Eternal Perspective

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 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.

Introduction

Have you ever been in a car ride that just felt like taking forever?

Have you ever waited for your mom or your wife to finish with dinner and it is taking forever?

Have you ever waited in line at the BMV or black friday shopping, or customer service on the phone and it feels like forever?

These are all things we have used to describe an event that feels like FOREVER. But when we think about God being eternal, how do we picture that. He has no beginning and no end. We have a beginning. Time for us started somewhere, but for God he has always existed.

And it is him always existing that propels us to an eternal perspective in times of suffering.

Quick context, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church defending his ministry against false teachers. Paul has been defending the new covenant God has made to his people in Christ. In this current chapter, Paul is defending the ministry of the gospel. This gospel that God has opened our eyes to, and the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Cor

Then the next part, Paul is showing how this treasure of the gospel is within us. And this treasure

2 Corinthians 4:7–11 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 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; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 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.

2 Corinthians 4:8–11 ESV

8 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; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 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.

We suffer for the sake of Christ. Our suffering has purpose, but it is an eternal perspective that will get us through these times of suffering.

We suffer for the sake of Christ. Our suffering has purpose, but it is the eternal perspective that will get us through these times of suffering.

So the question, How does an eternal perspective help us through suffering?

Eternal Perspective will help us

Persevere

2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Our flesh. This skin on my arms. The wrinkles on all our foreheads. The annoying pimples that will pop up at the most random times all of that will waste away. Everything in this world will waste away,

Preaching the Word: 2 Corinthians—Power in Weakness Confidence in Transformation (vv. 16–18)

Our bodies are wearing down minute by minute. If you want to see the difference that age makes, take two tennis balls (one fresh from the can and the other plucked from the leaves with fifteen sets on it) and drop them side by side. Watch them bounce. You’ll see the difference! Then examine them together, the one firm, bright, optic yellow, the other gray, with bald spots and spongy to the touch.

but our inner bodies will be renewed day by day.

but our inner bodies will be renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This is key but the Spirit of the Lord lives within us making us more and more like Jesus Christ. Our outer self is wasting away but our inner self is being renewed day by day. And this is your good days. This is your bad days. These are the days when you are sinful....everyday and the days where suffering seems to be so much, the spirit is living within us transforming us into the image of his Son.

And as our outer bodies are wasting away, we as believers our former depraved state is wasting away, and our inner new Christ-like nature is being renewed day by day.

All of that theological truth to say that we have the Spirit of the Lord living within us to persevere through suffering.

We persevere, we also

We Gain Perspective

2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

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

In our suffering, we tend to lose perspective of the problem.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Suffering, Reason For

The following quotation is from a Christian man who has been an invalid all his life, one of those lonely and obscure people who live in constant pain, who do not know what it means to be able to use their physical body in any way without pain and suffering:

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Suffering, Reason For

“Loneliness is not a thing of itself, not an evil sent to rob us of the joys of life. Loneliness, loss, pain, sorrow, these are disciplines, God’s gifts to drive us to his very heart, to increase our capacity for him, to sharpen our sensitivities and understanding, to temper our spiritual lives so that they may become channels of his mercy to others and so bear fruit for his kingdom. But these disciplines must be seized upon and used, not thwarted. They must not be seen as excuses for living in the shadow of half-lives, but as messengers, however painful, to bring our souls into vital contact with the living God, that our lives may be filled to overflowing with himself in ways that may, perhaps, be impossible to those who know less of life’s darkness.”1348

“Loneliness, loss, pain, sorrow, these are disciplines, God’s gifts...” These painful circumstances God uses them to drive us to him. talks about

English Standard Version Chapter 1

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The testing of our faith produces steadfastness or perseverance. But we lose sight of that truth. We get lost in the midst of the trial and Paul is calling the church to see

“Brothers, sisters this affliction is light and momentary.” They probably would not believe this and you and I would not believe it in our midst of suffering, but compared to eternity it is light.

And eternity is described “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” We can’t picture it and we can’t describe it but it will be great and glorious and the best thing we will ever experience.

How does an eternal perspective help us through suffering?

It helps us persevere.

It helps us gain perspective.

Third

Perceive what is unseen

2 Corinthians 4:18 ESV

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.

We look to the things we cannot see. As verse sixteen says “our inner self is being renewed day by day,” so the process of personal renewal occurs as the believer looks to the things that are unseen.

Look back at verse eighteen in chapter three

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Our faces have been unveiled and we behold the glory of the Lord.

We do not focus on the present and the suffering and pain. Our eyes, our sight, our gaze is fixed above to the age to come. An eternity with God.

Conclusion

So how does an eternal perspective help us with suffering?

An eternal perspective helps us

Persevere through suffering

We Gain Perspective

Perceive what is unseen

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Eternal Life

B. J. Honeycutt, a character on the T.V. series “M.A.S.H.,” gave this reason for why he didn’t give in to temptation in the midst of the Korean p 122 War: “I live in an insane world where nothing makes sense. Everyone around me lives for the now, because there may not be a tomorrow. But I have to live for tomorrow, because for me there is no now.”

For B. J., his hope for the future was seeing his family again. That hope was sufficient to define how he would behave in an extremely difficult situation. How much more so should our future hope of the kingdom of God shape how we live?401

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Suffering, Response To

Several years ago, there was a man going through great physical problems and one of his legs had to be amputated. That did not arrest the course of his disease, and he ultimately died because of it. Just a few days before the man’s death, a minister visited him in the hospital, and the patient said something that perfectly expresses what “rejoicing in suffering” means to a Christian: “I never would have chosen one of the trials that I’ve gone through, but I wouldn’t have missed any of them for the world!”

This man had an awareness that his suffering was something of value. He wouldn’t have missed it! He wouldn’t have chosen it either! That is rejoicing in suffering.1350

Suffering is something all of us would like to not go through if we could choose not to. But suffering is a reality in this broken world, but it is an eternal perspective on the age to come where things are perfect, and we are in perfect union with God that we look forward to during our suffering.