2 Coríntios 4
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 4:1-2
Wiersbe writes that "A discouraged Methodist preacher wrote to the great Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, to ask his counsel. Should he leave the ministry? “Never think of giving up preaching!” Whyte wrote to him. “The angels around the throne envy you your great work!” That was the kind of reply Paul would have written, the kind of reply all of us need to ponder whenever we feel our work is in vain. Unmistakable Success - What would you think of a baseball player who played seven seasons without hitting the ball in fair territory? One of the best players of all time, Mickey Mantle, did the equivalent of that. His walks and strikeouts add up to more than 3,400 trips to the plate—seven seasons’ worth. Or what would you think of an inventor who failed hundreds of times in his experiments? Thomas Edison, perhaps the greatest inventor in American history, spent many long months failing before he found a filament that would stay lit in his incandescent light. The lesson behind these experiences is clear: We have to look beyond failures and keep persevering. I can’t think of a better example of someone who persevered despite apparent failure than the apostle Paul. His list of failures would lead most of us to quit. For one, the people in a church he founded in Corinth stumbled badly. For another, he went to prison numerous times. Throw in the shipwrecks, beatings, and betrayals (2Co 11:23, 24, 25, 26 27), and you could have a picture of defeat. Yet Paul’s ministry is remembered for its unmistakable success. Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of clouds of doubt, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit— It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit. —Piggott Success often rises out of the ashes of failure. Are You Weary? - I read a story about a pastor of a small, rural church in Scotland. He had been forced out by his elders, who claimed they saw no fruit from his ministry. The village in which the pastor served was a difficult place. People’s hearts were cold and hostile to the truth. During the time the pastor served, there had been no conversions and no baptisms. But he did recall one positive response to his preaching. When the offering plate was passed during a service, a young boy placed the plate on the floor, stood up, and stepped into it. When asked to explain, he replied that he had been deeply touched by the minister’s life, and while he had no money to give he wanted to give himself wholly to God. The boy who stepped into the plate was Bobby Moffat, who in 1817 became a pioneer missionary to South Africa. He was greatly used of God to touch many lives. And it all started with that small church and the faithful work of that unappreciated pastor. Keep me faithful, keep me grateful, This my earnest plea each day! Keep me serving, keep me telling Of His love while yet I may! —Thiesen A fruitful harvest requires faithful service. Paul Apple - PREPARATION SKIT: Here is a simple skit to introduce today’s topic .. with apologies to C.S. Lewis – The Screwtape Letters -- The Setting: Satan’s war room – He is discussing his battle plans with his top advisors – The Topic: How to stop the rapid growth of the first century church The Strategy: Get the Apostolic Leaders … especially the Apostle Paul who has proven really effective … to quit the ministry Satan: I think we have the right strategy … Jesus might have made a huge blunder … all that time He spent in ministry and He only developed 11 key leaders to kick off his church … It’s easy to see where we need to attack … it was good we got our mitts on Judas and had an inside mole … at least we could track what was being planned Demon 1: Yeah, boss … but what about that Saul guy …. He came out of the blue … really surprised us … and look at how effective he’s been … I thought he was going to be a big time player for us … He had that persecution thing down real good … the disciples were so shook up they had a hard time believing he had flipped! Satan: That WAS a shocker … but if he quit on us maybe we can make him quit on Jesus, too … maybe he just doesn’t have the perseverance to hang in there when things get tough … We have to figure out how to discourage him and make him back off his ministry .. We could just let him burn out on his own … a lot of people start off a ball of fire and just fizzle out after awhile .. but he’s too strategic a leader for us to leave alone … we need to go after him aggressively Demon 2: I don’t know if that’s going to work … we’ve already shot a lot of our best ammunition at him … Remember what we’ve tried already?? - The prison deal is usually a good tactic for educated folks like Paul … they don’t usually like being locked up with the riff raff of society … but he keeps turning it into another episode of “Unshackled” … preaching the gospel and sending out missionaries like prison is their home church .. plus all that singing and worship time … we were losing some of our best people . . . That Prison Fellowship Ministries has been a real pain in our side Demon 3: That’s why we decided to get physical with him - The Jews didn’t need much encouragement to haul him into the synagogue and administer their Friday night special = 39 lashes .. but it didn’t seem to phase him … I thought we finally had him with that stoning incident … but somehow he lived through Satan: What are his weak points … What scares him the most … We need to do some more research and discover his Achilles heel Demon4: We had a source that told us he was deathly afraid of the water … so we had him shipwrecked three times … but it turns out he was an undercover lifeguard … no problems there … we ditched that source … Demon 5: We found somebody else who had heard that he was terrified of snakes … but that didn’t seem to bother him either. . . he just shook it off . . . the natives ended up thinking he was a god … I don’t know what to try?? Satan: We’ve been going about this all wrong … He just gets stronger when he faces obvious evil … We need a more subtle approach … one that will sneak up on him and hurt him from the inside … Let’s plant some false disciples and attack him from inside the church… We will use some real leader types … guys with a lot of charisma and speaking ability … guys that are very persuasive … maybe some lawyers that we have sitting around just trying to get those Christians to sue one another and divorce one another Demon 1: But how can they say anything against Paul that the church would believe?? He’s beyond reproach … his character is well known … Satan: Let’s infiltrate that Corinthian group … they have a lot of immature believers … it seems they argue among themselves about everything … For a lot of them, Paul’s not even their favorite speaker … Here’s our plan 1) First, We will attack Paul’s character by saying that he is trying to profit by building up a kingdom for himself – at least the city government workers should understand what we’re saying 2) Secondly, we will attack his message – you know he keeps talking about that grace stuff like you don’t have to follow Moses and the law and you can live however you please …. We can really go after him there – We’ll call our legalistic message the gospel as well and use a lot of the same terminology … that should confuse them 3) Thirdly, we will accuse him of not being very productive or effective – I know some specific examples where he preached for an hour and no converts at all … that doesn’t look good for him 4) Finally, let’s question his fitness to be an apostle – we’ll have our guys claim to be apostles as well and muddy the waters – how can you tell the true from the false .. it will be just as easy as our campaign last year to pass off counterfeit denarii .. we made a mint off that scheme That should finally discourage him … imagine all that sacrifice he’s made and now he has his own people turning against him and questioning his authority … Why wouldn’t he just throw in the towel and give up the fight??? 2 Corinthians 4:2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (NASB: Lockman) Greek : alla apeipametha (1PAMI) ta krupta tes aischunes, me peripatountes (PAPMPN) en panourgia mede dolountes (PAPMPN) ton logon tou theou, alla te phanerosei tes aletheias sunistanontes (PAPMPN) heautous pros pasan suneidesin anthropon enopion tou theou. Amplified: We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man’s conscience. (Lockman)
