(2 Cor 4:16-17 PHI) This is the reason we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” In this series we have looked at many examples of people who faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but through the power of God they were able to overcome them all. We also saw how the supernatural was made available to those who were able to expand their capacity to believe for the impossible. After several months of teaching on this I have the release from God to close out the series. But before I do I am led to share a few messages “The Big Picture.” Sometimes we get so caught up in the challenge we are facing that we fail to look past the trees (the challenge) long enough to see the forest (our destiny; our life’s purpose). We will look at a string of scriptures that remind us of the forces at work that are much bigger than the temporary challenge we may be facing. We will begin with something Paul told the church in Philippi.
In Paul’s letter he taught about the challenges first century believers faced as they sought to preach Christ and Him crucified. The Roman opposition was fierce, the dangers were real, and the martyr count was growing, but Paul refused to quit and he urged the Philippians to develop the same resolve. Earlier in the chapter Paul said, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” It is as though Paul was describing two realities: one that depicted the treacherous dangers they were facing in the natural (on the outside), and the other describing the supernatural regeneration they were experiencing in the supernatural (on the inside).
Today, especially in the United States, none of us are facing the challenges first century believers did. We are not being persecuted for the gospel like they were, but we do face challenges nonetheless. We still have these two realities. In one sense our outward man is perishing day-by-day. All of us physically wear away. However, at the same time, our inward man is being renewed as we grow and develop in righteousness. Theologian Albert Barnes said the following of verse 16: “Paul has described two parts as constituting man, so distinct: that while the one perishes, the other is renewed; while the one is enfeebled, the other is strengthened; while the one grows old and decays, the other renews its youth and is invigorated. Of course, the soul is not dependent on the body for its vigor and strength, since it expands while the body decays; and of course the soul may exist independently of the body, and in a separate state.” We will stop here today and address verse 17 tomorrow.
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things:
1. Your natural (outer) man is progressively decaying while your supernatural (inner) man can be renewed day-by-day, if you walk with God and develop in His Word.
2. You should pay more attention to the supernatural aspects of your life than the natural. The natural things you face are temporary, but the supernatural growth you experience is eternal.
3. If you are able to look past the problems long enough to see the promises of God you will realize that your problems pale in comparison to your eternal destiny.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for blessing me to see both the natural and supernatural aspects of my life. In and of myself I am limited. Without You I am completely natural and finite. However, with You I am supernatural and infinite. There is nothing You cannot do. There is nothing too hard for You. There are no impossibilities in You. And since You have taken up residence in me and You have chosen to operate in, with, and through me, I declare that there are no impossibilities for me. While my outward man is perishing and wearing away as I face the pressures of life, my inner man is being renewed, strengthened, energized, and invigorated. What’s IN me is more important than what is going on around me. The supernatural is eternal, the natural is temporary. So I choose to look past the temporary and to focus on the eternal. The eternal is the BIG PICTURE. With a proper perspective I am able to withstand temporary challenges without allowing them to change my internal disposition. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
