Thursday Devo
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 4:5-7
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Commentary:
4:6 Paul uses the provision of light in Gen. 1:3 to picture conversion as the dawning of the new creation amid this fallen world. the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. To know the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4) is to encounter the life-transforming glory of God.
4:7 treasure. A reference to the “knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (v. 6) as the content of the gospel (v. 4). jars of clay. A common metaphor in the ancient world for human weakness (see Ps. 31:12; Isa. 30:14). This verse thus restates the central thesis of 2 Corinthians as seen in 1:3–11 and 2:14–17: God triumphs amid human weakness, embodying the principle of Christ’s crucifixion (cf. 1 Cor. 1:27; 2 Cor. 10:3; 11:30; 12:5, 9; 13:4, 9).
4:8–10 afflicted … but not crushed. These verses show the paradox of living as a believer in the present evil age.
4:7 treasure. A reference to the “knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (v. 6) as the content of the gospel (v. 4). jars of clay. A common metaphor in the ancient world for human weakness (see Ps. 31:12; Isa. 30:14). This verse thus restates the central thesis of 2 Corinthians as seen in 1:3–11 and 2:14–17: God triumphs amid human weakness, embodying the principle of Christ’s crucifixion (cf. 1 Cor. 1:27; 2 Cor. 10:3; 11:30; 12:5, 9; 13:4, 9).
4:8–10 afflicted … but not crushed. These verses show the paradox of living as a believer in the present evil age.
Questions:
- Before we can realize the foolishness of our own effort, and before we can recognize the wisdom of the cross, we must receive the MIRACLE of SIGHT. This is a work only God can do for us. He's the one that must do the miracle. The rich guy asked, "What can I do...", while Jesus asked what HE could do for the blind man. We must realize we can't perform our way to a relationship with God. When we think we must perform and strive, it puts so much pressure on us and pressure will ultimately lead to failure. Do you ever fall into the trap of performing your way into acceptance from God? Is your first instinct to work to try to fix something in your own power before you turn to Him?
- So many of us are on this treadmill of religion. Jesus is telling us that this whole earning system isn't going to work. He doesn't want our church attendance, our religious duty, our songs...All that is good, but He says, "I want your heart." He wants our unrivaled affection. Does He have yours?
Pray:
- That you would realize the foolishness of your own efforts.
- That He would have your whole heart.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
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