Enlightenment, Part 2
Keep Going
2 Corinthians 4v1-1
13th February 2015
Last week we read that Paul said this about all Christians:
2 Corinthians 3v18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness
with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
He was saying that every Christian, including you and me, reflects the glory of the Lord Jesus. And he was saying that each one of us is becoming more and more like Jesus, and so each one of us is reflecting His glory more and more. Even though most of us don't feel like that's true, it is true.
His next remark was:
2 Corinthians 4v1
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Since Paul's ministry of preaching the Good News about Jesus and planting churches was resulting in many people changing so they, too, would reflect the Lord's glory and were being transformed into his likeness, he and his friends would never give up, no matter what opposition they faced.
Every human is made in the image of God (Genesis 1v26) and so is of infinite value. We are of such value to God that "He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". We are of such value that Jesus willingly gave His life for us. Since Paul's ministry was resulting in may people being born again through faith in Christ's redeeming blood, and coming to reflect the Lord's glory so others could see it, then what he was doing was so important that no amount of opposition and difficulty would stop him.
And, actually, if you participate in your local church, if you pray and worship and seek to follow Jesus, and encourage the other members of your church, and get involved in some aspect of its ministry, then you too have a part in the mission of God to reach those who don't yet understand the Good News about Jesus, so they can be changed into the likeness of Jesus, and join the mission team.
Jesus's mission team is the whole church. It's every Christian on the planet. It includes you. We don't all get the privilege of helping someone to pray that prayer of repentance and faith that marks their entry into God's church, their adoption as children of God. But we can all make a difference. And what we can do is so very important.