Present Hope Inspires Perseverance

Hope Inspires Perseverance

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This morning we are in our third study of the subject of perseverance. Two times in 2 Corinthians chapter four, Paul says, “So we do not lose heart.” The word that we translate “lose heart” means to lose your motivation to accomplish a vital goal. It means to become so discouraged that you want to give up.

In verse sixteen, we see Paul’s second use of the phrase, “So we do not lose heart.” The first time he used it was back in verse one. He has given several reasons why we should not lose heart in our Christian walk and service. Just as important, he gave us three things we must do if we are going to experience the victory of perseverance in our lives.

This morning we will only look at verses sixteen through eighteen of chapter four. In these verses we see hoe the hope of transformation in the present life inspires perseverance. That is the bottom line of these three verses. My points will support why the hope of transformation in the present life inspires hope. First, we notice the hope of inward renewal.

1. Inward renewal

Verse sixteen, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” The first contrast that Paul makes is between the “outer self” and “inner self.” In the Greek it is “outer man,” and “inner man.” In one since, this is tied in to verse seven of this same chapter.

Paul used the metaphor of “jars of clay” to describe our human weaknesses and limitations. We are reminded of our limitations in our physical bodies, and in the experiences we face in life. Remember some of the experiences that remind us of our weaknesses? Personal pressures, frustrations, attacks, and failures. But there is also the reminder of our physical bodies.

No matter how hard we try, we have not stopped the aging process. Somebody please tell Jerry Jones and Joan Rivers that no number of facelift will stop them from getting old. As much as we exert ourselves physically, our bodies waste away. Not even Jack Lelaine could stop physical decay. For years now, I have been battling the furniture disease. You know the disease where your chest drops into your drawers.

Paul has in mind here more than just the physical body. In fact, we need to really be careful with what Paul is talking about. He is not trying to make a distinction between the body and soul, or body and mind.

When Paul speaks about the outward and inner self, he has in mind the whole of our existence. He is looking at our existence from two different perspectives, or viewpoints. The outward man is referring to all that belongs to our old nature. Or you could say all that belongs to the old Adam, which is basically our morality and mortality. Let me expand upon this.

The fact that we are aging, getting sick, and dying reminds us that we still have the old Adam in us. We are frail mortal humans. But there is more. There is also the fact that we still battle with the old nature, or the deeds of the flesh, this is a part of the outer self. Therefore our mortality and sinful morality belongs to the old self.

But don’t lose heart. Paul says that this old nature is wasting away. It is gradually becoming incapacitated. As one person has said, “Our outward self is being deconstructed.” It is being torn down. And while there is deconstruction that is taking place with the outer man, there is reconstruction taking place with the inner man.

Notice the contrast, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” The inner self is our new life in Jesus Christ. This is both our new physical and spiritual life that we have in Jesus Christ. That is why we don’t want to make a distinction between body and soul.

When Paul is says our “inner self is being renewed day by day,” he has in mind more than just daily renewal and strength. Paul has in mind that God is creating a new person out of the old person.

In the life of every believer is a process of deconstruction and reconstruction taking place right now. We are progressively being renewed into the image of our creator. We are gradually being renewed and conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

In one since, Paul has in mind her eschatological teaching of the “now, but not yet” God’s kingdom is here with us now, but it is not yet fully consummated. We, who know Christ, are gradually being renewed into what we already are positionally. We are under construction, and it won’t be complete until Jesus returns.

A few weeks ago, my family went to try the new U.S.A. Pizza at Springhill and highway five. It is a beautiful building inside and out. But do you remember what it was before the construction was complete. Many years ago, when Tonya Breeding was a little girl it was a grocery store. Then it was turned into a feed store. And now, after deconstruction, reconstruction has made it into a nice restaurant.

The deconstruction process in our lives is usually messy, but the transformation that comes from the day-by-day renewal is beautiful. Christians can persevere because we know that God is not finished with us yet. We know that God is renewing us into the image of Jesus and construction will not be complete until Jesus returns. Inward renewal creates a new perspective for life.

2. New perspective

Verse seventeen, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” The contrast is being made between temporary and the eternal. It has the same meaning as the outward and inward; two different viewpoints for life.

The reality of the inward renewal creates a new perspective for life. Notice how Paul describes the pain and suffering we face as believers, “for this light momentary affliction.” The word for affliction speaks of pressure in the physical sense, and oppression in the figurative sense. It speaks of the affliction and harassments that God’s children experience in this world.

Paul describes the troubles that we face as believers as “light,” and “momentary.” The word “light” has the meaning of limited, or not intense. The word “momentary” pertains to a relatively short period of time, with the emphasis upon the temporary nature of the experience. Our pain and troubles are temporary and limited.

We can have this perspective about our troubles when we compare them to the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” There are two Greek words that Paul uses in this phrase that I want to draw your attention to. First, the word “Baros.” We translate it weight. Next, the word “huperbole.” We translate it “beyond all comparison.” Paul uses these same words in chapter one verse eight, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” The world “utterly” translates “huperbole.” The word “burdened” translates “Baros.” Paul’s troubles caused him to trust in God.

Now Paul is saying that his troubles are temporary and light when you compare them to the eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” In verse seventeen Paul uses the Greek word “huperbole” twice for emphasis.” The weight of God’s glory is utterly beyond all comparison.” The weight of glory is out of proportion. Therefore, the result is that we see our troubles and our afflictions, as they really are, temporary and insignificant.

But we also see that our troubles and afflictions have a purpose. Paul says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. The preparation is not just future. It is present.

The verb “preparing,” or “achieving” is present tense. This means that at this moment we are progressively experiencing the glory of God through our troubles and affliction. I must admit that I have often taken this verse to be totally future; therefore, I thought it meant that my suffering gives way to glory, but that is not what this verse is saying. It is saying that our suffering is producing glory right now.

I good analogy for this new perspective is the bodybuilder and weightlifting. Bodybuilders don’t get those muscles over night. It takes a great deal of working out to gain muscles. There is much pain to their gain. In the same way, suffering in the Christian life produces muscles that become a part of our spiritual physique. Inward renewal creates a new perspective. A new perspective creates an upward attention.

3. Upward Attention

Verse eighteen, “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.” Paul could persevere because his focus was on his future hope of resurrection and transformation. He was able to look beyond what was seen; that is, transitory, to what is unseen, the eternal.

Everything our eyes see is temporary. What is visible will one day be invisible, and what is invisible will all be visible. Paul allowed his upward attention to shape the way he lived in the present.

If we have an upward attention we will not lose heart. If we have an upward attention it will cause us to persevere in our Christian living and service. If we have an upward attention it will determine what we are living for now.

There is a good way to see if you have an upward attention. Ask yourself what dominates your life? What dominates your time? What dominates your resources?

Paul let the unseen inspire him to persevere. One of my favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption. It stars Tim Robbins, who plays Andy Dufrane, and Morgan Freeman who plays Red. Both are imprisoned. Andy Dufrane devises a plan to escape, one that would take him twenty years to complete. For twenty years Andy dug a tunnel that eventually opened up into the sewage. Once he got into the sewage, he crawled another 500 yards through sewage until he got to freedom. The only that that enabled him to persevere so long was the hope of a better life.

What are you living for? Are you living for the seen, or unseen? It’s never too late to change your course. Don’t wait your life?