Believers are encouraged to view their present afflictions as temporary and light in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits them in Christ. The sermon emphasizes that while the outward self may perish, the inward spiritual self is renewed daily, a process unique to Christians. By focusing on unseen, eternal realities rather than visible, temporal struggles, believers can maintain confidence and willingness to endure hardship for the sake of Christ. This perspective is rooted in the assurance of a future, eternal dwelling with the Lord, which far surpasses any earthly suffering.
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night of the second epistle of Paul written to the Corinthians chapter four if you please the second epistle of Paul written to the Corinthians like to begin reading in this fourth chapter at verse fifteen and read to the end of it Paul writing by the Holy Spirit and may I remind you very definitely His words are written to believers only. They are not written to be unsaved in this special section. They are written to God, dear people, to every believer in the Lord Jesus.
Now notice we begin reading in verse fifteen. The beloved apostle, may I remind you whether you are familiar or not with the reading of the second epistle of Corinthians. It was written as a corrective epistle. And it is alarming what the dear apostle has to say regarding the difficulties that he faced. But in this portion that we read tonight, he reminds the believer beginning in verse fifteen, for all things are for your sake, meaning whatever happens is for your sake.
that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. And he adds, for which cause we fade 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, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal way to glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
May God bless the reading of this short portion of his precious word. May I repeat again, We've had a little time of prayer. I know this prayer has been made for many people we may not know personally. And we cannot say whether they were all believers in the Lord Jesus or not. That we don't know, but God knows that. But I would like to direct my study tonight from this portion to every one of you who belong to the Lord Jesus. That he is your Savior in mind. but it was the form we're written for a specific purpose to encourage the believers that come and note as we began our reading in verse fifteen he reminds them whatever happens would be for their sake now beloved fellow believer let me raise a question in your heart as one of their minds whatever happens to us in our daily experiences in the Lord because we are His.
Is it for our good? We think of another verse in Romans chapter eight. All things work together for good. To them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. But please note the Apostle emphasizing, it is only because of the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus and thanksgiving and many really redounds to the glory of God. But may I put it this way, I think from the context here, whatever happens to you and me can turn out for the glory of God and should. But now know what Paul goes on to say, which is very important in that which follows.
For which cause? We don't say. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed. day by day. Now, please note, this can only apply to a Christian. It's only a believer in the Lord Jesus who's got an outward man and an inward man. The natural and the spiritual having been born again. But what the apostle is aiming at, whatever happens, And may I commend to you sometime the reading of chapter eleven in this second epistle.
And you'll read some of the terrible things that the beloved apostle Paul had to go through himself in affliction and suffering for the sake of the Savior. Unequal for you and for me to realize. But then let me recognize again whatever happens to me Paul says we faith not. And even though I'm out with men, meaning the body isn't. Let me ask you a question. We pray for many that were in the hospital tonight, I know, or going through some trial physically. What would you say if you start going through one?
What will I say? What will you do? What will I do? Will you faint? Under it? Please note the apostle saying, though the outward man perishes on the way out, being with growth, being with man is renewed. Day by day, man, let me raise a question. My fellow believer, which is more important, your body or your soul. Why did you come to the Lord Jesus and take him as your Savior?
Because you wanted your soul to be saved. Not your body. Lord Jesus did not come into the world to save bodies. He came into the world to save souls. But what did comfort the apostle takes in the knowledge? Though the outward man perished. Yet the inward is renewed day by day. May I add, very faithfully, some of the conditions that the outward man has to suffer are sent by God and permitted by God to make a better Christian.
If I read my Bible correctly and in my New Testament, even in the life of the Lord Jesus, and the teaching of all the apostles. It is appointed to the believer to have to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus. And it may be in the outward body. But please, I want you to notice the contrast. We've already noticed the contrast here. An outward man and inward. Now go a little further in verse seventeen. For our light affliction. which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal way to glory.
I want you to notice another big contrast in this next verse, verse seventeen. What a contrast between affliction and glory. My beloved, let me say this, and I saying to my own conscience, this is not the place for me to look for glory as a Christian, God forbid. But if one thing is sure, I should be willing to suffer reflection for the sake of the Lord Jesus. But then on the other end, one encourages me to do it.
Someday you'll be nothing but glory. Can I put it this way? You're afflicted. Well, no, what the Apostle writes. The affliction is but for a moment in contrast to the glory. The affliction is not only in verse seventeen of the beginning light, but the glory at the end of it is awake. And not only that, compared to the glory The affliction is only for a moment, for the glory is going to be eternal. How long are you going to be in heaven, fellow believer?
Aren't you glad you're going to stay on the earth all the time? I'm sure most of us probably got saved because we didn't want to go to hell and we wanted to go to heaven. And that's the place of glory. But may I say, compare to the glory. Whatever you go through physically down here is life. As well as temporary. For your glory is going to be eternal. One sure thing. Thank God. We'll read on in the next verse. As the apostle goes on to say. Reminding us while we look.
Not the things which you've seen. What do you see? Affliction, pain, sorrow, suffering, trial, difficulty. But the things which are not seen, and what are those things? Well, renounce. For the things which are seen, even your afflictions, are temporal, they're not forever, but the things which are not seen are returned.
Now let me raise the question. As Christians, whatever reflection may be ours, We should be occupied with the things that are not seen. I think of the words that Paul wrote to the Colossians in chapter three, when he declared that ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sit us at the right hand of God. For your life is it with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our light, shall appear, we shall appear within, in glory.
