2 Corinthians 4:1-7
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
1 Kaya nga sa pagkakaroon namin ng ministeriong ito, ayon sa aming tinanggap na kaawaan, ay hindi kami nanghihina.
2 Bagkus tinanggihan namin ang mga kahiyahiyang bagay na nangatatago, na hindi kami nagsisilakad sa katusuhan, ni nagsisigamit man na may daya ng mga salita ng Dios; kundi sa pagpapahayag ng katotohanan ay ipinagtatagubilin ang aming sarili sa bawa't budhi ng mga tao sa harapan ng Dios.
3 At kung ang aming evangelio ay natatalukbungan pa, ay may talukbong sa mga napapahamak:
4 Na binulag ng dios ng sanglibutang ito ang mga pagiisip ng mga hindi nagsisisampalataya, upang sa kanila'y huwag sumilang ang kaliwanagan ng evangelio ng kaluwalhatian ni Cristo, na siyang larawan ng Dios.
5 Sapagka't hindi namin ipinangangaral ang aming sarili, kundi si Cristo Jesus na Panginoon, at kami ay gaya ng inyong mga alipin dahil kay Cristo.
6 Yamang ang Dios, ang nagsabi, Magniningning ang ilaw sa kadiliman, na siyang nagningning sa aming mga puso, upang magbigay ng liwanag ng pagkakilala sa kaluwalhatian ng Dios sa mukha ni Jesucristo.
7 Nguni't taglay namin ang kayamanang ito sa mga sisidlang-lupa, upang ang dakilang kalakhan ng kapangyarihan ay maging mula sa Dios, at huwag mula sa aming sarili;
NIV v7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us
- V2 - v6 tells that the gospel is shared to people plainly, honestly, no twisting of truth, no deception
- But still the gospel is closed to unbelievers because Satan, the god of this age has blinded their minds
- But even this is the case, Paul still preached the gospel because it is Jesus whom he preached, not himself
- God said that His light should shine into our hearts that Jesus will be known through us
- In v7 the treasure (the gospel - the good news of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life with God) is inside the jars of clay
- The jars made up of clay is an ordinary and breakable thing, where the treasure is put
- This is to draw the attention of people to the treasure, not on the jar
- The jars of clay are the carrier and messenger of the gospel
- God use even ordinary people to carry the gospel
Why God put His treasure in jars made of clay?
A - Approval
A - Aim
A - All-important
A - Assurance
1. Approval (God's approval that we are valuable)
- It is God who gives value
- God value even the jars of clay
- The money we are using, which is valuable to us, only the Central Bank approves it value
- And to us, we are valuable because God made us valuable
- God values a person regardless of status and position
- When God said you have a greater value, even people put you down, even you are in difficult situation, you still have greater value
- Like money that has been put into mud, it is still money and has value
- God put His treasure in a jars of clay
- God value even ordinary people
- Jer. 1:6 "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child" - too young and inexperience
- He was appointed by God as a prophet (v5)
- His mission is to go to everyone God has sent him and say whatever the command of God (v7)
- Appointed over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant (v10)
- His tool as a prophet is his mouth
- But his weakness is his mouth (v6)
- But God used Jeremiah's weakness to accomplish God's plan
- v18-19 Sapagka't, narito, ginawa kita sa araw na ito, na nakukutaang bayan, at pinakahaliging bakal, at pinaka kutang tanso, laban sa buong lupain, laban sa mga hari sa Juda, laban sa mga prinsipe niyaon, laban sa mga saserdote niyaon, at laban sa bayan ng lupain. 19 At sila'y magsisilaban sa iyo; nguni't hindi sila mangananaig laban sa iyo: sapagka't ako'y sumasa iyo, sabi ng Panginoon, upang iligtas ka.
