Three Truths That Overcome Trials

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2Co 4:16-17 AV)

 

Do you feel overwhelmed, down, or depressed because life is not an easy task?  Are troubles all around?  Do you feel weary in the battle for the LORD enough to throw in the towel?  Do the world, the Devil, and the flesh harass you until all your strength is sapped?  Paul states that even though his outward man, that is, his literal body, is on the decline, the inward person feels alive day by day.  The flesh may weaken, but the spirit does not have to.  The spirit can be renewed day by day. No matter how weary we get, the spirit can feel as though the soul is alive.  There are several reasons Paul is able to say what he said in verse sixteen.  First, he sees all trouble, no matter the depth, as light.  Second, he sees all trouble as only temporary.  Third, he sees the benefit of glory as the result of the temporary trials he is asked to endure.

I had a church attender years ago that was on dialysis.  She was born without two functioning kidneys and the kidney she had at the time was a transplant.   As her pastor, I would visit with her a time or two which she sat hocked up to the machine.  This gave me a captive audience.  While she sat for six hours, I had the time and opportunity to witness to her.  This went on for about five years until her husband donated his kidney.  As we met at the hospital, I sat with the husband first.  He had seldom heard the gospel, so I took the time to share with him how he might be saved.  Next door, this lady was visited by her aunt.  This aunt had the opportunity to harvest what I had planted.  The young wife was gloriously saved!  What a testament to the grace of God!  Our attender was humbled by her sin and situation to finally bow her heart to God’s free gift of salvation in Christ.  The affliction she endured worked to her glorification.  Since that day of salvation, this lady had a different view on life.  Her kidney disease never improved.  She eventually passed away from renal failure.  However, I had the opportunity to officiate the internment and I can tell you the family knew their loved one was saved and loved the LORD.

We may be overwhelmed, weary, or simply at the point, we want to give up.  But Paul had a three-point approach to a downward cast spirit.  He had three truths which he rehearsed to the tired flesh that got him up in the morning.  He remembered his affliction was light.  By light, he is not asserting it was easy.  What he is doing is he is reflecting back on past afflictions and remembering they were not as bad as they seemed at the time.  Second, he remembered the duration was temporary and it did not last nearly as long as it felt at the time.  Third, and most importantly, he believed no matter what the LORD would ask him to go through, the affliction would result in far better benefits than had he not gone through it.  The glory we will receive if we endure the hardships of life cannot be compared to the hardship itself.  God rewards far more than we think or can understand.  So, remember, it is light, it will not last as long as you think, and the product it produces is far more precious than one can comprehend.

Why The Delay?

“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” (1Co 15:25 AV)

 

Although in the context of sin and death, the statement above begs a question.  If Jesus is as much God as the Father (which HE is), then He has the ability to defeat all enemies instantaneously.  Then why not?  If Jesus is as much God as the Father (which He is), and He knows how much suffering mankind will endure, then why not conquer all enemies instantaneously?  As God, why doesn’t Jesus destroy Satan before he has any chance of inflicting damage?  The tense above is the present tense.  That is, Jesus presently reigns.  He is in control.  He has never been out of control.  The Godhead has maintained and governed all of creation from the moment all things were set in motion.  Knowing, then, that God in the person of Jesus reigns and must reign, begs the question of why bad things happen to good people.  This further begs the question as to the duration of this struggle.  If Jesus Christ could conquer all enemies in the instant of a nano-second, then why tarry as He is?  There really are two applications here.

