Please meditate on the following scripture from the Apostle Paul. More notes are available from the "comments" link below.
1 Corinthians 4:6-18
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
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. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight 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.
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Page 121 – It is certainly a key to keep our focus in promoting our healing on our relationship with God. Our sin nature is what we struggle against as we move toward sanctification. Our sin is more than just a stubborn part inside that wants to be independent.
Page 122 – I like the term “desperate dependence” on God. I hope none of you guys think that Christianity is second chance to get your act together. Remember that Jesus is the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Him you will bear much fruit and apart from Him you can do nothing.
Page 123 – Just in passing I feel obligated to point out that John Wayne was an actor and James Bond is fictional whereas David was a real man with real problems who lived his life before the face of God.
Page 125 – Remember that the secular healing pictured from the movie “Good Will Hunting” isn’t the healing we are looking for. We want to be healed by God. God’s healing will bring life and not just be a Band-Aid on a fatal wound.
Page 128 – “Healing never happens outside of intimacy with Christ. The healing of our wound flows out of our union with him.” Amen
Page 129 – When we’ve suffered a significant loss we may need to consider seeking God and asking Him to help us moved though a grieving process and healing.
Page 131 – God will lead us to forgive our fathers but He will not stop there. He will gently lead as a shepherd to heal our hearts as quickly as possible. Submit to Him quickly, remember that you should work out your salvation with awe and fear knowing that it is God in you working out His will in your life.
Page 134 – The process described in the first paragraph is not instantaneous. You are Justified before God but not fully sanctified. Our hearts are still deceitful but God is working with us in our Christian walk to set us aside for His purposes. That is to make us Holy. To simply say “Your heart is good” is to set yourself up for a Romans 7:15-25 surprise.
Page 135 & 136 – Religious experiences are great but they must all bow before scripture and if there is any conflict the experience is seen to be deception. Don’t miss the conclusion of this line of reasoning “That is why we always rest on propositional truth. We stand on what Scripture says about us.”
Page 137 – Portions of this chapter seem very close to Gnosticism. That teaching would hold that you must have a special revelation to be whole. For example, “I don’t trust a man who hasn’t suffered; I don’t let a man get close to me who hasn’t faced his wound.” Well I don’t worry about much except relationship with Christ. You can certainly get a variety of men who are all following after God with a whole heart.
Page 138 – Be careful with statements like, “We thought the power of our life was in the golden bat, but the power is in us.” The reference there is back to “The Natural” with Robert Redford. Remember that the loss of the bat was the last of the flesh in the “birth of vision, death of vision, rebirth of vision” cycle (I discussed this in the notes for Chapter 6).
I think the following brings us back to the wonder of the Grace of our Salvation. The power is in us but not of us. He is working within us to accomplish His purposes.
1 Corinthians 4:6-18
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
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. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight 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.
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