What Ministry is All About, Part 5
In our message, ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY (2 Cor. 4:1-18), Paul continued to give thanks to God for Him making us ministers of the Gospel. Because “we have received mercy” having all of our sin forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ (past, present, and future) being saved by grace through faith, “we do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1; 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Rom. 5:1-2, etc.). To “lose heart” means to ‘to become weary,’ ‘to become tired,’ ‘to despair,’ and even ‘to give up.’ But as Christians we have an ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY inside of us which will one day be revealed outwardly for all to see when Christ comes for us and we are glorified in Him (Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor 15:41; 2 Cor. 4:7, 14, etc.). We should, therefore, never throw the towel in because NOTHING can separate us from the love of God (2 Cor. 4:1, 16; Luke 18:1; Gal. 6:9; 2 Thes. 3:13; Rom. 8:31-39, etc.). It is also because of this unmerited grace, we are called to continuously “renounce hidden things of shame” as Paul and his companions spoke of here so our presentation of God’s Word to the lost world is most powerful (2 Cor. 4:2; Rom. 12:1-2, 9; 1 Pet. 3:16-17; Eph. 5:18, etc.).
Not all people will trust in the Gospel, and Satan, “the god of this age,” (though a defeated foe by Jesus at Calvary- Col. 2:14-15, etc.) actively works to keep the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” hidden (i.e. veiled) from them (2 Cor. 3:14-15; 4:3-4; Rom. 20:16; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Eph. 2:2, etc.). The Gospel light… heavenly saving light… can only “shine” through “Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4; John 3:7, 16; 14:6, etc.). That is why Paul preached only “Christ Jesus as Lord” because there is no other message in the created universe that can save us from our sin or make us right before holy God (2 Cor. 4:5; Acts 4:12, etc.). Just as “God… commanded the light to shine out of darkness” in the creation account (Gen. 1:2-3; 2 Cor. 4:6), He shines His light also supernaturally into human lost, formless, and empty human hearts for those who “receive” Him- making them whole and fruitful “in the face of Jesus Christ” (John 1:12-13; 2 Cor. 4:6, etc.).
We are weak in our present state like “earthen vessels,” but the Lord has hidden Himself- the Holy Spirit- in our lives so “that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7; Col. 1:27; Eph. 1:13-14, etc.). Jesus therefore wants us, no matter what we go through (e.g. 2 Cor. 4:8-12) to “speak” out of faith the truth of His Word to all around us (2 Cor. 4:13; Ps. 116:10). “Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus” reuniting us together with God forever (2 Cor. 4:14). This is all for “the glory of God,” and it is in view of this also that the Lord wants us, once again, as His children to never and at no time “lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:15-16a). Even though today “our bodies are dying” (2 Cor. 4:16 NLT) and wearing down because of sin, inside, as we devote ourselves to Christ, we are “being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16b). That is, our inward person is being renewed all the time, every moment, as we walk with Christ! (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16-18, 25, etc.). While the Bible and life itself testifies to the fact that this present time is largely one of suffering- because of the Fall of man (Gen. 3:1-19; Rom. 8:19-22, etc.), God also shows us here truth is these are “light… [and] but for a moment” when compared with the ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY God is working in each of us (2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 8:18, 23, 30, etc.).
It is because of this that the Lord wants us to not look at the storms in our lives but the One who has control over the storms- the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 12:1-2, etc.). All that we let Christ do through us will last and go into His kingdom (1 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Cor. 4:18; 5:9-10; Phil. 3:20-21; Heb. 12:27-29, etc.) *For more information on this message, please see SBFC’s March 2, 2025 sermon above.