The first is to understand that Christ must reign.  He will always reign.  There is no beginning nor end to His reign.  No matter what our senses tell us, Jesus Christ reigns.  No matter what the world may appear to be, Jesus Christ reigns.  This is simple enough.  There is another application here.  That is if Jesus Christ could conquer all enemies by a mere thought, yet has chosen to belabor that end, there must be a reason.  That reason speaks to a process that accomplishes a certain goal that otherwise could not be accomplished.  If we understand there is a process tied with a goal, then the saint will be apt to exercise a bit more patience in that process.  All things considered, most of that to which the saint is destined could be accomplished in a moment.  We will be transformed into the image of Christ in an instant.  Our old man of sin will be destroyed in an instant.  We all have a place in heaven that is prepared for us.  So many blessings will be instantaneous at the coming of Christ or our graduation thereto.  So, there must be something that Jesus desires to accomplish that cannot be accomplished outside of delaying the inevitable.  IF we can answer that question, we will answer one of life’s greatest puzzles as to the purpose of our existence.

There are two traits we cannot learn once we are glorified.  That is, self-abasement exercised through self-denial and sacrifice, and living by faith.  Both require we live in the limitations of our human experience.  We will no longer live by faith when we see face to face our dear Savior.  What we once took by faith, we shall see face to face.  When we are given a glorified body and live in the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ, there will no longer be self-denial.  For, we will by nature desire to do that which pleases Him without having to wrestle with ourselves.  Paul describes this in Philippians chapter two.  It is called the mind of Christ.  When we wonder why the LORD just doesn’t end it all as quickly as He could, we have to remember there are greater goals here at play.  Mainly, that the child of God can learn by experience the nature of Christ.  He can learn by a choice challenged by two opposites.  Trust Him, or deny Him.  Sacrifice and serve in self-denial, or please self.  Once the old man is gone and we see Him by sight, there will be no more opportunity.

Complimentary, Not Competitive

“Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” (1Co 11:11 AV)

 

I think Albert Barnes explains this verse perfectly.  “Lest the man should assume to himself too much superiority, and lest he should regard the woman as made solely for his pleasure, and should treat her as in all respects inferior, and withhold the respect that is due to her. The design of this verse and the following is to show, that the man and woman are united in the most tender interests; that the one cannot live comfortably without the other; that one is necessary to the happiness of the other; and that though the woman was formed from the man, yet it is also to be remembered that the man is descended from the woman. She should therefore be treated with proper respect, tenderness, and regard.”  Chapter eleven deals with hair length as a symbol of societal status.  It was not uncommon for women to disguise themselves as men that they might gain access to political halls and participate in debate.  This even began to infiltrate the church.  The other side of the coin, so to speak, would be for men to think themselves superior.  Hence the verse above.  Each is mutually dependent on and beneficial to, the other.  Responsibility does not suggest superiority.

Many principles and objects of life are designed on the balance counter balance theorem.  Take a forklift, for example.  While under load, there are forces contrary to one another that allows the lift to remain stationary.  The weight of the load is contrary to the counterbalance weights in the chassis.  Or, think of beats in a music score.  There are vacant parts in-between beats.  Some call those spaces, off-beats.  If there were no off-beats, then there would be only one beat.  It is impossible to have more than one beat without an off-beat.  A seesaw would not work unless two weights complimented one another.  Food is often seasoned with two basic seasonings.  It often puzzles me that food needs salt and pepper as basic seasonings.  The point is, God designed life with complementary forces or characteristics that enable life to function and be blessed. When it comes to marriage, it is the ultimate symphony of balance.

In my premarital counseling sessions, I ask the prospective couple to do some homework.  One of the tasks is to list one’s strengths and weaknesses and then apply them to the strengths and weaknesses of their fiancé.  I do this that so when emotions may wane or commitment is challenged, this couple can see why the LORD put them together.  They can go back to the foundation of marriage found in Genesis chapter two.  God made Adam a mate who would be a help to him.  A wife who would compliment him.  Understanding one’s self is the first key to discerning one’s needs for a specific mate.  To that end, I have a confession to make.  As of late, the Holy Spirit has helped me to see, more and more, just how perfect my dear Lisa is for me.  I always knew she was.  She has abilities and personality traits I don’t have and this helps me to do what God has called me to do.  Last night, I was awakened by that irritating need all we of a certain age are inflicted with and lay awake afterward for a few minutes. In that time, I have the habit of reaching over to my wife and holding her hand as I fall back asleep.  In that time, I meditate on just how perfect of a wife my Lisa is to me.  God knew exactly what He was doing when He made her for me.  There isn’t any other soul on the entire planet that could be as perfect as she is for me.  I felt truly blessed.  Yes, I may be the leader in this relationship.  But I need her just as much as she needs me.  Probably even more.  I completely understand the meaning of the verse above.  She may be of me.  But I am just as much of her.  How blessed a man I am!

Body Of Respect

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (1Co 6:18 AV)

 

For context's sake, the issue at hand is a young man was taking up with his stepmother.  The issue of fornication here is two people who were not allowed to be married are now living together.  The phrase that has been mulling over in my mind is that last phrase.  Those that commit fornication sin against their own bodies.  What has puzzled me is the relationship above would be natural if they were not related and were married.  Not the act itself.  So, one wonders how fornication can be a sin against one’s own body, and does this principle relate to other applications as well?  Is it sinning against one’s own body manifested by other behaviors and what does that look like?  To use another term, is sinning against one’s own body a desecration of the body?  Can they be considered the same?  Of so, is there a certain level of respect that should be shown towards the flesh because of the hand that created it?  Then my thoughts went to other examples.

My mind went to majestic animals which quickly come to mind.  A lion with a large mane or a show horse is what popped into my mind.  My wife and I live only a mile from the Wisconsin state fairgrounds.  We work a booth at the fair handing out gospel tracts and sharing the love of Christ with those who stop by.  When our shift is over, we like to visit a few venues.  Much of the expo center is filled with people hawking their wares.  We spend a little bit of time there.  But the one place I like to go to the most is the stockade.  We love to go to horse shows.  I have seen rodeos.  I have seen themed shows with horses like the ones offered at places like Midevil Days.  But there is something different when the most perfect of specimens are judged.  These animals carry themselves with an air of majesty other horses do not.  They know there are above average.  They play to the cheering crowds.  They are pampered and brushed even amid judging.  They are oiled down so their coat glistens.  These animals are something to behold.  When they are shown, certain activities would come naturally to a horse that is forbidden while they are judged.  This activity, although quite natural, would make the animal seem more common or ordinary.  Show horse would not pull a plow.  But a quarter horse is a majestic horse when pulling a stump out of the ground.  The point is, God created His creature with a certain expectation of majesty.  He has designed them to function in the manner in which He has determined.  To do otherwise would desecrate the purpose for which they came into being.

When we talk of fornication, piercings for the dead, dressing immodestly, poor diet, or any host of things we might do or allow which compromises the majesty which God intended for the human body, we desecrate it.  This is what Paul is referring to.  Intimacy has always been reserved for those who are legitimately married.  Fornication is any physical intimacy outside of the confines of marriage.  To indulge in such would me we are treating the body with less respect than God would permit.  As stated above, this is not limited to intimacy.  This extends to any activity that affects the body.  In the medical world, there is another term used.  We would call this human dignity.  There is a dignity reserved for the human body that should not be violated.  Mankind was not meant to live like the animal kingdom no matter what secular science thinks.  For the saint, this principle extends to what we wear, what we eat, how well we take care of ourselves, and the activities we indulge in.  We have a responsibility to the shell God has given.  It needs to be treated with dignity and respect.

You Don't Have To Wait Until Christmas

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Co 2:9-10 AV)

 

We often quote verse nine as a way to influence the mind to dream of the eternally positive.  We state the mind cannot comprehend what awaits us in glory.  This is most certainly true.  The Bible may have a description of the glory of heaven and the glory of our God, but words will not come close to what we will experience.  In that sense, verse nine is correct.  However, taken with verse ten, this passage reveals there are things we can know.  Not all things are a mystery.  When the Spirit of God dwells within, the child of God has the opportunity to look into some of those things which God has prepared for us.  This is encouraging.  We do not have to go through life ignorant of the good things God has stored up for those who trust Him and love Him.  We can read from Genesis to Revelation and learn of all the blessings the LORD has prepared.  We don’t have to live in complete darkness regarding that which awaits us.  A bit of study and one can see a picture of the glories that await the child of God.

