The very essence of faith -- to fix our eyes on what is unseen. That is something that I am working on these days.
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It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,
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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 in his presence.
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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.
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Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
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For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
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So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
9the following is from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary -- www.christnotes.org)
"Commentary on 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
The grace of faith is an effectual remedy against fainting in times
of trouble. They knew that Christ was raised, and that his resurrection
was an earnest and assurance of theirs. The hope of this resurrection
will encourage in a suffering day, and set us above the fear of death.
Also, their sufferings were for the advantage of the church, and to
God's glory. The sufferings of Christ's ministers, as well as their
preaching and conversation, are for the good of the church and the glory
of God. The prospect of eternal life and happiness was their support
and comfort. What sense was ready to pronounce heavy and long, grievous
and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short, and but for a
moment. The weight of all temporal afflictions was lightness itself,
while the glory to come was a substance, weighty, and lasting beyond
description. If the apostle could call his heavy and long-continued
trials light, and but for a moment, what must our trifling difficulties
be! Faith enables to make this right judgment of things. There are
unseen things, as well as things that are seen. And there is this vast
difference between them; unseen things are eternal, seen things but
temporal, or temporary only. Let us then look off from the things which
are seen; let us cease to seek for worldly advantages, or to fear
present distresses. Let us give diligence to make our future happiness
sure.'
Such a hard passage. I think I flunked faith. ;) Seriously, it's a real struggle for me.
ReplyDeleteI find that I have to *constantly* remind myself to have faith. It doesn't come easily to anyone, so at least we can console ourselves with that.
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