To My Daughters,
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.--2nd Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure...the Spirit of Christ....the ministry of the New Covenant in our earthen vessels. Earthen vessels here means clay pots. Clay pots are cheap, breakable and replaceable. Some were used for important purposes but most for holding garbage and human waste. This is how Paul saw himself...how we should view ourselves. God uses us weak frail humans, "vapor", to show that the power for His work of redemption in our heart is not of us but of Him.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."--1 Corinthians 1:20-31
God has made the wisdom of this world foolish. He cannot be known through the wisdom of man. God has chosen the weak, the foolish, the base and the things which are not...to bring to nothing the things that are. He does not want any flesh to glory in His presence. It is in Him that we are righteousness, sanctification and redemption....He who glories then, let him glory in the Lord. It is all HIM.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.--2nd Timothy 2:20-21
Go to Him...surrender to Him and allow Him to cleanse you and shed His grace and love in your heart. Confess your sin to Him, express your need to Him and ask Him to come into your life and make you into His likeness. Then, no matter how you are used or what you are used for, it will be for the glory of your God.
The weakness of our vessel is necessary...God wants the glory. He wants the power to be all from Him...weakness is essential...it is then that the power of God is displayed and people turn and look up to Him (not to us) who has the power to save!
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.--2nd Corinthians 4:8-9
This is the Christian life...it does not make sense to the world. Our weakness, our trials, and our tribulations ironically have the opposite affect of what Satan and the world desire for them. When we are hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, struck down...it is then that the life of Jesus is manifested in our bodies and are delivered to death for His sake. Death might be working in us, but life in others. I love that...and even when death is working in us, our inward man is being renewed and strengthened. Our body...our temporary covering in this world may be dying, but the essence of who we are in Him shines brightly as we die to ourselves and live for Him.
But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, andyet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.--2nd Corinthians 6:4-10
We commend ourselves in all things knowing that He is working in it all! Even our thorns in the flesh are used to perfect weakness and out of that weakness comes His grace, His sufficiency and His strength.
We believe all this and therefore speak the gospel and continue to speak the gospel despite what it looks like from the outside because we know that the same Lord who raised up jesus from the dead will raise us also and God will be glorified. We do not lose heart.
Love
Mom
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