FOUR THINGS TO REMEMBER

FOUR THINGS WE MUST REMEMBER

                            (REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE)

2 Cor. 4 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.”

Continuing about the ministry, the apostle said, "We faint not," "we have renounced the hidden things of shame," "we preach . . . Christ Jesus as Lord." Hearing, some perish because "the god of this world hath blinded their minds," and that because of "unbelief." The god of this world is able only to blind the minds of the unbelieving. This ministry, so full of triumph for such remarkable reasons, is yet exercised through great tribulation. The treasure is in earthen vessels, and these are subject to affliction, disease, and sickness. Yet there is in this a reason and a value. It is that the "exceeding greatness of the power may be God." From that initial statement the apostle proceeds to contrast in a very remarkable way these two things-the vessel, which is earthen, and the power, which is Divine. The earthen vessel is pressed on every side; but because of the power it is not straitened. It is often perplexed, but never to the point of despair; "pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed." This is the revelation of a great principle of all successful work. It is through travail that others live, throughout going virtue that others are healed, through breaking the earthen vessels that the light flashes out on the pathway of others. These tribulations are endured because of the certainties which give strength even in the midst of tribulations. This very "affliction worketh" the glory.

We need to remember these three things concerning life in an earthen vessel:

1.   Affliction is not something to be endured in order to reach glory. It is the very process which creates the glory.

2.   Through pain comes birth.

3.   Through suffering comes the triumph.

4.   Through dying comes the living.

When we leave this earthen vessel behind, we gain a temporary body to worship and pray and serve Him til He gives us the eternal body we shall have forever that the supernatural becomes natural, having laws that we know nothing of unless He displayed them while on earth and He revealed some spectacular things about the eternal body. He was no longer straightened when He gained His eternal body, for He also had us.