2 Corinthians 4: 11, "For we who live are
constantly being delivered over to death for
Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
God used Paul in an incredible way, starting
from the time of his conversion until his
death (Acts 9; 2 Tim. 4: 6-7). Many may
aspire to be a great missionary, writer, or
apologist for the Faith, but aspiration was
not what made Paul's life amazing; it was
expiration! Paul did not just die when he
was martyred, but he died daily, constantly
(1 Cor. 15: 31). Notice his emphasis in
this verse, "we are constantly being
delivered over to death!" In the previous
verses he was describing various times of
his life and ministry when he was afflicted,
perplexed, and struck down, and yet in all
these situations he was not crushed,
despairing, or destroyed (v. 8)! He
realized that he was nothing more than an
earthen vessel so that the surpassing
greatness of the power will be of God and
not from himself (v. 7). Paul did not win
every argument, or win over every group he
spoke to, or win everyone he met to Christ!
Often there were struggles and difficulties,
but he learned to yield his will and his
ways to Christ. He sought to die to himself
and his ego, and to surrender to the Spirit
of God. Paul understood what it meant to
take up his cross daily (Luke 9: 23).
Many who are in ministry want success
without the mess, fame without the pain, and
glory without humility! As Paul died to
Paul daily, more and more the life of Christ
was manifested in his life and ministry. He
did not glory in himself but in Christ (v.
15). If we do not have this same attitude
in us, we will lose heart when afflictions
come our way, we will lose our passion for
Christ when the outer man is decaying, and
we may even lose our resolve to finish
faithfully when we do not get our own way
(v. 16). If, however, we learn to die daily
and live humbly, we will finish but not
necessarily famously, but we will finish
faithfully (vv. 17-18)!
In
Christ,
Tommy Middleton
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