2 Corinthians 4:13, 16, 17, 18 (NIV)
13 It is written, "I believed therefore I have spoken. With that same spirit of
faith we also believe and therefore speak. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light
and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen for what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal."
Do you know that right here is the key verse to the deception that steals from the
church? For though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. Do you
know something? The bible says that God quickened us with His Spirit. You know what that
word quicken means? To give life in the spirit. God does not quicken the flesh, He quickens
the spirit. So everyday we die a little bit to the flesh and every day we become more alive
to the Spirit.
If we are walking in a progressive walk with Jesus Christ, our outward man, our
outward lusts, our selfishness, and all those things are dying daily. But our inward man is
maturing and growing daily and we are becoming stronger daily. How does this take place? By
the afflictions, the war between the flesh and the spirit. So in verse 17 we can say right
now that for the light affliction that we're going through, the things that we are
suffering today is God working a good work in our life. So when we start going through it
and we start losing our money, we start losing our relationships, we start losing our
health, we start losing our peace we say, "Praise God, He is working a far greater work
in me". That is where this verse comes into play.
We need to believe what God says about us rather than what our circumstances say.
You might say, "Pastor, you are out the front and you've got the sniffles." Yes
I have but I'm not home in bed. It doesn't mean to say that the devil won't try
and put something on you. He just won't stop you from what you are supposed to do.
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