The world can be cruel and offers no true eternal peace. However, a passage in 2 Corinthians reveals the rescue from God that can give anyone eternal victory.

Life in our world is not without numerous troubles, and to make sure we all go off into damnation the forces of darkness certainly do not make it any easier. This is all because man {1} has transgressed the law of God. However, the same God Who places His wrath upon the children of disobedience is the same God Who has provided the remedy, one which enables us to endure now and continue on with Eternal Life after life here.

Instead of floundering in sin and instead of being wearied by the troubles of this life, each person can have victory within. When you receive Christ, making Him Lord and Savior, you have received His victory. One of the many passages that presents this hope is 2 Corinthians 4:6-15. There, by the Holy Spirit, Paul says that the true Christian has a treasure within themselves, and refers to our body as an “earthen vessel”.

Here are five things we learn from that passage.

I. The Treasure, 6

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

The sovereign, glorious, most holy God Who dwells in unapproachable light {2} reached out to save us by sending into the world the Light, Jesus Christ, which lights everyone, and all those who respond to that light making Jesus Christ Lord of their life are changed from darkness into the Kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13). Christ, being all God and all man, is the perfect Way, Truth, and Life to experientially know the glory of God.

The context of the passage, along with other portions of the Word, indicate we are to share in some of His glory to the extent His glory changes us to glorify Him. Through “the face of Christ" if we are truly regenerated by His Holy Spirit we are enabled to please the Father, and discern whether our thoughts and actions are pleasing to Him or not. If we transgress He is willing and just to forgive us if we confess our sin to Him.

And, so it is written in 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” We ought to receive the blessings of salvation from that propitiation and then let Christ live through us, otherwise “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

II. The Trust, 7

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”

We have been given a glorious trust once we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are to let the surpassing greatness of His power change us into His glory. We are to cooperate with it. However, at the same time we are to depend only upon God through Christ and not upon self or others (including the church we attend or what fellowship or denomination we might belong to).

III. The Triumph In Trials, 8-9

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"

The term “power” in verse 7 is the same Greek word used to speak of the power from God for miracles. This power is shown in four ways in verses 8 and 9. Four, at times speaks of universality. So the inference would be that the greatness of the power of God will affect every aspect of our life if we let it.

“Afflicted” means troubled. The New King James has “hard-pressed”. When I saw that I was reminded diamonds are formed deep in the earth by high pressure and temperature on certain minerals containing carbon. So it is with the true Christian. As they remain in Christ enduring through all sorts of pressures and spiritual heat they crystallize into a mature Christian, and will shine even more in the age to come.

In regard to “perplexed", among other things the Greek word can mean {3} “to be without resources, to be in straits, to be left wanting”, and / or “not to know how to decide or what to do”. A true Christian need not to be in despair because God will help some way while one walks in the Spirit. It may be that God in His time will show something, provide something, or providentially act in some other way for His glory.

Persecution of Christians worldwide has dramatically increased. It comes in all forms, including the “little ways" like badgering and mocking. At the other end of the spectrum, more Christians are being tortured and killed than ever before. But, by the grace of God, true Christians know for a fact that Christ is right there with them as He said in Matthew 28:20.

Occasionally a true disciple will meet with what some might call a defeat or failure. Although it is not, the unsaved might consider it a “put down", “knock down", “strike out" or whatever. One’s ministry might be hampered. But the Word states a true disciple is not destroyed because they are in Christ, and Jesus said (John 10:10), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

IV. The Troubleshooting, 10-12

“Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 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. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.”

Here we see some of the workings of His victorious power, which is also expressed in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 

As a disciple dies to self and permits the risen victorious Christ to live through them they deny themselves, that is, they do what God wants them to do and not what they want to do. After a time as they mature in Him God’s desires become their desires. They more readily respond to anything by the strength of Christ and not their own strength. By doing so they bless themselves and bless others.

V. The Ultimate Triumph, 13-15

“But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.”

With the victorious Christ within the true disciple is able to live as God wants them to live, being faithful and not floundering, godly and not sinful. Their words of encouragement and instruction to weaker brothers and sisters will be more authoritative and powerful because their Spirit led life will be a testimony to those they minister to.

And a disciple and their ministry continues after their death (or rapture) here on earth because they will be raised. Each receives “the crown of life” (James 1:12), and that is life in the sense of vibrant, purposeful life. They will in some way minister in the ages to come. The best thing is that they will forever be with Christ.

Some who do not have Christ as their Lord and Savior might seem to have a “good life” now. Many are called by others as “good people”. But the Word of God is clear no one is good (Romans 3:10), and any who do not deny self and fully surrender to Christ will only face damnation in the end (Matthew 10:39 and 16:25) {4}. That is why it is so wonderful to receive the mercy of God now through Christ and have true victory in one’s earthen vessel.

Notes:

{1} Used in the proper traditional sensible sense, denoting all people, male and female. I could not care less about being politically correct.

{2} Please read “Does It Have To Be Jesus?” at http://newsandsociety.expertscolumn.com/does-it-have-to-be-jesus .

{3} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program, and so throughout the article whenever the ancient language is referred to and no other authority is cited.

{4} Please also read “Lose It Or Lose It” at http://holybibletreasures.expertscolumn.com/article/lose-it-or-lose-it .

This article was written in the form of a sermon (message) outline with comments. God willing by April 5, 2018 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M490 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates and adding “(The Existing One)” to readily express the meaning of His Name without making repeated explanations in articles. * = For other versions the spelling of some words is updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

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