We Are Dying and Rising | 2 Corinthians 4_7-18

If you ask my kids they will tell you that I am in my sourdough phase. I have taken to making bread this fall. Call me a late adopter (so many of you started during COVID lockdowns). But I have taken up the art of combining flour, water, salt, and yeast.

And I don’t think I could have taken up this hobby, task for the family, any sooner in my life. Because it is a test of maturity. Bread making slows you down. It takes patience. Long hours of waiting for loaves to rise (when some never do). It takes resilience (to keep going when the bake was a disaster this week and you are hesitant to mix it up again.)

That’s the way of maturity isn’t it? You arrive at a new place and become ready for something more, new responsibility, new experience.

Today we encounter an example in Scripture of a life so settled in union with Christ that it is reframed in dying and rising, and I think it is a model for us, as those following Christ, being made to be like him.

We Are. A short series on who we are in light of who Jesus is.

Free from that which enslaved us (sin), able to cling to truth over irrational fear driving anxiety, formed by the good news of Jesus in community.

And lastly, at least in this series, We Are Dying and Rising.

Sorry, no “F,” it is good to stand apart!

It’s not that clean. In fact in preparation I decided I needed another 30 years to figure this sermon out! I am on my way…

But against a cultural moment proclaiming another Jesus than the one proclaimed in Scripture, and a different gospel, of winning by taking, subduing the least, and rejecting the cross for our own glory and greed; we should endeavor all the more to see Jesus clearly and live his way.

This is where we share in Christ’s life, experience freedom, gain a clear view of that which drives our feelings, and find dynomite for formation.

Following Jesus will lead to a life of dying and rising, and that is for our good.

Alternatively: Following Jesus will be the death of you.

This is where we call life like it is, see what keeps us grounded through the highs and lows and hopefully embrace the life that is given to us.

Dying and rising with Christ is the normal Christian life

Our text is a doozy. Being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, always… carrying in the body the death of Jesus.

Why 2 Corinthians? We could have gone several places in the NT, the posture here is really Paul’s MO, certainly toward the tail end of his life. But here he clearly paints the paradox of not just his ministry but of the Christian life.

The context is helpful to our story as well. Paul is writing to the church to commend the repentance of a sinner among them, and encourage the church to forgive him. To remind them of their participation not only in the advance of the gospel as ambassadors of Christ but as members of the global church, and a warning against the “super-apostles” selling another gospel.

The influencers with crowd-pleasing “ministries” promoting a gospel of self satisfaction, manipulating people for gain. For power. Theology of ‘glory’ versus the cross.

It’s in this context that Paul reveals dying and rising.

Paul’s story is every believer’s story. We met Jesus, treasure put in jars of clay. We are these jars of clay. Vessels for everyday use. Not seen as valuable, or strong. Writing today he may have said “we have this treasure in In-N-Out fry trays to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (ESV)

The key words here are “but not.”

We get that life is hard. After all, we live it. We might not always describe it with such weight, but we don’t just leave it as a “fact of life.”

“Suffering, pain, trials, difficulty, death, disappointment—all of these are normal for humanity, and they are despised. But as Christians we are called to see God’s work in us through these means, and to understand his purpose to humble and unite us, and to draw us closer to our great and glorious Savior.”

2 Corinthians 4:10 “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (ESV)

This is the J-curve. Like the letter J, Jesus’s life descends through his incarnation and then death, and then upward into his resurrection and exaltation. All of the apostle Paul’s descriptions of the gospel in some way trace the pattern of Jesus’s dying and rising. And Paul’s description of his life here matches this same pattern.

Swooping down in death, so that there will be swooping up in rising, to life.

Regular dying and rising. And as we are formed in Christ, We increasingly realize, this is the normal way of life and it is for our good.

It may actually be the way to our formation.

“We are not merely called to develop habits to form a life. Before Christian maturity is ever transformative, it is first and foremost about death and resurrection. Death and resurrection should never be secluded to conversion, even though our conversion is, of course, a death and a resurrection with Christ. But as our life is in Christ, and his life is our life, death and resurrection are always the pattern of the Christian life depicted throughout the New Testament.” Kyle Strobel

We are familiar with Christ’s call to his followers to die to self. It may be out of vogue but Jesus said it.

John 12:24–26 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (ESV)

Mark 8:34–38 “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. [36] For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? [37] For what can a man give in return for his soul? [38] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (ESV)

It is denying our self-salvation attempts as if we could be good enough. It is denying our idol-factory hearts and the other gods they try to worship. It is denying our flesh and the lesser desires that corrupt what we were meant for.

But it is not just when we first come to Jesus. It is for all of life.

We are also acquainted with other NT calls to put sin to death in us.

Colossians 3:5–10 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (ESV)

“We live out our Christian faith in the context of difficult jobs, strained relationships, embarrassing circumstances, tough church meetings, and shortcomings in our personal and family lives. But all of that dying is purposeful and will be used to overcome self-gratification and self-centeredness, and to produce true life in Christ.”

But in our familiarity with the dying we might miss the rising.

Of the seed Jesus said “if it dies, it bears much fruit. He also said “whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

We carry around the death of Jesus, so his life may be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (ESV)

Colossians 3:12–17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (ESV)

This is our good. His life manifested in our mortal flesh. Kindness, humility, patience, love. The peace of Christ.

We die to rise.

What does that practically look like?

The normal Christian life involves dying continually to comfort, ease, worldly success, cynicism, and despair, and finding true life in repentance, love, humility, and hope.

My credibility. If I am interacting with peers on a project and something is my idea but no one mentions it, and I don’t, if I am clinging to my achievement and reputation as my satisfaction/idol I would leave that meeting despairing. Affecting future interaction, view of self.

If I die to that - surrender that slight to Jesus. When I give that over to him it doesn’t control me or drag me down. So I can walk into those types of spaces asking myself “how am I willing to die to rise?”

Relationally. This is one I wish I had died to sooner. Rejection from a friend that I received as betrayal. Stewed over it, saw it as an “injustice,” began to form a victim narrative. Missing how God might use it to reveal Christ.

Putting it on a J-curve, instead of latching on to a feeling of betrayal, I could have received it as the No that it was. A death. Knowing that life comes from death in Christ. Hoping, not stewing, praying not panicking.

Doesn’t eliminate the emotion, but anchors my hope in Christ’s steadfastness not that of my friends. His life is then revealed. His peace.

“Our usual response to the relational pain (betrayal, constant criticism, etc.) is to push away the story that God has permitted in our lives. That inevitably leads to some form or withdrawal or bitterness, the cancer of the soul. But by receiving the cup that God has permitted in our lives, we neuter the evil. We take the cup offered to us by the Father, so the other person no longer captures our soul.”

This applies in thousands of ways. In dying to feeling dishonored by no one else doing the dishes! By dying to the rush of traffic.

You know yours.

It is a consistent calibration to our union with Christ, that we are “in Christ” and not “in the world.”

Colossians 2:20 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—” (ESV)

Paul Miller uses the example of his High School aged daughter being benched by her field hockey coach. Likely not for performance but personality. He talked it over with his daughter and she decided to talk to the coach… Another parent approaches having heard of the situation and says “aren’t you going to confront the coach for wronging the girls, jeopardizing their stats?”

He responded, “I am thankful this has happened here, life is like this, and she will learn how to handle it in a safe place…”

The other parent confounded. They were “in field hockey” priority, value, identity. Would have held onto the slight, monopolized life. “In Christ” dying to it, growing in it.

This doesn’t negate justice, still pursue it.

This is the cruciform life that the NT presents. Paul doesn’t give six steps to avoid being crushed. He says we are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed.

This is where the “but not crushed, but not in despair, but not abandoned, but not destroyed” is experienced.

We rise from dying.

But this is more than a new age emptying of self…that leads nowhere. It is not a legalistic subduing of the flesh that develops into pride or despair.

This is a life motivated from something so amazing dying and rising is worthwhile. It is rooted somewhere.

Our lives are anchored t0 Christ’s Death and Resurrection

We wouldn’t be wrong if we said Paul’s motivation for this kind of life was ministry, to win more for the kingdom. But that’s secondary. It is primarily the treasure that drives him.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

To know the glory of Christ is to encounter the life-transforming glory of God.

The good news of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. That in our rejection of God, when we recognize our need Jesus provides himself in our place, to give us his righteousness, to bridge the gap our sin created.

