We Will Persevere!

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;  perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be  manifested in our bodies                 2 Corinthians 4: 8-10

 To say the least this has been a difficult year for many of us. I don’t think any one of us would have imagined how 2020 has turned out. We have had to deal with a worldwide pandemic that has affected every one   of us in some form or fashion. If that was not bad enough we then experienced social unrest that has not been seen in this  country since the 1960’s. As of this writing the 2020 presidential race has not been decided. In addition to all of this, we still deal with the daily struggles of living our lives for Christ in a world that hates       believers.  At this point you might feel afflicted, crushed, perplexed, despair, forsaken, and struck down.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6–7 Paul has described the knowledge of God’s  glory revealed in Christ as a treasure and a light. God has shone this light into his heart and given him the mission of carrying this the   gospel to the world. However, Paul has said that the vessels for       carrying this treasure, himself and his co-workers, are fragile clay jars. This passage describes exactly how fragile Paul and his co-workers really are. They carry the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world, but they carry it in the fragile containers of their own lives.

God allows them to suffer along the way, but he keeps them from  ever fully being destroyed. Paul adds that he and his co-laborers are persecuted. They have been besieged by the enemies of Christ to be mistreated and abused. This included the Jewish religious leaders, pagan mobs, and Roman authorities. However, Paul insists, that even in their most severe persecution, God has never forsaken them. God has always been with them through the worst, keeping them from being crushed or totally despairing.

Paul adds that they have even been struck down under persecution and God had not yet allowed Paul to die because his work was not done. So, Paul continues the mission to carry the treasure of the     gospel to all who will receive it.

Remember Christian, God has called you before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) to be His and He has prepared good works for you to perform (Eph. 2:10). So, just like Paul we must take heart knowing that… We are afflicted  in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to   despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark