II Corinthians 1:8-11 "The Believer's Certain Hope"

Introduction:

I have thought a lot about II Corinthians 1:8-11 of the past few weeks.

It seems to me that afflictions in life can have one of two affects for those who believe in the existence of God.

They can cause you to shake your fist at Him in defiance as to blame Him for the hardship.

Or they can cause you to be broken before Him and draw near to Him in light of His covenant fidelity.

This was Jobs delima when his wife told Job to curse God and die; Job instead pondered the deep theological truths of God’s sovereign character and the fidelity of God in His covenant goodness to His people.

You will at one time or another suffer the reality of affliction in this fallen world as a Christian. Regardless of how good of a Christian you are it will come.

The Apostle Paul is proof of this. Look at the Reality of Affliction in verse 8:

I. The Reality of Affliction (8).

The example of the Apostle Paul tells us that the best of Christians go through afflictions. And those afflictions can take us to the point of despair and utter helplessness.

Affliction can take us beyond our strength and human ability. Our weakness can be exposed when affliction comes.

It is encouraging to me that the Apostle Paul despaired of life. Because a few weeks ago I believe I was there and many of you have had times in your life when you have been there too.

But in these life events even though we are brought to the end of ourselves we must always remember that such affliction has a purpose. Look back at your text to verse 9:

II. The Purpose of Affliction (9).

The purpose of affliction is to wean us off of self reliance and onto a reliance on the God who raises the dead.

God has the power over death and life and He has given Jesus Christ authority over the grave. The believer’s existence and security is completely in the hands of God in Christ. This is a great comfort.

Christian assurance in the hour of testing can’t be found in the self because our strength will fail us.

Because in the hour of testing if your existence and security rest in your hands you won’t find hope in your despair nor will you find strength in your weakness.

When our weakness is exposed this is an incredible comfort, to know that all authority over us is given to Christ by God.

This is a comfort because Christ has bound Himself to us in all of His goodness and mercy to uphold us and secure us to Himself regardless of what may come from the affliction that we endure.

I can tell your that in the early morning hours of August 21st of 2021, as I was fighting to just breathe air and at the same time my Dad lay dying in the hospital; the only thing that brought me comfort was to know that what Christ has secured for me and my Dad could never be taken away by the circumstance of life nor even by death itself.

All I could think about was the sovereignty of God and the reality of His covenant goodness. I did not think and dwell on the things of earth. I meditated on the eternal things of God.

Christian, assurance in the hour of testing can’t be found in the self because our strength will fail us but the covenant fidelity of God never will.

This sets the stage for the Glory of God to be displayed in affliction. Look at verses 10-11:

III. The Glory of Affliction (10-11).

Affliction in the end glorifies God as the deliverer (10a).

This reminds us of who secures our deliverance. In life or in death our deliverer if God Himself in Christ. When self is peeled away from the outside the core of our deliverance is revealed.

The truth of our weakness is exposed but Christ as victor is clearly revealed and to Him belongs all the glory. But the glory doesn’t stop there.

Affliction in the end glorifies God in Christ as the object of our hope. Not the self, not in our performance but our ultimate hope is found in Christ (10b).

This is why affliction can be a faith builder. When all the dust settles, Christ stands alone as our defender and sustainer and the clarity of Him as our foundation of hope solidified in our faith.

“On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.” (10b). This builds our faith as we have seen Him in operation before and we know He will sustain us in whatever comes in the future.

Whether it be death or difficult circumstances in life we know that we are held secure by Christ. None of us know what this fallen world may throw at us but we know the words of our Lord from John 16:33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The glory of affliction doesn't end there it makes full circle back to producing the worship of thanksgiving in our hearts.

Affliction in the end glorifies God in the cultivation of thankful hearts (11).

How can we not give Him thanksgiving in our prayers and in our worship? When the things of earth get peeled back and Christ our redeemer, deliverer, sustainer is unveiled to be the undergirding force under us how could we not be thankful.

I am thankful for things like air and taste buds, even though mine are still not completely normal. I am thankful for prayer and family and the body of Christ with a greater intensity than before.

But even more I am thankful to the God who made them and brought deliverance. And I am thankful for the price by which He has bought us.

This table points us to the lengths that He was willing to go to secure us to Himself.

Conclusion:

And the hope of that security is held out again in the gospel. Maybe you are an unbeliever here today and you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

My friend you need the gospel. What is it that will sustain you in the hour of testing? You need a savior, someone who can take your sin upon Himself as a perfect sacrifice before God.

You need one who has overcome death and the grave and who will secure you to Himself. You need Jesus.

Christian Scripture commands us to examine our own hearts in preparation for this table. May we come today in full assurance and reliance on Him and His grace to us.

Let’s Pray!