2 Coríntios 4:5-6
Wiersbe - What happens when you share Jesus Christ with lost sinners? The light begins to shine! (In 2Co 4:6) Paul compared conversion to Creation as described in Genesis 1:3. Like the earth of Genesis 1:2, the lost sinner is formless and empty; but when he trusts Christ, he becomes a new creation (2Co 5:17-+). God then begins to form and fill the life of the person who trusts Christ, and he begins to be fruitful for the Lord. God’s, “Let there be light!” makes everything new. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Paul's passion was proclamation of a Person as he explained to the saints at Colossae. He knew that every false teacher and every cult seeks in some way (often quite subtle) to deny, denigrate or pervert the truth about Christ and so he said... We proclaim (kataggello not kerusso - present tense = continually) Him (Christ - Col 1:27-+) admonishing (noutheteo = warning - present tense = continually - we continually need this!) every man (note repetition of Greek "pas" 4x in v28 = all, every = no exceptions!) and teaching (again present tense) every man (no favorites - we all have the same need...Jesus!) with all (OT and NT) wisdom, that we may present every man (Note: Paul is not being chauvinistic - This does not apply just to the male gender but to all believers! cp Col 3:11-+ Ga 3:28) complete (teleios = reaching the goal = spiritually mature = Christ-likeness) in Christ. 29 And for this purpose also I labor (kopiao continually, to the point of exhaustion), striving (agonizomai - continually) (How is it possible for Paul to accomplish this task?) according to His power (dunamis), which mightily works (energeo in present tense = continually) within me (Don't miss this axiomatic spiritual dynamic - We work, He works in and through us as we work - it is not just "let go, let God", it's more like "let's go and let God"). (Col 1:28-+, Col 1:29-+) As Lord - We don't "make" Jesus Lord. He is Lord of all, period. His Lordship deserves our total obedience (enabled by His Spirit Php 2:13NLT-+). When someone receives Him as Savior, they receive "all" of Him and that includes the fact that He is Lord (cp Ro 10:9, 10-+). And remember that it is not by accident (but by inspiration) that the NT writers refer to Jesus as Lord more frequently than by any other title! Case closed! Paul gives a dramatic contrast using two antithetical terms Lord and bond-servants.
2 Coríntios 4:5-6
Wiersbe: What a paradox: free from all men, yet the servant of all men! “Ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2Co 4:5). Because he was free, Paul was able to serve others and to set aside his own rights for their sake. It is unfortunate that the phrase “all things to all men” (1Co 9:22) has been used and abused by the world and made to mean what Paul did not intend for it to mean.Paul was not a "chameleon " who changed his message and methods with each new situation.Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. He was an ambassador, not a politician! (Bible Exposition Commentary) Joseph Beet - As a servant or slave toils not for his own profit, except indirectly, but for his master’s, so Paul puts forth all his powers, forgetful of himself, to advance the highest interests of his readers. (2 Corinthians 4 Commentary) Matthew
2 Coríntios 4:7-9
Wiersbe: The important thing about a vessel is that it be clean, empty, and available for service. Each of us must seek to become "a vessel unto honor, sanctified [set apart], and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2Ti 2:21). We are vessels so that God might use us. We are earthen vessels so that we might depend on God's power and not our own. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Kent
2 Coríntios 4:7-9
Wiersbe - Romans 8:17 says that "we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." We do everything we can to shield babies from suffering. If a baby starts to suffer, we drop everything to make that baby comfortable. But God allows His children to suffer because we aren't babies. He is treating us as adults. We need suffering because it builds character. We need suffering because it builds spiritual muscles. Suffering teaches us much about the grace of God, and suffering prepares us for future glory. "We share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Ro 8:17). God gives us the privilege of suffering because He wants us to grow up. The ultimate privilege of life is to be entrusted with God's glory. God puts us through suffering that He might be able to share His glory with us. That is an amazing thing! Are you living up to your privileges? If you are a Christian, you have been adopted, you have an adult standing in the family of God. With this standing comes responsibility. We don't run away from suffering. We don't waste our inheritance. We are sure that we are born again, and we share this with others. We have the privilege of speaking to and for God and the freedom of walking with God. What privileges we have! Vance Havner - I love the old folk melody that says: "You must walk that lonesome valley, you must walk it by yourself; nobody else can walk it for you, you must walk it by yourself." But it begins by saying that Jesus walked His Lonesome Valley and it comes to a victorious finish by affirming that He is walking by our side. Not even He can walk that valley for us, but He can walk it with us. He assured us, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." No one, not even the Lord, can assume our responsibility to walk our valley, but sometimes precious human companionship helps make it less lonely and our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. Lonesome Valley! He doesn't walk it for us, but He does walk it with us!… The wealthiest man is he who has suffered most for Christ. Today many wear medals, but few wear scars. If you have no wounds to show, you probably have not been in many battles, only to dress parades on Sunday! Suffering can do several things in the life of a believer. First, it can “burn out the dross,” or purify us and lead us to greater holiness of life. But it can also “burn in the promises,” or lead us to a closer dependence on God and his faithful promises to us. Burn it will—but look also at what the burning is for. You may explain to a child all the medical reasons why he must have a shot in the arm, but when the nurse gets ready to plunge that needle into his arm, he runs to Mommy. Comfort comes not in always knowing the reason why, but in knowing the Comforter. There are many benefits in knowing a foreign language. One of the chief benefits lies in the increased ability to understand and be understood. If a person knows only one language, he is tempted to think that everything he communicates is understood. However, if forced to translate an idea into another language, he must consider various possible words to use and their shades of meaning as well as all of the other elements of the language. This effort opens up a door, allowing him to communicate with many new people. Suffering is like knowing a foreign language, since things that one usually takes for granted in a normal flow of life must be thought through in new ways in a time of suffering. For those who have lived with suffering, a door of ministry is opened wide to a world of hurting people.