- God will protect those He value
Life of David (1 Samuel 16:11)
- The youngest Son of Jesse
- Just a shepherd
- But annointed by God to be King
Life of Gideon
- Belongs to the weakest clan
- Least in the family (Judges 6:15)
- But God chose him to be mighty warrior (Judges 6:12)
- Why we are valuable? Because of God's approval that we are valuable
2. Aim (God's aim or purpose of our value)
- God gives value for a purpose
- God value the jars of clay because the treasure will be put inside the jars
- God valued Jeremiah for a purpose - to be a prophet and His mission is to go to everyone God has sent him and say whatever the command of God and appointed over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant (v10)
- God used Jeremiah to be an instrument of His purpose
- God valued David for a purpose of being a King of God's people, the Israelite
- God valued Gideon for a purpose of being a mighty warrior to lead the army of Israel to defeat the enemy of God's people, the Medianites
- God valued people to be an instrument of His purpose, not man's purpose, so that God will be honored and glorified
- We are valued by God as an important instrument of His purpose, to be a jar of His treasure, to be the carrier and messenger of the gospel
- It is not for our honor but for God's honor and glory
3. All-important (The most important to God)
- What is inside the jar is more important than the jar
- The money is more valuable than the bank
- The gift inside the box is more important than the box
- The purpose of a tool is more important than the tool itself
- Our value should not be more important than God's purpose
- The treasure of God is put in jars of clay (ordinary and breakable) so that the attention will focus in the treasure, not on jars
- The gospel should be more important than any of us, more important than our work, our position, our situation
- We should live in a life that what will be seen in us are not ourselves but the glory of God.
- People should notice, not our status, not our position, not our situation, but what they should see is the gospel and the power of God that is working in us.
- If we value ourselves greater than God's purpose for us, then it is an act of pride, and God hate it
Consequences of David's pride
- Pride of King David - he took census to boast he has large army (1 Chronicles 21; 2 Samuel 24)
- Numbers 1, 26 - God commanded Moses to take census but in time of David, the census made by David was not the will of God
- Census revealed that Israelites had 1.3 million army
- David admitted his sin v 10
- God sent plague and kill 70,000
- David asked forgiveness and plague stopped
- When we value ourselves greater than God's treasure, God will put us down
- 1 Peter 5:5 "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
- 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time
4. Assurance (God's assurance for us)
- The money that has been put to mud has still its value, but once tear into pieces, it has no value anymore
- Jars of clay are highly breakable and once broken, it has no value
- This is to show that the jar itself has no power, but under God's power
- V7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us
- We, as an instrument of God, are nothing without God.
- We cannot serve the purpose of God if we just rely on our own
- We are highly breakable because of our sinful nature, because we have our own desire as human
- But God has an assurance that our value will not be teared down, if and only if, we live by the Spirit
- Galatians 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
- TAB version Sinasabi ko nga, Magsilakad kayo ayon sa Espiritu, at hindi ninyo gagawin ang mga pita ng laman. Sapagka't ang laman ay nagnanasa ng laban sa Espiritu, at ang Espiritu ay laban sa laman; sapagka't ang mga ito ay nagkakalaban; upang huwag ninyong gawin ang bagay na inyong ibigin.
- We, as highly breakable will be stronger than we think because we belong to Christ if and only if the Spirit of God lives in us
- Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
- Our prayer should always be, "Holy Spirit take control of my life."
- We are valued by God because we are instrument of His purpose
- Our lives should always live in God's purpose
- We are the carrier and messenger of the gospel of God
- Whatever situation we are today, whoevere we are, driver, teacher, businessman, farmer, an ordinary person, let us use our position and situation to serve God's purpose - that this gospel should be preached to everyone
- 1 Cor. 7:24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
- Let us not use our situation to serve our own desire but the desire of God
- Let us not allow our situation to hinder us in serving God, but use it for serving God
- And we need the Holy Spirit to live in us so than we can be a person God wants us to be
- Make your life a radiance of God's glory through the help of Holy Spirit
By Roli S. Arangote
