The Devotional – 1087 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1087 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

Have you ever been required to qualify for something; sometimes we call qualification a prerequisite, or even the steps of a process. When qualifying for any event there is a significant amount of trial and failure. Sometimes the failure is due to our lack of understanding and sometimes it is a lack of our physical ability, but perseverance (hard work) will allow those slack areas to tighten up and within the required time produce enough wisdom and understanding to be “qualified!” Many folks lose heart and turn away to lessor goals because the suffering and affliction of accomplishment seems unreachable. Losing heart is not the same as losing “faith” our subject for today. 

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Having the heart to do something is an unfulfilled human desire; on the other hand, having faith is a solid trust in something we already have. I like what the apostle Paul has to say here in these few verses in chapter four of 2 Corinthians. Living life by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:1-6) and the effects of always being casts down for living in Christ (2 Cor 4:7-15) is a process that many believers seek to accomplish by human desire, these will always fail.

The trial and error of the outworking of the flesh are very discouraging, exhausting the heart and unhealthy for the human body. The human body is always in a state of decay. SIN, or as some say the “original sin” of Adam caused this decay of human life; and while this is true we fail to realize that “all of creation suffers decay because of the sin of Adam” (Rom 8:18-23).

In addition to “this original sin” of Adam, there is also the personal sin that every human being commits daily, even moment by moment in most of us. If God would give us a visual of our day’s effort in the flesh to do well, we would see clearly that evil has prevailed and won the battle. So personal sin is responsible too for the decay of our physical body, moment by moment, those of us who live by the desire of the heart to do well are fighting a losing battle – (Rom 7:7-12).

Faith then is the only avenue for the believer in Christ. Faith is not conditioned by “I hope this works out” Faith is the realization (substance) of things hope for, therefore it is the confidence (evidence) of things unseen – (Heb 11:1-2). So now you are thinking, what do you mean? If faith is not conditioned by hope, then what do you mean that faith is a substance and confidence?

The apostle Paul answers this with our section of scripture this morning. We cannot lose heart over something we already have, we have “assurance”. We have “faith” not because of who we are, but because of Jesus Christ who, by faith went before us as the Lamb of God. He suffered, died and rose again (Gal 2:16-21). We then are by faith “crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live” thus we are not working out of the flesh which is perishing, we are working out of faith, which is being renewed day by day.

Thus because of faith we are abiding in Christ’s resurrection out of the substance and confidence of God who has prepared FAITH for everyone who calls upon the LORD. We do not look at the things which are seen since all of the things which we see are temporal, these will die and decay, everything created (seen) is failing because of the fall of Adam. So we who have faith do not look at the things which are seen. We look for the things that are not seen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.