us to keep on in our service for Him.

The glory of ministry

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:   How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?   For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.   For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.   For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11

There is no doubt that the Jews knew there was glory in being God’s chosen nation. God gave the Jews His Law. It was enscribed in stone. It was their’s and there was a certain amount of glory in that. Those who did a decent job of keeping the Law could find some sense of glory in that.

The glory though is always going to fall short because it is based on our efforts and we are always going to fail. We are humans and sinners – how well can we really do?

Paul in the the midst of a tough time in his ministry. He says though, despite the hardships, that he has cause to glory.

Our glory does not come in success in the world’s eyes. Our glory comes in the very fact that we get to take part in the ministry of reconciling men to God.

Think about it – God allows us, sinners, to take part in His divine work of turning men from their sin to His love.

Our sufficiency

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:   Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; - 2 Corinthians 3:4-5

In 1906 Charles Jones wrote a simple little hymn that is one of my favourites. It has a simple refrain which is a reminder of a great spiritual truth. Christ is our sufficiency. Christ is all I need. Here is a part of that hymn:

Jesus Christ is made to me,
All I need, all I need,
He alone is all my plea,
He is all I need.

Wisdom righteousness and pow’r,
Holiness forevermore,
My redemption full and sure,
He is all I need.
What though, does this actually mean. It sounds great, but is Jesus really all we need?

Obviously, in a physical sense there is more we need. We need food and drink and shelter and raiment. We need others in our lives.

What Paul is talking about here is what we need to carry us through all of the realities of life today no matter what the circumstances.

How do we get through this life? We depend on the sufficiency of Christ, on His strenght and His power and His direction. When it comes to our view of eternity Christ really is all we need to get through these present struggles.