We Do Not Lose Heart

Paul had just finished talking about his ministry, including the ministry of Timothy. He spoke of how they had renounced disgraceful and underhanded ways, and how they refused to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but they spoke the truth of God’s word to the people. But he also spoke of how so many people were blinded to the truth of the teachings of the Scriptures and to the truth of the gospel, for the god of this world had blinded them from seeing the light of the gospel. Still true today.

Then he went on to speak of the afflictions that he and Timothy were facing as those who were bringing to the people the truth of the gospel. For since so many had been blinded from seeing the light of the gospel, they were opposing the apostles, thinking them to be false, and not of God, as Paul had once himself accused Christians of being, and that is why he had persecuted and been responsible for the deaths of many followers of Christ. But in Paul’s and Timothy’s persecution, they were relying on the Lord Jesus.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 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” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV).

All of us who are following Jesus Christ with our lives, who are obeying his commands, in practice, and who are walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, are going to have afflictions, persecutions, trials and tribulations. We are going to have people who will hate us or just ignore us, who will reject us and falsely accuse us of wrongs we did not do. And a lot of those are going to be professers of faith in Jesus Christ, including pastors, who are blinded to the truth by the god of this world.

But when we go through unfair treatment, we are not to lose heart. Although when we are going through it, the pain is very real, and if we are tenderhearted, we might cry a lot, we must get our strength from the Lord to endure false accusations and unjust treatment and people treating us with hate and not with love and kindness. And we must keep on keeping on in the strength of the Lord Jesus and not falter just because some people are “throwing us under the bus.”

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 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.” Amen!

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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