“It is my hearts desire that I must be NO more, that He be KNOWN more” (Saheed B. Olalekan, Christian converted from Islam).
God brings troubles and hardships into your life so you can experience Christ’s death and His resurrection power as His ambassador so others can be reconciled to God. Imagine if everyone in the body of Christ had a similar missional perspective? It would attract unbelievers to Christ.
God Shines Light
New Covenant ministry originated from God’s mercy so they did not lose heart. They renounced secret, shameful and deceptive ways so as not to distort the God’s word. In contrast, they presented the truth plainly to touch men’s conscience in the sight of God. The gospel was veiled to those who were perishing since Satan blinded the minds of unbelievers preventing them from seeing the light and glory of Christ’s gospel who is the image of God. Being servants, they preached Jesus Christ as Lord, not themselves. God made His light shine in their hearts so people could see the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:1-6). God shines the light and glory of Christ’s gospel from believers’ hearts to unbelievers’ minds.
God Produces Life
The treasure of God’s all-surpassing power was contrasted to being hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned and struck down but not destroyed. They carried and given over continually to death for Jesus’ sake so His life could be revealed in their bodies. They experienced death so others could have life. They spoke after believing that God’s resurrection power would raise them up with Christ so His grace could benefit them causing thanksgiving for the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:7-15). God produces life in others as you identify with and speak of Christ’s death and resurrection in your circumstances.
God Imparts Eternal Glory
They wasted away outwardly, but renewed inwardly day by day. Light and momentary troubles produced an eternal glory that far outweighed them all. Instead of fixing your eyes on seen and temporal matters, they focused on the unseen and eternal (2 Cor. 4:16-18). God imparts eternal glory through light and momentary troubles.
God Rewards Believers
God has an eternal house in heaven after destroying their earthly tent. They groaned and longed to be clothed with their heavenly dwelling in order to experience life. God gave them the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing the future. They lived by faith, not by sight. Because they preferred to be at home with Christ, their goal was to please Him. Everyone appeared before the judgment seat of Christ to receive what was due them for things done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:1-10). God rewards believers who live by faith in pleasing Him.
God Reconciles People
Knowing the fear of the Lord, they persuade men. They lived transparent lives from the heart before God and others. God’s love motivated them to live for Him who died and was raised again on their behalf. Instead of regarding people from a worldly perspective, they valued the new creation through Christ. Because God reconciled them to Himself through Christ, He gave them the ministry of reconciliation. God reconciled the world to Himself in Christ by not counting men’s sins against them and committing to them the message of reconciliation. As Christ’s ambassadors, God made His appeal through them to be reconciled to God. Jesus became sin for them so in Him they would become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:11-21). God reconciles people to Himself as you share and people believe the message of Christ’s death on their behalf.
God Reveals Christ’s Death and Resurrection
Paul and his team urged them to not receive God’s grace in vain for He helped them in the day of salvation and that day was now. They put no stumbling block in anyone’s way so their ministry would be commended and not discredited as they endured troubles, hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights and hunger. They showed the character of purity, understanding, patience and kindness relying on the Holy Spirit in sincere love, truthful speech and the power of God. They put on the weapons of righteousness through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report. They were genuine but others regarded them as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, yet living on; beaten, yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything (2 Cor. 6:1-10). God reveals Christ’s death and resurrection through the sufferings of His ambassadors.
God Displays Fatherhood
They urged the Corinthians to open their hearts wide since Paul and his team spoke freely not withholding their affections. They commanded the Corinthians not to be yoked with unbelievers since righteousness and wickedness, light and darkness, and Christ and Belial have no fellowship and harmony together. Believers have nothing in common with unbelievers since the temple of God and idols cannot agree. As the temple of the living God, He said, “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, they were to be separate and touch no unclean thing as sons and daughters to God the Father (2 Cor. 6:11-18). God displays Fatherhood as His sons and daughters fellowship together with transparency and harmony.
Consider this quote by Martyn Lloyd-Jones and determine how your life and congregation should be different based on 2 Cor. 4-6:
“People seem to think that the masses are outside the Christian church because our evangelistic methods are not what they ought to be. That is not the answer. People are outside the church because looking at us they say, “What is the point of being Christians? – look at them!” They are judging Christ by you and me. And you cannot stop them and you cannot blame them.”
