2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1. Coping with life!! 10/6/12
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Discouraged, decaying, lonely and troubled, pretty much describes the life of many people today, doesn't it? If we think back to our OT reading today, the people [and we ourselves] are often hiding away from God when we know that we have done wrong. We blame everyone else but ourselves for the troubles that we are in, when we get caught out. And I could go on: the neighbour is doing better than I am; the grass is greener over the fence; we are all mixed up in our thinking, not quite sure what is right or wrong; the politicians are not doing a good job; the church is going to pieces; etc etc.
This all seems to be pretty accurate reflection of life in our world today; and it seems that we all are caught up in it; struggling to cope with what is happening around us. I mean - how many of you here feel that way? I know from moving around amongst people that there are many who are having real difficulties in coping with life at the moment.
But here let me tell you that the situations of life will not greatly change; and in fact, may even get much worse. Because of the sinfulness of humanity and our growing disregard for God and his Word, the difficulties and hassles of life will not go away. As clever as we might like to think that we are, there is no way that any us will be able to avoid death; we will always have our enemies and our hurts; others will let us down and we will let others down; we will have our doubts and our struggles. They are a fact of life in a sinful world - even for us as Christians. Nothing is surer than the fact that there will always be these kinds of things in life to a greater or lesser degree.
Paul himself knew this all too well. In fact he even goes as far as to suggest that this is all good for us as Christians; because then Jesus Christ can be seen all the clearer. Here God wants us to see that for us as Christians these troubles and difficulties do not mean doom and gloom, but in fact the opposite. Paul reminds us that through faith we know with absolute certainty that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in our lives and will raise us up also. We know what Jesus has done for us; and that we have a great God on our side; and that there is great glory ahead for us.
Now we can know and be sure of all of this. So even though we are hard-pressed on every side, we will not be crushed. We may be in doubt, but never in despair. We may have our enemies, but will never be without a friend. Though we may be badly hurt, we will never be destroyed. This is amazing stuff; and it is all there for you and me. We have all of this, assured for us here and now.
So what is the problem? Why are we struggling so much then? Well take note of the second to last verse in our reading: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now there we have something for us to ponder over. For where is our attention so often focussed when we are thinking of the hassles and difficulties of our life? Where are we looking? Too often we are doing what the rest of the world id doing, looking where they are looking and placing great importance on what they are. Then we wonder why our Christianity is empty for us; and why we are not coping; and why our children and others see nothing in this religious stuff for them.
While we are looking here, at the world around us, even within Christianity we will see decay; we will be discouraged; or we will be trying to hide from God and blame others for our troubles. When we look at ourselves and the issues that surround we cannot help but be disturbed. On the one hand it is natural for us to do this; and it is important that we do look realistically at what is happening all around us. However, we must remember that this is not the whole story and it is not what is most important for us as Christians.
God’s Word tells us over and over again that the things of this world will not give us the happiness and contentment that we long for. The riches of this life do not ensure freedom from sickness and heartache. Friendship with the world around about us is not equated with God’s love. So the things of this life that are held up as of great value are really nothing at all in God’s scheme of things.
So why should we look so despairingly in that direction. We know that our bodies are slowly dying and that no of us will last here on earth for ever. In fact we know that any one of us might not see another tomorrow. We also know that money and materialism will let us down when we need it most of all. So why look at those things so longingly and then despairing when they let us down. Why fix our eyes on what is seen and which here today and gone tomorrow. Sure we need many of these things and many of them are a necessary part of life in this world, but they are not the be all and end all.
If we lift our eyes a little, we will find that there is a richness that is way beyond the best that we can ever expect from this world of ours – from the things that are seen. If we get out noses up off the ground we will be amazed to see what God has done for us and what is now ours as a result. It is all there in our great and gracious God through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. He is the one who sheds a great deal of light on life and all of its perplexities; even when it comes to the practicalities of life.
In him we find that all of our efforts in life, as important as they might be, are really nothing without God and his activity in those situations. I could stand here and talk till I am blue in the face, or you could get the greatest speaker or leader that you could get, but without God’s Word and the help of the Holy Spirit, it is all in vain. There is no way the Church will grow or be able to reach out into the community and be of influence for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
However, God promises that where his Word is used, focussing on the centrality of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, there is life, and it will bring results. God assures us that he is at work even if we can’t see any results. As we look to and focus on him, doing what he wants, we know that it will all work out as God wants.
Even when our bodies start wasting away and we even face death, we and the doctors can only do so much. But again because of and with the Lord Jesus Christ even a great disability cannot take what is vitally important away from us; and even death is not the end any more. There is a great life still ahead: one that is way better than what we have here, now, with no more pain, tears or sorrow. It is all given to us freely by God as an absolute certainty; and no one and nothing can take it away from us because of Jesus Christ. So with him we have it all, guaranteed.
So no matter what we face now in life, all we need to do is lift our eyes and look to our great and gracious God and what he has said and done and it is always there. He is always there: his love reaches out to us wherever we are and he seeks to draw us into his presence. Then with him with us, all the rest will take care of itself.