When my extended family gets together, stories and memories are often swapped.  One of those stories is the Christmas Present Caper.  My Mom and Dad did the whole Santa Claus thing.  Which meant hiding presents until Christmas Eve.  In turn, this created almost a dozen sleuths combing the entire house looking for these gifts.  Most of us gave up after a short try.  However, not so with one of my brothers.  My Mom was good!  It is not easy to hide gifts for a family of thirteen.  He looked everywhere.  We thought he had failed when we noticed a change in the relationship between him and my mother.  A little prying and we discovered he had found the secret hiding place.  It was a truck camper.  My Mom has stuffed this camper full of gifts and locked the door.  My brother has picked the lock and gained entry.  My Mom should have known something was up because this same brother skipped school and hung out all day in this camper.  My brother did not give up when it came to finding those gifts.  He searched high and low.  The entire spooky basement was torn apart, looking for these presents.  We had three attics and each one was thoroughly investigated.  There were enough closets scatter throughout the house that could accommodate a stash so large.  But they were in the camper.  And he found it!

When we get discouraged in our present situation, one of how we can come out of it is to do some investigation.  We can read passages that describe our heavenly home.  We can read books like John that give us the spiritual benefits of walking with God.  We can reminisce of that which God and done in the past and remember, He is not done yet.  We can think of all the blessings that came in life when we least expected them. We can count our blessings and remember it is God who bestowed them.  We can stop looking at this world as our source of joy, contentment, and fulfillment and remember it is the LORD and all He can do for us which is our true source of joy.  We can trust the LORD in His promise above.  Especially when life is hard, we can remember there lies ahead a much better life.  All these troubles will flee away and we will be at rest in the presence of Jesus.

Jump Right In

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Ro 13:14 AV)

 

Most who know the LORD and have a deep desire to walk with Him know how difficult the flesh can be.  The flesh is one of our three main opponents.  The Devil and the world being the other two.  The flesh is that opponent which we carry with us where ever we go.  We cannot escape it.  And it is a formidable enemy to be sure.  When looking at this verse, we are instructed there is a key to overcoming the flesh.  There is a way to defeat it.  There are keys not mentioned here such as prayer and bible verse memorization.  In this verse, we have another.  If we are to defeat the flesh, we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are to make no provision for the flesh.  We want to dwell upon the first, for the first will make the second all that much easier.  To ‘put on’ here means something different than we would normally expect.  When we think of putting on clothes, we think of placing them on and over our stationary bodies.  However, this phrase means to sink into.  This implies a deep truth here.

But first, let us consider what it would mean to put on the Lord Jesus Christ before we consider the method of doing so.  That is, the putting on or sinking into.  To put on the Lord Jesus Christ literally means to become the appearance of Jesus Christ.  We might use the word ‘Christlikeness’ to describe this.  To put on Christ means to appear as though Christ would appear.  At least in the life in which we have chosen to live.  Now, to expound on the sinking into the person of Christ.  What does that mean?  The closest example I can think of is the suit which astronauts must wear.  It is not the easiest of suits to don.  Once the inner layers are attired, then the outside shell has to be placed.  The bottom half are ridged slacks.  One would not attire them in a normal fashion.  Then comes the upper half.  This upper half hangs on a lift because of the weight of the life support unit.  The astronaut would squat down under the upper half and stand erect to enter that suit.  This suit does not conform to the wearer as much as the wear conforms to it.  To enter the suit, the wearer must surrender to the nature of the suit.  This is the idea of sinking into or putting on, the Lord Jesus Christ.  It requires a yielding.  Like the astronaut suit, Jesus Christ is what He is and does not conform to the nature and image of the saint.  Just the opposite is supposed to happen.