2 Coríntios 4:7-9
Wiersbe writes that persecuted (dioko) "it carries the idea of intense endeavor. The Greeks used it to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A man does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games. He becomes a winning athlete by getting into the game and determining to win! The same zeal that Paul employed when he persecuted the church (Phil. 3:6), he displayed in serving Christ. Come to think of it, wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians put as much determination into their spiritual life as they do their golfing, fishing, or bowling? In some of his last words to Timothy Paul described his desertion by men but not by God writing At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted (egkataleipo) me; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2Ti 4:16-18+) Ray
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Wiersbe: Jesus used the image of a seed to illustrate the great spiritual truth that there can be no glory without suffering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender. Of itself, a seed is weak and useless; but when it is planted, it “dies” and becomes fruitful. There is both beauty and bounty when a seed “dies” and fulfills its purpose. If a seed could talk, it would no doubt complain about being put into the cold, dark earth. But the only way it can achieve its goal is by being planted. God’s children are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but they have life in them, God’s life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to “plant us.” We must die to self so that we may live unto God (Rom. 6; Gal. 2:20). The only way to have a fruitful life is to follow Jesus Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. In these words, Jesus challenges us today to surrender our lives to Him. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament. 1989. Victor)) THE MARK OF TRUE MINISTRY NOT STARS, BUT SCARS In light of what it cost Paul, Warren Wiersbe makes an cogent comment "It has been my experience that many churches are ignorant of the price a pastor pays to be faithful to the Lord in serving His people. This section is one of three sections in 2 Corinthians devoted to a listing of Paul’s sufferings. The other two are 2Co 6:1-10 and 2Co 11:16-12:10. The test of a true ministry is not stars, but scars… How can we keep from giving up? By remembering that we are privileged to have the treasure of the Gospel in our vessels of clay!"
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Wiersbe comments that "Sometimes God permits our vessels ("clay pots" 2Co 4:7) to be jarred so that some of the treasure will spill out and enrich others. Suffering reveals not only the weakness of man but also the glory of God. Paul presented a series of paradoxes in this paragraph (1Co 4:7-12): earthen vessels—power of God; the dying of Jesus—the life of Jesus; death working—life working. The natural mind cannot understand this kind of spiritual truth and therefore cannot understand why Christians triumph over suffering. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament. 1989. Victor) Mortal (2349) (thnetos) means that which is subject to death, destined to die (the destiny of everyone because of Adam's sin - Ro 5:12). It is interesting to note that in the ancient Greco-Roman "the basic difference between humans and deities relates to the mortality of the former and the immortality of the latter" (BDAG), except that their "gods" were really no gods at all, demonstrating the utter foolishness of rejecting the clear natural revelation of the Creator (cp Ro 1:22, 23). Thnetos - 6x in 6v in the NAS and all are rendered "mortal" in the NAS. Romans 6:12+ Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, Romans 8:11+ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 1Corinthians 15:53+ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:4+ For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Flesh (4561)(sarx) can have several meanings in Scripture depending on the context but in this context clearly refers to the physical body. 2 Corinthians 4:12 So death works in us, but life in you. (NASB: Lockman) Greek : hoste o thanatos en hemin energeitai, (3SPMI) e de zoe en humin. Amplified: Thus death is actively at work in us, but [it is in order that our] life [may be actively at work] in you. (Lockman)
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Wiersbe - If we die to self, it is so that the life of Christ might be revealed in us. If we go through trials, it is so that Christ might be glorified. And all of this is for the sake of others. As we serve Christ, death works in us—but life works in those to whom we minister. Death (2288) (thanatos from thnesko = to die) describes a permanent cessation of all vital functions. In this context Paul speaks of death as a picture of the suffering and afflictions he is experiencing for the sake of Christ. Death speaks of a separation (as of the soul from the physical body). Spiritually, death describes separation from God (Jn 5:24). The second death (eternal damnation in the Lake of fire) (Rev 2:11, Re 20:6). Works ( 1754)(energeo from en = in + érgon = work. English = energetic) means to work effectively to cause something to happen. To energize, to operate, to work effectually in. It means power in exercise, and is used only of superhuman power. To work energetically, effectively and/or efficiently. To put forth energy. To be at work. To produce results. Energeo describes active, efficient, effective working. Paul is saying that the power of God's word exerts effective, energetic power in believers. This activity put forth in an individual energizes him to the doing of certain things intended by the one who is doing the energizing. Life (2222) (zoe) in Scripture is used (1) to refer to physical life (Ro 8:38-+, 1Co 3:22, Php 1:20-+, James 4:14, etc) but more often to (2) to supernatural life in contrast to a life subject to eternal death (Jn 3:36, see all 43 uses of "eternal life" below). This quality of life speaks of fullness of life which alone belongs to God the Giver of life and is available to His children now (Ro 6:4-+, Ep 4:18-+) as well as in eternity future (Mk 10:30, Titus 1:2-+ on Eternal Life). Some commentators like Guzik feel that some of what Paul was saying in this last section had a touch of irony (I'm not sure about this interpretation but will mention it for your pondering) -- Here is the irony. The Corinthian Christians despised Paul because of his great sufferings, and because of what they thought was their great lives of “victory.” But they did not see that their lives of victory were only made possible because God had made Paul such an effective servant through suffering! (2 Corinthians 4) Henry Alford (I agree with his assessment) argues against the ironic sense noting that "Chrysostom., Calvin, al., take the verse ironically, "so we have all the danger, and you all the profit:", but such a sentiment seems alien from the spirit of the passage. Meyer, as unfortunately, limits zoe to natural life, whereas (as above) the context plainly evinces spiritual life to be meant, not merely natural. In Ro 8:10, 11, the vivifying influence of His Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is spoken of as extending to the body also; here, the upholding influence of Him who delivers and preserves the body, is spoken of as vivifying the whole man: LIFE, in both places, being the higher and spiritual life, including the lower and natural. ‘And, in our relative positions,—of this life, ye are the examples,—a church of believers, alive to God through Christ in your various vocations, and not called on to be exhibited in an arena [cf. 1Co 4:9; He 10:33] as we are, who are (not indeed excluded from that life,—nay it flows from us to you,—but are) more especially examples of conformity to the death of our common Lord:—in Whom death works.’ (The New Testament for English Readers)
2 Coríntios 4:16