With him them with us and at work for us, we can set out to do what he wants us to do: we can reach out to others as he wants: we can stand up and be different as Christians, not going along with the rest of our society: and we can hold firmly to the Bible as God’s Word to us, even when others are trying to change what it says. We can now do this despite the doubts that we might have; the enemies that might be at work against us; and the pressures we might have to conform to the tolerant and politically correct views that are espoused today. Because all these are nothing compared to the glory that is there for us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.For again to our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Discouraged, decaying, lonely and troubled, pretty much describes the life of many people today, doesn't it? If we think back to our OT reading today, the people [and we ourselves] are often hiding away from God when we know that we have done wrong. We blame everyone else but ourselves for the troubles that we are in, when we get caught out. And I could go on: the neighbour is doing better than I am; the grass is greener over the fence; we are all mixed up in our thinking, not quite sure what is right or wrong; the politicians are not doing a good job; the church is going to pieces; etc etc.
This all seems to be pretty accurate reflection of life in our world today; and it seems that we all are caught up in it; struggling to cope with what is happening around us. I mean - how many of you here feel that way? I know from moving around amongst people that there are many who are having real difficulties in coping with life at the moment.
But here let me tell you that the situations of life will not greatly change; and in fact, may even get much worse. Because of the sinfulness of humanity and our growing disregard for God and his Word, the difficulties and hassles of life will not go away. As clever as we might like to think that we are, there is no way that any us will be able to avoid death; we will always have our enemies and our hurts; others will let us down and we will let others down; we will have our doubts and our struggles. They are a fact of life in a sinful world - even for us as Christians. Nothing is surer than the fact that there will always be these kinds of things in life to a greater or lesser degree.
Paul himself knew this all too well. In fact he even goes as far as to suggest that this is all good for us as Christians; because then Jesus Christ can be seen all the clearer. Here God wants us to see that for us as Christians these troubles and difficulties do not mean doom and gloom, but in fact the opposite. Paul reminds us that through faith we know with absolute certainty that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in our lives and will raise us up also. We know what Jesus has done for us; and that we have a great God on our side; and that there is great glory ahead for us.
Now we can know and be sure of all of this. So even though we are hard-pressed on every side, we will not be crushed. We may be in doubt, but never in despair. We may have our enemies, but will never be without a friend. Though we may be badly hurt, we will never be destroyed. This is amazing stuff; and it is all there for you and me. We have all of this, assured for us here and now.
So what is the problem? Why are we struggling so much then? Well take note of the second to last verse in our reading: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now there we have something for us to ponder over. For where is our attention so often focussed when we are thinking of the hassles and difficulties of our life? Where are we looking? Too often we are doing what the rest of the world id doing, looking where they are looking and placing great importance on what they are. Then we wonder why our Christianity is empty for us; and why we are not coping; and why our children and others see nothing in this religious stuff for them.
While we are looking here, at the world around us, even within Christianity we will see decay; we will be discouraged; or we will be trying to hide from God and blame others for our troubles. When we look at ourselves and the issues that surround we cannot help but be disturbed. On the one hand it is natural for us to do this; and it is important that we do look realistically at what is happening all around us. However, we must remember that this is not the whole story and it is not what is most important for us as Christians.
God’s Word tells us over and over again that the things of this world will not give us the happiness and contentment that we long for. The riches of this life do not ensure freedom from sickness and heartache. Friendship with the world around about us is not equated with God’s love. So the things of this life that are held up as of great value are really nothing at all in God’s scheme of things.
So why should we look so despairingly in that direction. We know that our bodies are slowly dying and that no of us will last here on earth for ever. In fact we know that any one of us might not see another tomorrow. We also know that money and materialism will let us down when we need it most of all. So why look at those things so longingly and then despairing when they let us down. Why fix our eyes on what is seen and which here today and gone tomorrow. Sure we need many of these things and many of them are a necessary part of life in this world, but they are not the be all and end all.
If we lift our eyes a little, we will find that there is a richness that is way beyond the best that we can ever expect from this world of ours – from the things that are seen. If we get out noses up off the ground we will be amazed to see what God has done for us and what is now ours as a result. It is all there in our great and gracious God through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. He is the one who sheds a great deal of light on life and all of its perplexities; even when it comes to the practicalities of life.
In him we find that all of our efforts in life, as important as they might be, are really nothing without God and his activity in those situations. I could stand here and talk till I am blue in the face, or you could get the greatest speaker or leader that you could get, but without God’s Word and the help of the Holy Spirit, it is all in vain. There is no way the Church will grow or be able to reach out into the community and be of influence for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
However, God promises that where his Word is used, focussing on the centrality of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, there is life, and it will bring results. God assures us that he is at work even if we can’t see any results. As we look to and focus on him, doing what he wants, we know that it will all work out as God wants.
Even when our bodies start wasting away and we even face death, we and the doctors can only do so much. But again because of and with the Lord Jesus Christ even a great disability cannot take what is vitally important away from us; and even death is not the end any more. There is a great life still ahead: one that is way better than what we have here, now, with no more pain, tears or sorrow. It is all given to us freely by God as an absolute certainty; and no one and nothing can take it away from us because of Jesus Christ. So with him we have it all, guaranteed.
So no matter what we face now in life, all we need to do is lift our eyes and look to our great and gracious God and what he has said and done and it is always there. He is always there: his love reaches out to us wherever we are and he seeks to draw us into his presence. Then with him with us, all the rest will take care of itself.
With him them with us and at work for us, we can set out to do what he wants us to do: we can reach out to others as he wants: we can stand up and be different as Christians, not going along with the rest of our society: and we can hold firmly to the Bible as God’s Word to us, even when others are trying to change what it says. We can now do this despite the doubts that we might have; the enemies that might be at work against us; and the pressures we might have to conform to the tolerant and politically correct views that are espoused today. Because all these are nothing compared to the glory that is there for us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.For again to our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
posted by Roger at
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