Week 45
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Losing heart is a terrible experience in life. Losing heart means that we lose hope, we lose joy, and we lose faith. Losing heart depresses the soul and saps the life of vitality, energy, and assurance.
When we read of Paul’s sufferings and struggles that he outlines in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, we come to realize that Paul is not speaking as one who has escaped the dangers and the sorrows of life. His life was saturated by opposition, attack, and terror. Paul was strained, stretched, and severed from life’s comforts and superficial delights, and all because of His faithful service to Jesus Christ.
And yet, Paul gives in 4:16-18 the secret of his joy, a joy experienced in spite of the injustices and maleficent behavior of others. He explains what is behind his statements, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) and “Rejoice always…In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18)
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 that the Lord gives him two powerful and overcoming weapons. The first is the daily operation of divine grace in the ministry of the Holy Spirit that renews, restores, and re-invigorates Paul’s soul. 4:16 says that even though the outer person (the body, the physical existence) is decaying, still “the inner man is being renewed day by day.” This is sanctification, this is God’s daily manna for the soul, and this is the powerful working of the Holy Spirit as comforter to help bring the soul back into a state of solidness, security, and certainty through the truth and through the omnipotent power of God. David would write in Psalm 23:3, “He restores my soul.” And indeed, He does. David said that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), still the Lord makes us lie down in green pastures, leading us beside still waters, and He guides us in the paths of righteousness, restoring our souls (Psalm 23:2-4).
The Christian is not exempt from life’s disappointments and even persecutions, but the Christian is promised that God will never leave us, that He will operate daily in our lives to give us spiritual soul renewal.
The second weapon Paul delighted to say God gave him was the certain knowledge of the truth the “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Somehow this life’s sorrows, pain, and trouble will result in our eternal joy in such a way that earthly difficulties will be known in heaven with delightful reflection and memory. This is surely because of God’s providential accomplishment through our heartaches to bring about His glory and our good. So, we rejoice in our afflictions and betrayal, because we know these truths.
Dear Lord, please grant to us to remember that You are working in our lives every day, even in hard days, to bring about our good and our sanctified joy. And help us to look joyfully to heaven where we will see that our lives on earth will bring about an understanding of how You were working in us and through us for Your glory and our holiness. May we be strong and encouraged this day. Amen.