Wiersbe - Of itself, suffering will not make us holier men and women. Unless we yield to the Lord, turn to His Word, and trust Him to work, our suffering could make us far worse Christians. In my own pastoral ministry, I have seen some of God's people grow critical and bitter, and go from bad to worse instead of "from glory to glory." (Bible Exposition Commentary) Barnes on being renewed - Is renovated, strengthened, invigorated. His powers of mind expanded; his courage became bolder; he had clearer views of truth; he had more faith in God. As he drew nearer to the grave and to heaven, his soul was more raised above the world, and he was more filled with the joys and triumphs of the gospel. The understanding and the heart did not sympathize with the suffering and decaying body; but, while that became feeble, the soul acquired new strength, and was fitting for its flight to the eternal world. (2 Corinthians 4) John
2 Coríntios 4:16
Wiersbe - As Christians, we must live a day at a time. No person, no matter how wealthy or gifted, can live two days at a time. God provides for us "day by day" as we pray to Him (Luke 11:3). He gives us the strength that we need according to our daily requirements (Deut. 33:25). We must not make the mistake of trying to "store up grace" for future emergencies, because God gives us the grace that we need when we need it (He 4:16). When we learn to live a day at a time, confident of God's care, it takes a great deal of pressure off of our lives. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Yard by yard, life is hard! Inch by inch, life's a cinch! Spiritual Reupholstering - When we moved into our home 5 years ago, we discovered that the former owner had left us six dining room chairs. They were covered with fabric of beautiful African art—tasteful zebra stripes. We appreciated the unexpected gifts and used them frequently when entertaining guests. When we recently moved again, those chairs needed a makeover to match our new decor. So I called an upholsterer and asked, "Shouldn't we just put the new material over the existing fabric?" He responded, "No, you'll ruin the shape of the chair if you just put new material over the old." The work of God in our lives is similar. He's not interested in merely changing our spiritual appearance. Instead, He intends to replace our character with what is called "the new man," made in the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:24). The flesh has a tendency to perform religious activity, but this is not the work of the Holy Spirit. He will completely transform us on the inside. But the process is a partnership (Php 2:12+;Php 2:13+). As we daily lay aside our old behaviors and replace them with godly ones, the God of grace works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Dear Lord, You've given new life to me— A great and full salvation; And may the life that others see Display the transformation. —Hess When you receive Christ, God's work in you has just begun. Phil Newton commenting similar use of anakainoo in Col 3:10 writes that Paul describes renewal as a process which assures that the believer… is being sanctified (Ed: being made holy, being progressively, daily set apart from the profane and common of this world and unto the Lord and for His use) by the Lord. Paul is not speaking of something that might take place in the Christian. Instead, he refers to the certainty and constancy of being renewed. Anakainoo is (related to the) term that is used in Ro 12:2-+ (Ed: the cognate noun anakainosis) when were are told to be transformed (present imperative = command calling for continual action - what God commands, He always enables) by the renewing (anakainosis) of your mind, so that you may prove (dokimazo) what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. It implies a newness in quality that keeps growing and changing and improving in the believer. When you come to faith in Christ, you still have the same body with the same brain. All the patterns of the past are etched in your mind. But as you grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (cp 2Pe 3:18-+), a renewing process takes place. Those old patterns are gradually culled and the newness of life in Christ fills your mind. This is the glory of sanctification: that the Lord will work His grace in us, reproducing us in the image of Jesus Christ. The renewing affects the way you think and what you understand about the Lord, his will, and his working in your life. Colossians 3:10 (+) calls it "a true knowledge." It could be translated as "a thorough knowledge." It is intensive, life-changing knowledge that shapes the way you live your life according to the pattern found in Christ. It is knowledge of Him, which is why Paul declares that his whole passion is to proclaim Christ (Col 1:29-+). How does this renewal take place? We must recall the words of our Lord in his high priestly prayer: Sanctify (aorist imperative) them in the truth; Thy word is truth (John 17:17). As we partake of God's Word, hearing it, reading it, thinking upon it, meditating on it, digesting it and applying it, then the gradual work of sanctification occurs. Certainly the Lord uses other things in the sanctification process as in our trials, testing, needs, relationships, etc. But foremost of all is the Word. That is why the renewing that takes place is to a "true knowledge according to the image of the One who created" us. If you are born of God, a sure evidence of it is the sanctifying work of the Spirit in your life. You have the assurance that the One who began his work in you will complete it (Php 1:6-+). Conclusion - This is radical living. We must never be satisfied with simply going to church each week but not living radically for Christ in the balance of the week. Your union with Christ (see in Christ) demands a different lifestyle. May the Lord do His transforming work in each of us. (Sermons from the Epistle to the Colossians) (Bolding added) Oswald Chambers has a devotional entitled Continuous Conversion which touches on the subject of the continual renewal of our inner man… These words of our Lord (Mt 18:3) describe our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted (Ed: Used in the sense of progressive, ongoing, daily sanctification) all the days of our lives. If we trust in our own reasoning power, instead of God’s power, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God in His sovereign work brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life surrenders to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God (Gal 5:16-+). Just because we have responded to the Spirit once is no guarantee that we will do so again. The relation of the natural to the spiritual is one of continuous "conversion", but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must "put on the new man … " (Eph 4:24-+). God holds us responsible every time we refuse to "convert" ourselves (Ed comment: This process of ongoing "conversion" is initiated and empowered by God, even though we are called to work it out in fear and trembling), and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us. To refuse to be continuously converted is a hindrance to the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of obstinate self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, "I won’t surrender my will." We in essence deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn, selfish weakness, we call "strength". There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission to the Lord, and this can only be done by continuous "conversion". Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God (Ed: Although we will never attain perfection until the day of glorification). Thomas Watson comments that… Like those two laurels at Rome—when the one withered the other flourished.' When the body withers—the soul of a Christian flourishes. How often have we seen a lively faith—in a languishing body! Hezekiah was better on his sick bed—than upon his throne. When he was upon his sickbed he humbles himself and weeps. When he was on his throne he grew proud (Isaiah 39:2). God's children recover spiritual health, by physical sickness. In this sense, 'out of weakness they are made strong' (Hebrews 11:34). (Beatitudes) Thomas Brooks By the 'outward man,' you are to understand not merely our bodies—but our persons, estates, and outward conditions in this world; and by the 'inward man,' you are to understand our souls, our spiritual estate. Now, when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble, when as troubles, pressures, afflictions, and tribulations are increased—a Christian's inward strength is increased also, when his afflictions are in love. When the presence of God is with our inward man, cheering, comforting, encouraging, strengthening, and renewing of that, we may safely conclude that all these trials, though they are ever so sharp and acute, yet they are in love. (Mute Christian) Inner man - The spiritual man - The spiritual life - Thomas Sherman (1680) writes… The spiritual life, though a hidden, is a real life. Those only deny it who are strangers to it. But that there is such a life, is manifest from its vigorous actings. When natural life is lowest, and the outward man perishing, there is the renewal of the inward man, (2Corinthians 4:16.) The reality of the spiritual life may be inferred: (1.) From the high esteem the saints have of it; being willing to "bear in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in their mortal flesh," (2Co 4:10.) Not loving their natural lives unto the death—if so be that they may preserve their spiritual life. (2.) From the care also that they take to nourish it, by feeding upon that living bread who came down from heaven, and gives life unto the world. And as it is a real life—so is it also an excellent life—a life of the noblest extraction. Those who partake of it are born from above—born of the Spirit—born of God! It is also a life of the choicest endowments; giving light to the understanding, rectitude to the will, spirituality to the affections, and regularity to the whole soul. It is a life also of the most exalted aims—having the enjoyment of God for its chief good—and the living to God as its great end. In a word, it is a life of the highest perfection, being the life of God—the life of Christ; both head and members living one and the same life. And as it is an excellent, so is it an enduring life; being "hid with Christ in God;" that is, laid up and secured "in Christ" the head of all divine influence; and "in God," the fountain of all spiritual life. If, therefore, God has set up in your soul the light of reason, bless Him for that—but rest not in it without the light of life, (Jn 8:12.) It is a mercy to be alive in the world as a rational creature; but herein lies your happiness: to be made "alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord," (Ro 6 11.) And though in the world you may, with Christ, be despised and rejected by men—yet, "when Christ who is your life shall appears—then shall you also appear with Him in glory!" (Col 3:4) Grace Abides - There is a pair of famous bronze gates in the city of Florence, which Michaelangelo, in a burst of admiration, declared were fit to be the gates of Paradise. They are panelled with noble figures and dainty pictures. Once they were gilded, and Dante referred to them as "The Golden Gates." But the centuries have worn off the gold—so that hardly a particle is left now. Still the fine masterly work of the artist abides in the solid bronze, looking none the less impressive in its severe simplicity. So while the years may wear away many meritorious accomplishments and much of the glitter of the natural life, the graces firmly ingrained in our soul by the Great Master of all Arts and Hearts will abide. No change can touch these, for "though our outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day to day" (2 Cor. 4:16). Geoff Thomas has a pragmatic exposition of this passage… The Christian lives in a universe of contrasts. He lives in a visible creation and that is all he can see with his physical eyes, but he fixes the eyes of his faith on an unseen eternal world. He is body, but he is also soul. He once was old man under the dominion of sin, he now is exclusively new man under the authority of Christ. Yet this new man encounters within himself the power of remaining sin - the 'flesh', but he is given victory over it day by day by the power of the regenerating Spirit which is located at the very control centre of this one new man. So within his own life the flesh and the spirit constantly war one against the another. Paul in our text conceives of the Christian as comprising two distinct selves which concept is slightly different from the flesh/spirit contrast. There is a reality which he refers to as the outer self, and he means by that all that his body and mind and affections are experiencing of the temptations and contaminations and mortality of this present evil world. THE INNER MAN But he speaks also of the inner self and he means by that all that he has become through being joined to Jesus Christ. By this he is referring to his new status in Christ, his divine resources and the energy of the Holy Ghost which is working mightily in him, the redeemed and reborn child of God. By this impartation he has become a partaker of the divine nature (2Pe 1:4+). So these two 'natures' or, better, 'selves' characterise every single Christian. What he is outwardly, and what he is inwardly. The Christian can quote the words of the Lord Jesus and apply them to himself, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," and he cares nothing about charges men make that he has fallen into dualism. He will be safe with the divisions the Lord himself has made. Yet the Christian is one man. He is no spiritual schizophrenic. All the followers of Christ live within these dynamics throughout their lives. They know that there will never come a time while they are in the body when they will be exclusively the inner man. On their last day on this earth they will be groaning because they are still remain outer man as well as inner man, and on their death beds there will be the spiritual warfare. But not for much longer! When Paul looks at what he is according to his outer self he realizes that he is wasting away. Of course this is true physically. His body is getting older. He doesn't bounce back so quickly when he has been laid low. His brain cells die and are not being renewed. He is more forgetful. His eyesight is not what it once was. He cannot walk as far in one day as he could. His body has been damaged by all the sufferings he has endured for the sake of the gospel. Paul could see that the work of the gospel was killing him. He was old long before his time. He made no attempt to hide that from himself or others. He was a broken man at an age when others were fighting fit. But he as to his outer man was also exposed to fierce temptations. He finds within himself the seeds of every sin - anger, jealousy, lust, greed, retaliation, bitterness, self-pity, reluctance to pray, cowardice to speak and a spirit of self-righteousness, so the evil that he would not do he finds himself doing. The good he knows he should be doing he find himself avoiding. That is the condition of every Christian. We are weak and dying men. We groan; we sigh; we cry, "O wretched men that I am!" We experience a fight with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. We have to pray, "Lead me not into temptation and deliver me from evil." The believer often finds a thorn in the flesh troubling him. It throbs away. It is a fearful distraction, so insignificant and yet so demanding of our attention. Outwardly the Christian is wasting away, and you would think that he must certainly lose heart. But that is only half the story: "yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." Every single Christian is also making daily progress in the new life. His trust in God is stronger. His convictions about the gospel are deeper. His wisdom in knowing himself and the troubles of others is more profound. His resistance to sin is more determined. Paul appeared to be a fading sick old man, but inwardly he was being effectually transformed day by day. His youth was being renewed like the eagle. Paul could remember clearly certain men and incidents from thirty years earlier as if they had happened yesterday. He had memorized entire sections of the Scriptures and could repeat them to old age. He could shrug his shoulders at disease, decay and death and get on with the work of God. When everyone else left him he knew the Lord was standing by him. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," he would say. THE DAILY INWARD RENEWAL OF THE INNER MAN Now let us ask what are some of the areas that Christians are being inwardly renewed day by day. i] Trusting the Bible. The young Christian reads the Bible because God has created a desire within him to do so. You remember Mary Jones walking to Bala in her bare feet to purchase her own copy of the Scriptures in the Welsh language. She would have been fascinated by the ministry she heard each Sunday which took her through chapters of the Scriptures and which explained the teaching to her, and drew out lessons and applications that she might have missed. So she longed for her own Bible and finally got one from the hands of Thomas Charles himself. She would read a passage and she would ask it questions: what does this tell me about God? what promises does God make to me in these words? what duties does he require of me? (Ed: See related topic inductive Bible study) The more she read the more she understood. She began to remember whether certain statements were on the right or left pages of her open Bible, at the top or bottom of the pages, left or right columns. And as she became familiar with the Bible she grew in appreciation of its beauty and perfections. "O how love I thy law!" (Ps 119:97) she would feel. Like the psalmist in the first psalm her very delight was in the law of the Lord (Ps 1:2). Her knowledge of her Saviour and his great redemption was constantly being renewed by her growing familiarity with the Bible. The more she read the more she found she could trust the Bible. Even the prepositions of Scripture became important to her. When she became an old lady keeping bees and selling the honey (giving the money to the Bible Society) she still treasured the Word of God. She lived by every word that had proceeded from the mouth of God that is found in the Scriptures (Mt 4:4). The Christian is inwardly renewed day by day by trusting in the Bible. ii] Learning Contentment. We bring our own fallen personalities to Christ. We are restless, frustrated, angry, discouraged, ambitious people. It is not easy for us to become contented with the ways God deals with us. There were the early simple answers to prayer in the provision of a sunny day, or a ticket for the big game. Then God begins to test us - the delays, the unanswered prayers, the heartache, the opposition, the falls. What coldness of heart and unhappiness we discover within us. We want to plead as an excuse for our restlessness our own special personalities and needs. We say that we can't help acting as we do. Other Christians we judge to be more docile while we are naturally fiery and leaders. We have vision. We are dynamic. Let others be content to be foot-soldiers we would be generals. Then God presses us with the duty of contentment with the chores He gives us to do, where He sets us in life, what roles He calls us to fulfil, what the mundane tasks and duties He sets for us might be. He teaches us to submit to Him. He may let us have our own way, and then how painful an experience that is. He enables us to look into the cup He gives us to drink and to say, "Let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done." (Lk 22:42) Increasingly we are renewed as we learn contentment with God's good and perfect will (Ro 12:2). iii] Evangelistic Earnestness. During Paul's last imprisonment he was still the world's greatest evangelist. He was conscious that the palace guard had heard the gospel through his being in jail adjoining the palace in Rome and that made his years in chains sweeter (Phils. 1:13). He wrote letters counselling Timothy and Titus that indicated how alert he was to the needs of their churches on Crete and in Ephesus. He never chafed at the terms of the great commission. He was dying for men and women to be saved. He said, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race" (Roms. 9:3). That was his spirit. It was purified and made more holy as he entered old age. So often we see evangelism as the province of the young, but the young are not best equipped for it. They are good followers but not good leaders. But do they have examples to look up to in those who have been Christians for many years? Are the old ones only full of warnings of wild evangelism than being actual examples of true evangelism? Are those retired men rather cynical about their own youthful zeal, that it was foolish and immature? Of course, much of it was. But does that excuse those who have been known by God for forty years never giving a word of witness, never inviting anyone to the services, never praying for anyone personally to be converted. We are not encouraged merely to criticise those ungodly aspects of what the world calls 'evangelism.' We only have the right to involve ourselves in every form of biblical evangelism. Shouldn't the righteousness of God become ever brighter as the years of our pilgrimage pass? Shouldn't God's love for sinners become increasingly amazing to us? You could pick out two evangelistic sermons from Spurgeon's ministry, one preached at the beginning of his ministry in 1856 and one preached at the end in 1891 and it would be a challenge to tell which was which. The same passion, the longing for men and women to be saved, the freeness of the offers of grace, the pleading with sinners to come to Christ was there at the end of his ministry as it was at the beginning. In all the controversies he endured and the illnesses he bore so bravely the inner man was being renewed in evangelistic earnestness day by day. Remember those great last words of his hero, George Whitefield, the night before he died in 1770: "Lord Jesus, I am weary in thy work, but not of thy work. If I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for thee once more in the fields, seal thy truth, and come home and die." iv] Victory over Sin. There are certain sins that beset certain Christians most easily. Perhaps you have a moroseness of spirit, a critical attitude to others, a self-pity, a pride, a sharpness of speech, lust, prayerlessness, self-importance, a mistrust of God's ways, a readiness to speak but not a willingness to hear, a love of alcohol, rage, smugness, an unforgiving spirit, a readiness to take offence, pompousness, self-importance, a refusal to bear the burdens of the weak, a love of a high position and an unwillingness to hew wood and draw water, a meanness, and so on. The most fearful state a Christian can be in is when he turns a blind eye to that very sin that so easily besets him. He refuses to acknowledge that this is his own great weaknesses. Then what can be done? Must he carry this sin with him to the grave? It will mar his testimony, and spoil his usefulness. The salt will lose its savour. A shade will fall over much of the light. Should not every Christian cry mightily to God that he discover his own heart? "Show me myself!" Then his inward man will begin to be renewed. Can we sing from our hearts Francis Bottome's hymn: Search me, O God! my actions try, And let my life appear As seen by Thine all-searching eye - To mine my ways make clear. Can we sing these other anonymous words from our hearts? Show me myself, O holy Lord; Help me to look within; I will not turn me from the sight Of all my sin. Aren't those biblical sentiments? "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1Co 11:28). There might be a certain sin that is preventing us being used by God as we could be. He cannot entrust us with a greater work because we are already vain enough concerning the success of some little work. We are not growing in knowledge because the small sum of knowledge which we do possess has made us puffed up. God will not lead us into counseling because he cannot trust us in personal relationships. Yes, we are fit and healthy in so many aspects of the Christian life. We are responsible parents. We are regular at the means of grace. We are orthodox in our faith, but in this one area sin has the total