Disclaimer: This post
cannot possibly cover four chapters of 2 Corinthians, which is on our chronological reading list. Paul packs too much
wisdom into each chapter. I can only manage one at a time.
So let's take a look at the 4th chapter of 2 Corinthians. Verse 1 begins
with the word “Therefore….” My pastor
husband always reminds us to find out what the therefore is there for. In this
case, 2 Cor. 4:1 is referring to 2 Cor 3:6. “We have this ministry of the new
covenant.” The new covenant of Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament covenant of Moses, which required
blood sacrifice. Only because of God’s mercy can we have a relationship with
Jesus, because he was our blood sacrifice. Talk about hope! We do not need to lose heart.
Paul is reminding the believers that he has preached the truth plainly, and the
reason some cannot understand it is because the god of this age has blinded the
minds of unbelievers. Paul preached that Jesus Christ is Lord, and it was God
who made the light of truth shine in their hearts to give them knowledge and
understanding of his glory.
Can you even grasp how
profound this is? Some of us have been Christians for so long that we have
forgotten our days of unbelief. We don’t remember how lost we felt without the
truth of Christ in our hearts and minds. We are so far removed from our days of
spiritual blindness that we get frustrated with anyone who is still blinded by
unbelief. Because we know that truth is within reach for our lost friends, we
don’t understand why it is so hard for them to take the leap of faith.
Step back for a moment
and consider how crazy our Christian faith looks to anyone not yet saved. We
believe that God spoke creation into being, that our God, who has no beginning
and no end, formed the universe out of nothing. How crazy is that? We believe
that Jesus Christ, the living Son of God, was born of a virgin. Um, crazy
right? We believe that Jesus was more than just human, that he was God in the
flesh, and that he walked on this earth for 33 years without ever succumbing to
the sinful nature. Are we crazy to believe that was even possible? How can the
death of one man on a cross 2000 years ago cover all the sins of man, past,
present, and future? How about crazy to the nth degree?
No wonder our society
asks us how a loving God could let evil run rampant in our world. No one can
fathom the plan God designed from before the foundation of the world. It is
such a paradox. How can Paul talk about pressure, confusion, despair, and
persecution, and still say we do not lose heart? How can both death and life be
at work within us simultaneously? How
can our earthly troubles achieve eternal glory? This is crazy talk!
What we see is
temporary. Only what we can see with spiritual eyes is eternal. Instead of
arguing with your lost friends and family members, take a moment to see life
from their perspective. Notice how it feels to have spiritual blindness.
Remember how petrified you were to trust Jesus with your eternity. Stop asking
lost people to act like saved people. Instead, beg God to give your friends and
family spiritual insight into His glory. No amount of convincing from you will
persuade them to see what you can see if they are not yet saved.
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