Image: "Testimony", 2021, Severna Park, Md
2 Corinthians 3:3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
2 Corinthians 3:9–10 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.
2 Corinthians 3:17–18 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:17–18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
_____________________________________________________________________
"What you see is what you get!" That's a pretty good rule of thumb for "common sense" everyday living. The world, on the whole, is pretty predictable. Individual people are less so but even there, as one becomes more acquainted with another person, he generally "sees" that person for "what they are."
The saying has some application to religion also. Paul, in these chapters, is concerned with "seeing." In 3:7ff he speaks how the difference between people who "see" salvation/religion in terms of "works", be it the Old Testament Mosaic law for religion, or more generally basing our hopes on good deeds we have done, what they "see" can be glorious... to some extent. (3:7-9) There are many religions in this world, some of them falsely representing themselves as Christian, who sell a gospel of works. They may dress it up in some very fine mystical robes, perhaps decorate it with beautiful music, conduct their services in awe-inspiring cathedrals, but, when all is said and done, it is works. Plain and simple it is "do this and you shall live" as applied to stuff mankind has to perform.
Paul says that this is a "gospel" of condemnation. (3:9) It, as with Martin Luther many years ago, leads to despair. For, though it may satisfy for a while, it can never quench the nagging doubt in man's soul. Deep down we know that our debt is too large. We cannot pay what we owe. Sooner or later terror returns.
However, Paul points us toward a different ministry... a ministry of glory that comes from beholding the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ. Here we see true glory. Once we, with spiritual eyes, truly behold Jesus as the eternal Word of God, then there is a transforming effect that immediately grips our soul. (3:18) We discover the glorious "liberty" or "freedom" that the Holy Spirit imparts to us as the "veil" of "works righteousness" is lifted from our eyes and we behold the magnificence of grace. It transforms us because it lifts the burdens from our shoulders and enables and empowers us to become "epistles of Christ!" (3:3) Ponder that for a moment.
By looking to Christ through the eyes of faith and being transformed by it, our lives become a living "testimony" or "epistle" of God's grace. People see in us the gospel of Jesus Christ made real, touchable, observable. Practical theology calls this "incarnation discipleship" or other such words. The point is that through faith we can incarnate the gospel... we do not "incarnate" Jesus, He has already done that - no, we embody His gospel.
Apart from a transformed life, this is impossible. But Paul points us to how it works. We do not "preach ourselves" but Christ Jesus and ourselves as "bondservants" for His sake. It is a life which, of course, pursues "good works." These are undeniably important. But the "glory" of those works will be dimmed if it is only the "works" that are seen. What must be manifested is the truth of the Living Lord in Whose name these works are done and by Whose Spirit they are accomplished.
To the degree that this is made clear, then the "life of Jesus" is manifested in our body (4:10) and will "cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God." (4:15)
Here is joy, even in the face of difficulties, for they sell seem a "light affliction" (4:17) which are "working... a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." This is a transformed life. This is the glorious ministry that imparts light and life to a dying world. This is our calling and our privilege.
2 Corinthians 5 & 6: Living and Bearing Fruit in the Light
Image: "Light and Fruit", 2021, Severna Park, Md.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:14–15 For the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:17–18 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”
_________________________________________________________________
Paul is totally overwhelmed by what God has accomplished in Jesus Christ. The world he lived in as he wrote these words was not the world into which he had been born. Everything was different. He had first known the world by sight, but no longer. (5:7) Now his life was "in" or "through" or "by" faith. Through faith, he now knew that this present life was only a prelude for that life which Jesus had purchased for him and which awaited him. This knowledge so impacted him that he would be "well pleased" to be absent from this body in order to be present with the Lord.
But far from despising this mortal life with its ills and difficulties, Paul saw it as "opportunity". This life counts! He was convinced that everyone was going to appear before Christ's judgment seat and in some unclear manner, would receive from Him In accordance with "what he has done, whether good or bad." Paul says because he knows this (vs. 5:11) he trembles at the thought of not having any fruit to present to his Lord. The NKJV calls it the "terror of the Lord" but the word it translates is the normal word for "fear." Paul is far too confident in the Holy Spirit's "guarantee" (5:5) to doubt his eternal salvation, but he is motivated by his intense faith, his knowledge of what Jesus has done and is doing, and the glorious nature of it all, to attempt great things. Thus his ministry is to "persuade men."
As as he is, so he calls on all who hear his message to be also. Jesus Christ died so that we no longer should "live for" ourselves but for "Him who died" for us. (5:15) This is what the love of Christ compels us to do. Here is a seldom appreciated aspect of true, saving faith. It is a powerful, compelling force that shakes us out of our self-focused complacency and forces our eyes toward the light of Christ. God is here, in this world, "reconciling the world to Himself." (5:19) There's something going on... something good. And faith in Christ works powerfully in us to create a desire to be part of that work. As Jesus was "in the world" in order to be "sin for us" (5:21), so we now are to "become the righteousness of God in Him."
Think about that! God has given us the privilege of showing forth His righteousness to the world around us. We have had the light shine on us so that we can reflect that light into the world. Where the world knew only darkness and unrighteousness, they now have living exemplars of God's righteousness among them. They now see that it is possible to be a peace with God because they can see an entire people who have that peace. They have the witness of lives that hunger after righteousness before them and what they discover, to their astonishment, is that this hunger is filled.
Paul calls us to see that this is what is meant by being "in Christ." It is to be consumed by Him and to be wholly given over to His continuing ministry in the world.
When the people of God find their unity and their passion in this, then (6:16) they truly become the "temple of the living God." They have God's promise that He will "dwell in them and walk among them." How could such a "people" ever undertake to tarnish that witness? How could they consider being "unequally yoked" with unbelievers in such a way as to obscure their whole-hearted witness to Christ? (6:14) Paul is simply continuing and expanding the Old Testament call to service without distraction. To be unequally yoked is to be in some kind of binding relationship (contract, marriage, etc.) with another person such that the unbeliever's example and conversation are at odds with ours. How can anyone seek out such a relationship if they, through faith, have discovered the incredible truth of Christ?
They can't and they won't.
Saving faith is a consuming reality that understands that "now" is "the accepted time... the day of salvation". (6:2) Nothing is more important than that and everything should be subordinated to its imperative in our lives.
Posted by Gadfly on January 31, 2021 at 12:39 PM in Church, Commentary, Devotional Meditation, Discipleship, Sanctification | Permalink | Comments (0)
Reblog (0) | | | |
| Save to del.icio.us