mastery of our lives. How would you describe your condition if in one area of your life, in one organ, or one limb, there were some untreated disease? "I am a sick man," you would say, and you take no comfort from the doctor point out to you all the other 99 parts of your body that are perfectly healthy. If we are going to be renewed in the inner man day by day then it certainly must be in this area of victory over that personal sin. "Show it to us all, Lord! Grant that not one here shall go on at this poor dying rate! Reveal to us what we are and take us to the Lamb of God for confession and cleansing and to the Spirit of God for renewal. Give us grace to mortify it by the Spirit and to look unto Jesus for strength." So we slowly and steadily gain victory over the sin that so easily besets us, but we are ever vigilant. That is another way the inward man is being renewed day by day. So there are these spheres of renewal, and no doubt there are many more. But "outwardly we are wasting away" (2Co 4:16). There is absolutely no escape from that. The older Spurgeon once described his feelings about this in these words, "For my own part, I would have remained a young man if I could, for I fear I am by no means improved by keeping. Oh, that I could again possess the elasticity of spirit, the dash, the courage, the hopefulness of days gone by! My days of flying are changed to those of running, and my running is toning down to a yet steadier pace. It is somewhat cheering that the Scriptures seem to indicate that this is progress, for such is the order which it prescribes for saints: 'They shall mount up with wings as eagles;' away they go, out of sight. In your first sermons, - how you mounted up! Your first evangelistic efforts, - what flights they were! After that, you slackened and yet improved your pace; but it grew more steady, and perhaps more slow, as it is written: 'They shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.' God grant that we may not faint; and if our running days are over, may we walk with God as Enoch did, till the Lord shall take us home!" Spurgeon was conscious of the outward-inward dynamics of the Christian life. I was once sent a sweet booklet produced by the parents of a young woman called Wendy Faith Moxham from Purley after her premature death at the age of twenty-one. They loved her daughter, and her last years had been a grand testimony to the sustaining strength of her Saviour providing his own comfort to her. People encouraged them to write about her faith in Jesus. The power of the words of our text were being worked out day by day in her own experience as a young woman. Her body was wasting away but she was being inwardly renewed. Wendy kept a little "Quiet Time" book and in one of her last entries she wrote these words which seem to sum up Paul's teaching perfectly: It is wonderful to know that whatever the circumstances, they are all in God's almighty hand. However depressed I feel, I still feel the firm Rock beneath me, which gives me inward peace. Those simple and sweet sentiments from a dying girl prove exactly this truth of what Paul is saying here. In every single one of God's own people, "inwardly we are being renewed day by day". It is happening. Inward renewal is effectual in all the elect. It does not hang upon some Christian 'secret' of gaining the victory. God has made up his mind that his servants will be changed from one degree of glory to another by the Spirit. It must happen, and as we look ahead we must do so with great confidence. When we feel that our Christian life is going round in circles we must say to ourselves that God has promised us inward daily renewal, and we must look for every indication that this is happening and thank him from our hearts. So the first foundation which delivers us from losing heart is to acknowledge that though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day, and that we ensure that this is happening. (THE FOUNDATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGEMENT) Waiting for Holiness - The British novelist J. R. R. Tolkien wrote, Sheep get to be like their Shepherd, it is said, but slowly. The renewal of the inner person, becoming Christlike, is not accomplished in a moment but a lifetime. Augustine (354-430) observed that this process is like healing from a near-fatal wound. It’s one thing to remove the spear, but quite another to heal the wound by long and careful treatment. This healing occurs gradually as our old ways of thinking and living are erased, and we become more like our Savior as we are renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). This renewal takes place not by self-effort alone but by faith. It involves reading, meditating on, and obeying God’s Word. We must also fix our minds on the character of Christ and ask God to make us like Him. Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand, And grant me this, I pray: That I through Your sweet love may grow More like You day by day. —Garrison The new birth takes only a moment; growth in holiness takes a lifetime. New Wood -The poet Henry W. Longfellow was on in years and his hair was white, but he remained a vigorous man. When someone asked him the secret of his vitality, Longfellow pointed to an apple tree in bloom and said, That tree is very old, but I never saw prettier blossoms on it than it now bears. That tree grows new wood each year. Like that apple tree, I try to grow a little new wood each year. That is God’s design for His children. Although the years take their toll on our bodies, our souls have the capacity for unending renewal. Through life’s experiences, narrow attitudes can broaden into greater understanding if we let them. The apostle Paul found his motivation for growing “new wood” in his relationship to Jesus Christ. He longed to know Him increasingly, not in theory but in reality (Php 3:8, Php 3:10). This meant reading (2Ti 4:13), renewing his mind (Ro 12:1,2), accepting life’s trials as part of the good that God was continually working out in his life (Ro 8:28), and holding to his confidence in Christ (2Ti 2:13). Worn Bibles, prayer according to God’s will, and trusting Him in all circumstances are characteristic of Christians who are growing “new wood.” Is this true of us? — by Dennis J. De Haan Continual growing in Christ comes from a deepening knowledge of Christ. Older and Better - When Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins baseball team got his 3,000th hit as a major leaguer, he won a small victory for everyone over 40 years old. He showed that he still had great skills at an age when most players had long ago retired. No matter how hard we try, though, none of us can hold back the natural processes of aging. We can exercise, eat right, put on moisturizing lotions, but we still get older. That undeniable truth is found in 2Corinthians 4:16, which states, “Our outward man is perishing.” Enough of the bad news. Let’s get to the good news. At the same time our bodies rush relentlessly toward destruction, we can enjoy a youthful vitality in our walk with God. Through the constant renewal of our spirit (2Co 4:16), we grow more and more prepared to be with God. Spiritual age, then, does not have the same effect as physical age. Instead of slowing down as we walk longer with God, we should be enjoying a more sprightly step. The longer we fellowship with Him, the better off we should be. THINKING IT OVER To what extent does our society emphasize physical beauty and downplay spiritual attributes? What can I do to improve my spiritual fitness? As we grow more Christlike we grow more beautiful. The Ultimate Airplane - Tremendous heat is generated on the exterior of the Concorde airplane when it flies at supersonic speeds. The temperature on the outer surface of the plane can get to 127 C (261 F) even though the outside air temperature is -56 C (-69 F). The expansion caused by this heat makes the plane 9 inches longer at cruise speed than at rest. The cabin floor of the aircraft is built on rollers and doesn’t expand, and four air-conditioning systems keep the inside comfortable. While the outside of the plane is undergoing tremendous