Superheros were all the rage just a few short years ago.  Even among believers.  There was no shortage of costumes.  I have two grandsons who also dress up in their favorite superhero costume.  One of my sons sent me a video of one of them admiring how he appeared as he gazed upon his reflexing.  He didn’t know he was being videoed, so it was extra amusing.  This little boy took on the persona of the costume of the one he was wearing.  The same should be true of the believer.  If we would sink into the appearance of Christlikeness, then we would be transformed into that Christlikeness.  Not to say that Christlikeness is limited to a mere outward appearance.  It is not.  Christlikeness has more to do with the inside than it does with the outside.  However, if we were to sink into Christlikeness, both outwardly and inwardly, then our flesh would die a quick death.  There would be no provision for the flesh because there is a barrier between the flesh and the temptation.  That barrier would be Christlikeness.  So, sink into Christ.  Jump right in!  Let Him be that which the rest of creation can see and your fight with the flesh will be a short one.

Branches Don't Boast

“Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Ro 11:18 AV)

 

Many think the book of Romans is limited to salvation.  They believe the main theme of the book is strictly salvation.  But it is not.  The theme of Romans is the struggle between the Jew and the Gentile as pertains to God using them for gospel ministry.  Chapters nine through eleven are Paul’s argument of mutual and cooperative unity between both for the furtherance of the gospel.  In our passage above, the branches are the Gentiles and the root is Israel.  Because Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, God opened the door of the gospel to the Gentiles.  Several Old Testament books allude to this reality.  However, Israel expects this to be part of the Messianic kingdom and not necessarily the New Testament church.  One can only imagine the cultural stress this placed on any church located in a mixed culture.  Rome, being the capital city of the kingdom was multi-cultural.  The church there was as well.  So, Paul had to explain the plan of God in including the Gentiles and what that would entail for both groups. 

Since the time of Jacob, Israel and the Gentiles have been at odds.  Slavery in Egypt didn’t help any.  When Jacob’s two sons took vengeance for their sister Dinah, this also worked to separate God’s people from the rest of the world.  This separation, which was never intended to become prejudice, ended up that way.  Israel was supposed to be separated unto the LORD that they might attract the Gentiles to Him rather than repel them away.  Over centuries of this warped idea of separation, Israel and the Gentiles became ever more abrasive.  Looking ahead several thousand years to the New Testament church, one can understand the conflict that would arise between these two camps.  On one hand, there is Israel.  God’s chosen people to whom the written word came and for which they were the stewards.  Inspiration, preservation, and interpretation would have gone through Israel.  For the Gentiles to entirely know the gospel, they would have to rely on the ministry of the Jews.  However, as a nation, they disqualified themselves because they rejected the savior.  This would entice the Gentiles to think they would now be more privileged than Israel.  The thought being if God rejected Israel and accepted the Gentiles then the Gentiles were more right with God than Israel.  Hence the warning above.

The root and branches of a plant live and thrive under mutual cooperation.  The root system provides water and minerals.  The branches provide sunlight.  Both are necessary for the plant to grow.  If the branches of Israel were cut off to graft in the saved of the Gentiles, the Gentiles still need the root of saved Israel to grow.  And if the branches of lost Israel were removed, then the root of saved Israel need the branches of the saved Gentiles to complete the plant of the New Testament church.  However, I want to place this principle more practically.  If we benefit from the failure of another, we have better be sure we do not rejoice over that failure.  There is a moral responsibility to take what is left and incorporate the root into the blessings of God bestowed upon us.  There is no room for competition in the body of Christ.  When one fails, we all hurt.  When one succeeds, we all rejoice.  Just because God alters His plan does not mean He is making a moral judgment on those impacted by it.  Our spirit should be one of unity and cooperation.  Not division and strife.