Let me put it this way. I hope you don't mind me saying it. I need it myself. Whatever physically I may go through in the way of testing, there's nothing to be compared with the glory I'm going to go through. And whatever I go through down here, Thank God it's not forever. And why not? Ah, the things that are not seen, they are eternal. And the enjoyment of those things should be ours. Occupying with those things should be ours.
For these things that we meet and feel and then are not to experience in the body in the way of a flick, whatever kind it may be. whether persecution, whether illness, and whatever may be the portion of our suffering, nothing to be compared with the glory that is ours in eternity. Now let me prove it very quickly. Go with me to chapter five and the apostle goes on to make reference of the fact whatever happens to your body is not important. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, if it ends, we have a building of God and house not made, with hands eternal in the heaven.
For in this tabernacle, the body that I am in now, we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, our new body which is from heaven. If so be that we might, that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle, in this body, we do groan. Please let me say, it's scriptural to groan. I don't know whether I should say scriptural to grumble, but it's scriptural to groan, if you have to. But as the Apostle said, For we that are in this tabernacle do grow, being burdened.
Not that we would be unclosed, but closed upon. That mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that has wrought us for the same thing is God, who also has given us unto us the earnest or the pledge of his Holy Spirit. May I point out, from this context, Paul said we have been promised by being given the Holy Spirit we're going to be in and have a new body read me read on if I may in verse six the application therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we're at home in the body we're absent from the Lord for we walk by faith not by sight we are confident now notice confidence I say and willing Rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, or meaning at home with the Lord.
Oh, beloved, let me go back to our closing part of chapter four and apply it. We do go through, and we will go through, bodily affliction. Let me ask a question. Do you know what disease you're going to die of? The only one I know you're going to die of is shorter breaths. Or every time anyone dies they stop breathing. But now listen. We pray for others and rightfully we should and we do. Going through their trials, bodily affliction, suffering, nursing homes, hospital beds, some in their own beds at home.
But here's the blessed portion of a believer. What I go through physically is but temporary. And light. And the glory that I'm going to is awake. And eternal. When I shall be with Christ. In glory. Beloved listen. I pray earnestly, I don't know, but I can help it every time we have a prayer meeting and pray for the sick and the afflicted. Many on the meet, some of us do not know. I don't know whether they're saved.
I hope they are. But here for you and for me, how do we take our bodily suffering? And may I say again, look, I command to you, if you will, reading the eleventh chapter of this same epistle. And read on through till you find what the apostle Paul writes regarding his own suffering. I say very frankly, I don't know any servant of God that has suffered so much as did the apostle Paul for the sake of Christ.
And for the sake of his fellow believers. And the souls that he wanted to cry. He had illness. But he had so many varied forms of affliction. But he kept his eyes fixed upon eternal things. Now let me raise the question. Where can you and where do I keep our hearts and our eyes fixed on what is eternal? Let me remind you in closing again, the things that are seen, I don't care what you see, they're temporal.
But the things that are not seen, they don't find them in the world now. They belong to the heavenly world. glory above. And you and I belong to that heaven. Let me quote the words of Paul in Ephesians chapter one, verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with what? All spiritual blessings, not earthly blessings, not bodily blessings, spiritual. And I say, my beloved, very frankly, What you've got that you can see is only temporal.
You're not going to see it very long. The days come and your eyes will be shut to it. But if you're a Christian, thank God, nothing but glory, in heaven above, to be at home with the Lord's weight. Shall we give him a word of thanks, praise and worship? Father, we do thank thee for the great blessing that you've given to thy children. Here is thy servant, Paul, passing through trials that were unequal as a servant of God.
But doing it gravely, considering everything that he had to bear nothing but light compared to the glory to which you will. Blessed Lord Jesus, someone made the statement once and now true. Our first five minutes in heaven will compensate us for all that we go through down here. Right, Lord? Not even that long. What a joy it will be, Lord Jesus, to hear thee say today, Come up hither and take us to be with thyself.
But Lord, again we raise the issue. Help us to keep our eyes upon the things that are eternal. As we go through this world of temporary things, whatever they may be, And we pray for one another. Always thank you for prayer meaning. The exhortation of the dear apostle. Pray one for another. And oh, Father, at this prayer meaning. We pray for thy beloved people. We say the word that thy servant David once prayed. Save thy people.
Bless thine inheritance. Feed them also. And last of all, he prayed, lift them up forever. Now that's what's going to happen to us. Oh, Father, please help us to enjoy eternal realities, spiritual realities. That means we've got to keep in the book and be taught by the Holy Spirit. Dismiss us with thy blessings. Remember the need of the assembly, the coming gathering for the children in the daily vacation Bible school, asking thy blessing upon it to the saving of many young people, and thy blessing upon them in the other building at the present time.
May the Spirit of God use thy word for the salvation of men. Now, Lord, again we pray, give us thy comfort from thy word tonight. and words of encouragement as we carry on with it. And don't forget the dear ones of our assembly, Lord, our brother John, Wendler, his dear wife, Tommy, our sister Buena, together also with all the divine who need our thy comfort tonight. in their bodily needs.
And most of all, keep us together in love. We ask giving thanks now as we separate in our Saviour's word appeal its name. Amen. Thank you for coming. I hope the inward man was blessed.