stress, the inside climate remains constant. In today’s Scripture, Paul described our “outward man” as perishing under the heat of great pressure, while our “inward man” is renewed day by day. Note the contrast: On The Outside On The Inside Pressed on every side Not crushed (2Co 4:8) Perplexed Not in despair (2Co 4:8) Persecuted Not forsaken (2Co 4:9) Struck down Not destroyed (2Co 4:9) Upon your own strength you cannot rely; There's a fount of strength and grace on high; Go to that fount, your strength renew, And the life of Christ will shine through you. —Hopkins God's Word refreshes our minds; God's Spirit renews our strength. Better With Age - Some people are obsessed with physical fitness—daily workouts, vitamins, organic food—in spite of the fact that our bodies keep ticking away in inevitable decline. In our twenties and thirties we think we’re invincible, but in the decades that follow, the eyesight starts to go, then the knees, then the mind. Let’s face it, trying to ensure long-lasting physical health is like trying to stem the tide with a pitchfork! And while it is true that the older we get the worse we get physically, it doesn’t have to be that way spiritually. Believe it or not, it is possible to get better with age. It’s what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2Co 4:16). Although our outward shell decays, We still can be renewed each day; Commitment to God’s Word and prayer Give strength that will not fade away. —Sper To get better with age, get spiritually fit. How Are You Today - Wilfred Yoder is one of the most enthusiastic Christians I know, even though he has suffered with the pain of arthritis for many years. When people greet him and inquire, “How are you today?” he cheerfully answers, “Just fine!” Those who know of his pain sometimes question his sincerity. “How can you say you’re fine when you’re in so much pain?” Wilfred’s standard response is: “How I feel has very little to do with how I am. You see, the part of me that hurts is just a shell, not the real me, and the real me is just fine!” What Wilfred calls a shell, Paul called a tent (2Co 5:1). And the “real me” that Wilfred refers to, the apostle called the inward man (2Co 4:16). Although Wilfred’s earthly tent is painful and perishing, he realizes that it is after all just a temporary housing for the inward man. One day he will exchange it for his permanent home awaiting him in heaven. That is his confidence. But until then, the inward Wilfred is conscious of being renewed daily. I am rejoicing in Christ today, Though there are problems along the way; He is the One who can help me say, "The real me is just fine." —Hess Our body is perishing, but our spirit can be flourishing. Older Or Better? - We know we’re getting older when we say things like, “Can you believe how young those professional baseball players are?” And it’s a sure sign of aging when we no longer ask, “How are you?” but say, “Hey, you look terrific”—as if we’re surprised. Aging is inevitable. Unfortunately, society has taught us to fear advancing age and to disguise its reality as much as possible. But aging can actually be a wonderful thing. Followers of Jesus have the capacity to get significantly better with age. As Paul put it: “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2Co 4:16). Just as there are physical signs that reveal we’re getting older, there are signs that show we are getting better. Rather than becoming more crotchety, intolerant, and unloving, the maturing follower of Jesus grows better at forgiving, loving, and caring. Growing older is a continuation of the journey to become more like Jesus, which means that as time goes on our heart and attitudes should increasingly resonate with and reflect the compelling character and winsome ways of our Savior. The seeds of aging sprout in youth, As weeds or grain they’re sure to grow; But if we sow with love and truth, A golden harvest we can know. —D. De Haan Don’t just grow older— Grow better as a follower of Jesus. Octavius Winslow's devotional related to suffering (2Co 4:15, 16) CHRISTIAN sufferer! you marvel why the Lord keeps you so long upon the couch of solitariness and upon the bed of languishing—why the “earthly house of this tabernacle” should be taken down by continued and pining sickness, the corrodings of disease, and the gradual decay of strength. Hush every reasoning, anxious, doubtful thought. Your heavenly Father has so ordained it. He who built the house, and whose the house is, has a right to remove it by what process He sees fit. The mystery of His present conduct will, before long, be all explained. Yes, faith and love can even explain it now—“Even so, Father, for so it seems good in Your sight!” Yours is an honorable and a responsible post. God has still a work for you to do. You have been waiting year by year, in the quietness of holy submission, the summons to depart. But God has lengthened out your period of weariness and of suffering, for the work is not done in you and by you, to effect which this sickness was sent. Oh, what a witness for God may you now be! What a testimony for Christ may you now bear! What sermons—converting the careless, confirming the wavering, restoring the wandering, comforting the timid—may your conversation and your example now preach from that sick bed! And oh, for what higher degrees of glory may God, through this protracted illness, be preparing you! That there are degrees of glory in heaven, as there are degrees of suffering in hell, and degrees of grace on earth, admits of not a doubt. “As one star differs from another star in glory,” so does one glorified saint differ from another. Will there be the absence in heaven of that wondrous variety of proportion which throws such a charm and beauty around the beings and the scenery of earth? Doubtless not. Superior grace below is preparing for superior glory above. And the higher our attainments in holiness here, the loftier our summit of blessedness hereafter. For these high degrees of heavenly happiness your present lengthened sickness may, by God’s grace, be preparing you. Sanctified by the Spirit of holiness, the slow fire is but the more perfectly refining; and the more complete the refinement on earth, the more perfectly will the sanctified soul mirror forth the Divine Sun in heaven. Be, then, your beautiful patience of spirit, meek and patient sufferer, increasingly that of the Psalmist, “I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.” Andrew
2 Coríntios 4:18
Wiersbe - Dr. A.W. Tozer used to remind us that the invisible world described in the Bible was the only “real world.” If we would only see the visible world the way God wants us to see it, we would never be attracted by what it offers (1Jn 2:15-+ , 1Jn 2:16-+, 1Jn 2:17-+). The great men and women of faith, mentioned in Hebrews 11, achieved what they did because they “saw the invisible” (He 11:10, 13, 14-+, He 11:27-+).The things of this world seem so real because we can see them and feel them; but they are all temporal and destined to pass away. Only the eternal things of the spiritual life will last. Again, we must not press this truth into extremes and think that “material” and “spiritual” oppose each other. When we use the material in God’s will, He transforms it into the spiritual, and this becomes a part of our treasure in heaven. (More on this in 2Co 8–9.) We value the material because it can be used to promote the spiritual, and not for what it is in itself. How can you look at things that are invisible? By faith, when you read the Word of God. We have never seen Christ or heaven, yet we know they are real because the Word of God tells us so. Faith is “the evidence of things not seen” (He 11:1-+). Because Abraham looked for the heavenly city, he separated himself from Sodom; but Lot chose Sodom because he walked by sight and not by faith (Gen. 13; He 11:10-+). Of course, the unsaved world thinks we are odd—perhaps even crazy—because we insist on the reality of the invisible world of spiritual blessing. Yet Christians are content to govern their lives by eternal values, not temporal prices. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Robert