Do We Live For Temporal Things Or The Things Of God?

As we look at 2 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul tells of his suffering for the gospel's sake. You too may be suffering as a result of believing the gospel and seeking to live a holy life. Paul writing to Timothy says the following:

• 10But you have observed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11and how I was persecuted and suffered in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in union with the Messiahb Jesus will be persecuted. 13But evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse as they deceive others and are themselves deceived.

Do we look for temporal things that can be seen and are in love with this world's evil system? Or do we look for eternal things that cannot be seen? Brothers and sisters, in 2007, I found myself constantly thinking of business. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how I could grow my business.

One morning I woke up and realized what was going on. I went to be alone, got on my knees and wept before God. I said "something is wrong Lord, all I think about is business. I have not forgotten you, but something is way out of order. I pleaded for God not to let me be like Lot and gain the world and lose my family to the devil, or lose my own soul.

The Lord answered my prayer, almost immediately. He is still answering my prayer. He has led me through many trials and countless nights of weeping. I am here to tell you I know it is the result of my prayer and the love of my Father. He is using trials to help me stay close to his side. The result is priceless and now all I can do is ask for is his will to be done in my life.

I serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In agreement with his son Jesus, Jesus became human, lived a holy life and then went to the cross willingly to take upon himself the wrath of God that all sinners deserve. This Jesus who is God and man, created everything. He is Holy and the source of every good thing.

Jesus is Love and he proved it on a cross. Where else could I go? Who else could I trust?

2 Corinthians 4 ISV

1Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not get discouraged. 2Instead, 

• we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God’s word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.

3So if our gospel is veiled, 

• it is veiled to those who are dying.a 4In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah,b who is the image of God.

5For we do not preach ourselves, 

• but rather Jesus the Messiahc as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”d has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesuse the Messiah.f

7But we have this treasure in clay jars (bodies)

• to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us. 
• 8In every way we’re troubled but not crushed, 
• frustrated but not in despair, 
• 9persecuted but not abandoned, 
• struck down but not destroyed. 

10We are always carrying around the death of Jesus in our bodies,

• so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our bodies. 11While we are alive, we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our mortal bodies. 12And so death is at work in us, but life is at workg in you.

13Now since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with this Scripture: “I believed, and so I spoke,”h we also believe and therefore speak. 14We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Godi together with you. 15All this is for your sake so that, as his grace spreads, more and more people will give thanks and glorify God.

16That’s why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day. 17This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison, 18because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal.