2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
We Believe and So We Speak!
How much would it take for you to give up? How many bad things would it take for you to stop believing? How horrible does life have to become for you before you finally throw in the towel on life? It seems the world is always asking us these types of questions. To the world, the way we live is so foreign. It’s unimaginable that someone who might be experiencing complete hell is walking around with a smile on their face. For the world wants to see us lose. They want to see us give up and crumble under the weight of the world. And you know what, sometimes we want to as well… because it’s easier to give up than keep going. It’s easier to throw in the towel than to rough it out and stand tall. Even we sometimes lose sight of why we should keep pushing forward. Because of course, the difference is faith. Whenever we encounter life’s challenges, we face them differently because we have a different view. We’re not looking at challenges from our perspective alone. Rather, we look at life from God’s perspective, the faith perspective. Faith is like putting on a special pair of glasses that enable us to see things that were never visible before. This is the key to how we endure our present afflictions. We must look at things not as they appear, but as they are by faith in God. No matter how horrendous life may seem, no matter how difficult life may get, no matter how heavy a load we carry, we don’t give up because we see and know that God is there with us. We see paradise and eternity at the end of it all.
In our Epistle reading today, Paul gives us this encouragement in the faith. There’s so much more happening than our present afflictions. There’s far more for us than what this life has to offer. There’s eternity before us that we must keep always at the front of our minds, lest we give in or give up. For so we learn today:
DO NOT LOSE HEART AT PRESENT AFFLICTIONS BUT GIVE ALL GLORY TO GOD!
I.
I often tell people that I’m not an optimist, nor am I a pessimist. I’m a realist. I try to look at things for what they are. When things are good, I can recognize the blessings I’ve received and look at the reason why things are good. When things are bad, I try to reflect on what brought me to those bad times, whether it was self-inflicted or not, and see if there’s anything I can do to improve my situation. Yet, no matter how you see yourself, optimist, pessimist, realist, or other, there’s no denying that we all grow nervous when life stacks against us. When enough forces are found to be against us and outside our control, we all become pessimistic to some extent. It seems to be part of our nature that we believe our life problems will endure for ages. We seem to believe in the middle of our struggles that life will never change. It’s a problem with our eyesight, as Paul discusses, “…we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen,” 2 Corinthians 4:18. The things that we see tend to dominate our sight and thoughts. Financial struggles, health issues, friend or family drama, work troubles, etc. Because of the things we see before us, we have trouble looking beyond our struggles to things unseen.
Yes, when it comes to life, many people have problems looking beyond their present happiness or struggle. We often fall into this delusion that nothing will ever change, even when things are changing every day. It’s no different when it comes to our sin. Everything we do wrong is regularly put before our eyes. We often have to stare at all our failures, our sins, and missteps because that’s what’s most visible. And in our human nature, the visible will always take precedence over the invisible. We rarely treat anything as real if we can’t see it. This is why we’re so prone to doubt and even despair. We doubt that anything can break a trend of struggles. We despair that there’s nothing good left for us. We fear and worry that this life is all there is because this is all we see. For this is why I say we have a problem with our eyesight. We struggle to see past these present afflictions, this present life, to see anything else beyond.
II.
We must look at life with more than eyes. We must see our life, our problems, and our successes through the eyes of faith. Put on the glasses of faith to see a new reality unfold before you. In no way am I saying that we make little of our current struggles. I still can’t make money appear out of thin air, nor can I heal someone who’s terminally ill. Yet, I can show to the one who is poor a reality where they’re rich beyond measure, and to the one who is ill a place where there’s no more illness or pain. This is why Paul writes, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day,” 2 Corinthians 4:16. We do not lose heart because we see. We see this life’s troubles for what they are… a small bump in the timeline of eternity. Our bodies are wasting away because of the sin that still clings to our nature. Yet, Christ has come to renew us by faith. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us that he may renew us day by day to live with God in paradise!
This is what we believe and because we believe, we must speak. We speak about Christ and what he’s done for us. We speak about Christ becoming one with us by being born in our flesh. We speak about Jesus who lived a holy life, performed miracles, and opened our eyes to the truth about God. We speak of Jesus who took all our sins upon himself, suffered and died upon the cross, was buried in the grave, and was raised from the dead! “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God,” 2 Corinthians 4:15. Even amidst life’s toughest challenges, amidst the struggles of our church, amidst a world that is against us, we must speak of Christ. By speaking, Christ brings unto us and all people the blessings of faith, forgiveness, life, and salvation so that we may lead more and more people to thanksgiving for the blessings of God. Again, as Paul says, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” 2 Corinthians 4:17. Everything we see before us, every trouble and sin that is seared into our eyes will give way, will be brought to an end. This life is short, and its troubles even shorter, before our Lord shall pull back the curtain from our eyes, shall raise us from the dead and grant us to walk into the glory and majesty of Almighty God through life everlasting!
So let us look, let us see life through the eyes of faith. Let us see everything through the eyes of Jesus, who has conquered sin and even death for us that we may have life beyond our suffering, that we may be renewed in body and soul to see with our own eyes the very glory of God for all eternity! In Jesus’ name! Amen!