We don’t “die and rise” to gain salvation, we do it because we have salvation in Christ.

And when we don’t suffer well, when we are slow to die and rise, when we cling to the perspectives and priorities of the world system, when we fail. Because Jesus died and rose for us, we are in fellowship with him in his dying and rising. It covers us and empowers us to go again. To receive mercy and the grace to stand.

For Paul, and us, it is the experience of this glory that drives love for Jesus that overrides everything. A love that sends him outward preaching grace and always being given over to death.

Paul even sets aside his accomplishments, his reputation, for knowing Jesus.

Philippians 3:4–11 “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. [7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (ESV)

This is Jesus’ life being revealed in us, when we share in his suffering. This is where strength is to rise…

“The goal of trusting in Christ is to know him, that is, to know Christ in a personal relationship, and also to know the power of his resurrection—namely, the power Christ exerts now from the right hand of God. But this power is made known as the believer shares the same kind of sufferings Jesus faced—the sufferings that attend faithful witness in a fallen world. The good news is that those who suffer with and for Christ will attain the resurrection from the dead, even as he did.” ESV SB

This is where being made like Christ takes on its fullness.

Jesus’ story of dying and rising defines our story.

“Theologically we are being taught an important truth, that the death and resurrection of Jesus transpired not only in place of us (in a way we can never follow) but also ahead of us (in a way that we must follow). He is not only a substitute but also a pioneer, blazing a trail we are called to walk ourselves. The former is Christ for us; the latter Christ in us. Only the former is atoning, but apostolic Christianity necessarily includes both.”

So we still hurt, we still grieve, we have permission to, but now our temporary dying isn’t just little old me on my own, I’m caught up into re-enacting the most magnificent story ever told.

To believe the gospel necessarily leads to entering into Christ’s dying and rising. A life of believing the gospel anchored in Christ’s death and resurrection becomes like the gospel.

In comparison; babysitting becomes parenting; business school becomes starting a business; boot camp becomes combat; falling in love becomes marriage.

In each case, we move from knowing about something to entering into a deep, personal experiential knowledge. From his first encounter on the Damascus road with Jesus, Paul’s life has been this “becoming.”

And in his dying and rising, Paul does not lose heart as he is anchored to Christ, in spite of his suffering as an apostle, because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead enables him to endure adversity, and reveals the power of God.

This is what is available for us too. In our dying and rising as we are anchored to Christ’s finished work for us on the cross and in his resurrection. His victory over death, that we could die to the things of this world, knowing his peace, and live revealing him.

And as sure as Christ’s cross and resurrection secured salvation and new life for us, our anchor will bring us all the way home.

Our lives are tethered to eternal glory

This is the height of the “J” beyond what we can imagine.

“Christ’s rising was the inbreaking of the life of the new age, the invincible, fully physical yet immortal glory of final resurrection. And by virtue of union with him, believers share in this life of the new age even before they have themselves died. We will die physically one day. But the new life, resurrection life, will continue on, and one day, when Christ returns, we will be given the same kind of bodies Jesus now has (cf. Phil. 3:21).”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (ESV)

Dying and rising doesn’t seem hard against the scale of eternity. And if the gospel has taught us to look up, to set out minds on things above, we will keep our eyes fixed on what is eternal.

Resurrection life with Jesus. New heavens and earth. The end of dying, metaphorically and literally. Relational wholeness. Experienced righteousness. Standing blameless before God.

Light and momentary troubles in comparison, our dying and rising, preparing for us the eternal weight of glory.

None of it is meaningless. It is working something in us, for Jesus’ sake. For his glory, for our good, and so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Following Jesus will lead to a life of dying and rising, and that is for our good.

We jars of clay… weak, easily broken. Fascinating to me that in every archeological dig across the globe, remnants of jars of clay are the proof of life…

God has made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Treasure Jesus - See Jesus. In Scripture, in brothers and sisters. Rest in his finished work for you and ask the Spirit to increase your love for your Savior.

Die and Rise with Him - Follow him in giving yourself away, finding belonging, value, identity in his claim over you. That his life may be revealed in you.

This is so opposite to the prevailing winds of our day, it seems so weak. But it is a life like Jesus. And it is good.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (ESV)

May it be so in us.

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