Our Light Affliction

2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

There are several things to take note of in those verses. First of all...notice the ABUNDANT GRACE. The things Paul talks about here have to do with suffering, and specifically, HIS suffering.

2 Corinthians 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

2 Corinthians 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

2 Corinthians 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

2 Corinthians 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

2 Corinthians 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

2 Corinthians 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

2 Corinthians 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

I do believe that the Apostle Paul is the gift of God to the church the body of Christ. It is clear that Paul suffered for you. Not that Paul suffered for your sins. Christ died for your sins. But in order to make that KNOWN, somebody had to SUFFER to get the message of grace to you. And the Lord chose Paul to do that. Look at what he told Anannias in Acts chapter nine:

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

But he says that ALL THINGS are for YOUR sakes,

2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

That the abundant grace might redound...that is ABOUND to the glory of God, through many people giving thanks to God for the gift of eternal life.

And he says that it is for this cause that WE FAINT NOT. Our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man, that NEW CREATURE in Christ, is renewed day by day.

And he calls it our LIGHT AFFLICTION. It literally means PRESSURE. It also carries the idea of anguish, burden, persecution or trouble or tribulation.

Notice back in verse 12:

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

This 2 Corinthian letter is written probably some 25 years after Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, and every where he went he met with persecution.

In the synagogue in Damascus in Acts chapter nine, the Jews tried to kill him. He went to Jerusalem and the Grecians went about to slay him. In Acts 13, in Antioch of Pisidia, the Jews stirred up both men and women and raised persecutilon against him.

In Acts 14 the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil affected against Paul and Barnabas, and asaulted them. Paul fled to Lystra and Derbe and at Listra Paul was stoned.

In Acts 16 he wound up beaten with rods and in the Philippian jail. In Acts 17, the unbelieving Jews set the whole city of Thessalonica in an uproar. And on and on it goes...through the book of Acts. Notice:

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Notice that Paul's TRUST is in who? Not in himself...but in GOD.

2 Corinthians 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

In other words, the wages of sin is death, and those of us who trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour, have been delivered from that death, because the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But Paul is making reference to the trouble he encountered in Asia, in Ephesus:

Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 19:9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

Acts 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

Acts 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Acts 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

But notice what happened:

Acts 19:23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

Acts 19:24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;

Acts 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

Acts 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

Acts 19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

Acts 19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians

The whole city was filled with confusion. They rushed with one accord into the theatre. Now I am told that that theatre could hold upwards of 24,000 people. In recent years they have actually excavated the site and uncovered the rows of carved stone used for seating.  I don't know how many were there but the whole city was in an uproar, all because of Paul. Notice back in:

.2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

2 Corinthians 4:6 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.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

2 Corinthians 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

2 Corinthians 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

That SAME spirit of faith is a reference to what David said in the book of Psalms:

Psalms 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Psalms 116:4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Psalms 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

Psalms 116:6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Psalms 116:7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

Psalms 116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

Psalms 116:9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

Psalms 116:10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

THAT is the spirit of faith Paul is talking about. Notice:

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

2 Corinthians 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

That's an amazing statement isn't it? Our LIGHT AFFLICTION. And notice he says it is BUT FOR A MOMENT. And in the overall scheme of things...that's what life is. Your life, my life. It is but for a moment. Notice:

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

Now notice again what Paul says:

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

But HOW do we look at things which are not seen? There is only one way:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

So a believer has HOPE. Even hope in death. Notice in:

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Notice there in verse 18 the HOPE of HIS CALLING:

Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

God's great power raised Christ from the dead, and HIS resurrection is the ASSURANCE that he will raise Paul from the dead, and you and me from the dead...if we were to die before the Rapture.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 Corinthians 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

2 Corinthians 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

So we have assurance that we DO HAVE a HOUSE eternal in the heavens. It is our house from heaven. It is our CLOTHING, and we shall NOT be found naked. There is no unclothed state, there is no naked state...as some teach.

There are some who teach things like "disembodied spirits" and some others who teach of some INTERMEDIATE BODY that God gives to those who die for some temporary period of time. All of those things are NOT true in the light of this scripture. Notice:

2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

So our hope is not to be unclothed. We don't groan to be unclothed. Our hope is not to be in some naked state. The verse says that God has WROUGHT us for this selfsame thing. Not to be unclothed, but to be CLOTHED UPON.

He WROUGHT us, and I think of wrought iron. Wrought iron is shaped into a shape that is pleasing, and durable, and strong. And he has wrought us, we are HIS WORKMANSHIP. Jesus Christ DID the work of our salvation so that we could have this HOPE and ASSURANCE.

Looking for the BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. So ALL of the WORK of our salvation has already been done, and we TRUST in Christ pertaining to these things:

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

That purchased posession is the BODY of Christ. Christ died to save HIS body. He gave himself for our sins that he might DELIVER US from the present evil world...and it was all according to the WILL OF GOD and our Father.

And the MOMENT that we trust in Christ, believing that he died FOR us, to SAVE us...at that moment we are BAPTIZED by the Spirit into the body and sealed there unto the day of redemption.

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Now there is only ONE kind of person who can make a statement like that. Only CERTAIN people can truly say "I am CONFIDENT and WILLING...to be absent from the body and present with the Lord."

A religious man CANNOT truly say that he is CONFIDENT to be absent from the body because he is NOT confident. He is NOT willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord because he is not SURE how that would come out.

He hopes that he is saved. He works on it all the time. He is always repenting and confessing, and going and doing, and paying and praying...but he is NOT confident and WILLING to be absent from the body and present with the Lord because he is NEVER SURE of his salvation.

Only the person who has QUIT TRYING. In other words he KNOWS that the wages of sin is death, and that no amount of walking the aisles, praying at the alter, turning over the leaf and on and on will ever pay that debt.

After doing all of that, and doing it and doing it, over and over and over...the debt is still not paid. The wages of sin is DEATH and nothing less. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.

So ONLY a person who is TRUSTING that the shed blood of Jesus Christ paid his sin debt and paid it in full...only THAT person can be confident and willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

How about you? Are you confident and willing? ONLY by trusting the Lord, believing that he died for your sins and was raised for your justification will you EVER be confident...about your salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.