Skip to main content

How God Redeems our Suffering


These verses in 2 Corinthians have been a precious reminder to me that my current pain and suffering (and yours as well!) is all for God's good purposes not only for me and Dave and our kids, but also for God's church, which means the church we are members of and all its members. And because of that, He is giving all the grace and blessing needed to sustain me on my "sick bed" so I don't have to sin as I suffer; nor do I have to complain or fear or have anxiety or just live with the attitude that, "I just wish it would all go away." And when I do these things, I have access to the powerful perfection of Jesus Christ and can repent, turn my heart and attitudes and words around and get back in alignment with the Spirit of God. 

2 Corinthians 4:5-18 says, "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 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.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Jonathan’s sermon Sunday was jam-packed with Scripture truth about life as exiles and strangers as we are traveling toward our eternal Homeland—the New Earth where Righteousness will dwell. I would like to drill down into the aspect of “laying aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely”. For context, please read Hebrews 12:1-15. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [men and women throughout all of redemptive history, who have walked by faith in God’s unfolding promises and revelation of Himself, despite having not yet received God’s promise of the Genesis 3:15 Deliverer], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostili...
Post a Comment
Read more

Broken Jars and God's Grace

I'm thanking the Lord today for his amazing grace. Last night, I had a sinful tantrum over some jars of stuff that got broken accidentally on the way in from the car to the house.  I knew immediately that it was very stupid (actually the correct word is sinful) to be fuming over something so insignificant in the whole scheme of things. I'm thankful for God's always bringing just the hot water (trials) that bring out the tea in the bag of my heart so I can repent and change.  I don't know about you all, but my very first reaction when money is involved in an accident, is to seize up with a fearful, "What if God doesn't provide THIS time?".  I am always struck immediately then with the knowledge that, "Yes! He will provide and He's bringing this to show me my lack of trust in Him".  That I'll not give into sinful first emotions and act on them is my prayer today.  Perfect love definitely casts out fear.  When I truly believe that God is t...
1 comment
Read more

Where Would I Be Without God's Grace?

Gospel Transformation As I think over the past 5 years, I am swept off my feet with amazement for my Savior, Jesus Christ! He is changing me from a person who was completely living life for myself and my dreams and goals, to a person who is, by God's grace, learning to live every day to please my Lord and Loving Master, Jesus Christ! I don't say this proudly - because I had nothing to do with my spiritual heart transplant that occurred five years ago. And there is no perfection in my daily life – I still need the gospel of Jesus Christ every day in battling my sinful self – but there is definitely a changed purpose, and a passion for loving God that I never had prior to that time.  Is Our Suffering Wasted? Five years ago, I was literally at the end of my physical and emotional endurance. I had battled a neurological disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or as it used to be called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) for 10 years. It had developed into a...
Post a Comment
Read more