by Charles R. Swindoll
2 Corinthians 4:5--9
Read the words of the apostle Paul---an honest, humble,
transparent servant of God:
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and
ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Light
shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the
power may be of God and not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:5--7)
We Christians have received a priceless treasure (the
glorious gospel) in a very frail and perishable container (our weak bodies).
There is a reason. So nobody will have any question about the source of power,
it must be of God and not of any human origin.
And so---to verify just how frail our humanity is, Paul
lists four common struggles servants live with. I'm calling them consequences.
Let's see all four in the two verses that follow before we analyze each one in
the next few posts.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8--9)
If you have a pencil handy, you might circle the four terms
in your Bible: afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. These are four
consequences of serving God. Although we'll unpack and apply these terms in the
next few posts, take a moment and read those verses again---emphasizing words
you've circled.
Have you experienced these consequences---yet?
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