Inner Renewal

Paul lived and preach for Jesus with complete abandon, not caring what happened to him in this life. He was a clay pot for Jesus. Where did Paul get the boldness to live for Jesus? In today’s passage Paul explains where the strength comes from to live in this way.

1. Deep Conviction

2 Corinthians 4:13 NASB95

13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 4

If all we talk about is our frustration, pain, and sadness, we will faint. But if we speak that which He hath said—that He is with us always (Matthew 28:20), that all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28), that greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4)—we will be renewed day by day

Hebrews 13:5–6 NASB95

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

2 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Faithful

On trial for his faith before the Diet of Worms, Martin Luther defiantly declared,

Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen. (James M. Kittelson, Luther the Reformer [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1986] 161)

2. Confident Hope

2 Corinthians 4:14 NASB95

14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 NASB95

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

3. Growing Worship

2 Corinthians 4:15 NASB95

15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

4. Inner Renewal

2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB95

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Body building requires exercising muscles. The more you rip and tear your muscles by lifting weights, the stronger they will be when your body repairs them.

Suffering and trials do for your soul what lifting weights does for your muscles.

Isaiah 40:28–31 NASB95

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

5. Eternal Perspective

2 Corinthians 4:17 NASB95

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

Momentary - brief duration

light - insignificant, not burdensome

James 4:14 NASB95

14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

1 Peter 1:3–5 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The weight is on the glory not on the trial.

beyond comparison - out of all proportion.

i.e. We can’t possibly understand the size of the sun. Sun’s diameter is 109X bigger than earth. VY Canis Majoris has between 1,300  to 1,540 solar radii, which means its radius, is at least 1,300 times that of our Sun’s. Betelgeuse is among the biggest stars in our Universe that we know of at least. This supergiant red star has between 950 and 1,200 solar radii, or it has between 95.000% and 120.000% of our Sun’s radius. You could easily fit more than 8 billion Sun’s inside Betelgeuse.

2 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Value the Future over the Present

Whether suffering comes from believers’ faithful, loyal, committed testimony about Jesus Christ, or the patient enduring of life’s normal trials, such as disease, divorce, poverty, and loneliness, if endured with a humble, grateful, God-honoring attitude, it will add to the eternal weight of glory

Believer’s Bible Commentary G. An Earthen Vessel with a Heavenly Destiny (4:7–18)

Moorehead observes: “A little joy enters into us while we are in the world; we shall enter into joy when there. A few drops here; a whole ocean there.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 NASB95

18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This perspective depends on what you are looking at.

Look at the seen things- temporal

or

Look at the unseen things which are eternal.

Romans 8:17–18 NASB95

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

This is Paul’s secret of enduring every affliction in every way. Paul not only remained un-crushed, without despair, un-forsaken and not destroyed, but was renewed on the inside.