Download the Bethlehem Baptist Church Mobile App
Available for iOS and Android
September 7/8, 2013
Jason Meyer | Daniel 4:1-6
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with lourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:1–6
Introduction
Looking Back: Overall Message
Let’s take a moment at the outset here to look back over 2 Corinthians before we look forward. We begin with the overall message thus far. This letter is one of the most emotional pastoral letters that Paul ever wrote because the Corinthians are in danger. They are in danger of rejecting Paul in favor of those that Paul calls false apostles who are under the sway of Satan. The key point of contention seems to be Paul’s suffering. The opponents are saying that Paul’s suffering proves he is not a true apostle. Paul turns that argument on its head. His suffering proves he is an apostle. The devil, with the help of these opponents, has duped the Corinthians into a narrow way of looking only at Paul’s suffering. He has given them a half-truth or a partial perspective. It is undeniable that Paul suffers, but they need to see the rest of the story. They need to see the whole picture by expanding their view to see the source of Paul’s suffering (God’s sovereign design) and the good that flows from Paul’s suffering (comfort for the Corinthians and conversion for the world).
2 Corinthians 1:3–11: Praise God that Paul’s suffering is good for the Corinthians (comfort).
Therefore, Paul opens the letter with profound praise to God for comforting the Corinthians. But it is not the comfort that is the main point of the praise. The main point is the way that comfort comes to the Corinthians. It follows a certain flow. It flows downstream from Paul’s suffering so that Paul is a channel of comfort. Paul suffers, and God comforts Paul so that Paul in turn can comfort the Corinthians. Then, the Corinthians and Paul praise God for the comfort God gives. That cycle of suffering, comfort, and praise is almost complete. The only thing missing is the Corinthians' praise. The Corinthians must join Paul’s praise to God or they are in danger of being cut off from Paul, who is Christ’s apostle. If they are cut off from Christ’s apostle, they will be cut off from Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:12–2:11: A reconciled and reconciling church is a refuge against Satan’s relentless attacks.
From that open-ended invitation to join Paul’s praise, he gives them countless reasons to unite with him in some blood-bought boasting (2 Corinthians 1:12–14). He goes out of his way to hold out his undivided “yes” heart for them so that they would see the abundant love that he has for them (2 Corinthians 1:15–2:4). Paul has refused to hold a grudge against the Corinthians for the pain caused by what appeared to be a public rebellion against him. The Corinthians came very close to rejecting Paul, but they responded with repentance to his painful letter, and they proved the repentance of the majority by disciplining a key individual. That individual has also repented, and now they are to restore and comfort him. Continuous application of the cross is a safeguard for them. Paul joins them in forgiving this person so that the corporate forgiveness and restoration would provide a protective barrier against Satan’s wily attempts to destroy the unity of the church (2 Corinthians 2:5–11).
2 Corinthians 2:12–3:18: Praise God that Paul’s suffering is good for the world (conversions through the sufficiency of the Spirit).
The first section focused on thanksgiving for Paul’s suffering because of the comfort that came to the Corinthians. This section begins with the note of thanksgiving for suffering, but this time what flows from suffering is not just comfort for the Corinthians, but thanksgiving for the spread of the gospel through the suffering of Paul and the sufficiency of the Spirit. The knowledge of God spreads to more people through Paul’s endurance of suffering and rejection when he brings the gospel and the power of the Spirit to remove blindness and hardness when the gospel is preached.
Looking Forward
2 Corinthians 4:1–16: Not Losing Heart
The phrase “we do not lose heart” occurs in verses 1 and 16. This clue provides the framework for this section. Paul invites the Corinthians to share his triumphant faith that does not lose heart in the face of opposition like rejection (2 Corinthians 4:1–6), suffering (2 Corinthians 4:7–15), and even death (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). So “not losing heart” becomes the theme of our September together. This week we look at not losing heart when people reject the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:1–6). The next two weeks, my prayer is that we will join Paul’s triumphant faith in not losing heart in our sufferings (2 Corinthians 4:1–12) and (2 Corinthians 4:13–15). In three weeks, we will look the last enemy right in the face together and pray that our heart will stay strong and not give way (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).
You Are Here: 2 Corinthians 4:1–6
Last week, Paul exulted in the glorious fact of freedom in Christ: freedom from the veil and freedom for gazing at the glory of Christ. We are set free to see. Christians have freedom from the veil. Paul was very brief in describing when the veil is removed (when one turns to the Lord). This week, Paul takes us deeper into riches of God’s grace in the removing of the veil. He shows us the drama of the spiritual warfare that is happening in heavenly places. We see three supernatural realities.
First, we see a sinister supernatural being (Satan). Paul shows us that Satan stands behind the whole diabolical business of the veil.
Second, we see an infinitely greater supernatural being: the very Creator of the Universe. The Prince of darkness is no match for the Creator God who dwells in unapproachable light. The One who created light out of darkness performs a new creation miracle of light in the human heart. This is the miracle of conversion.
Third, we see that God performs this saving miracle when the supernatural word of God is preached. We once again see that Paul does the indispensable (preaches Christ from the word of God) while God does the impossible (the new creation work of conversion).
Let’s unpack these three things in the order that they appear in our text:
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
The word “commend” (v. 2) is the same word that we saw at the beginning of chapter three. “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?” (2 Corinthians 3:1). It looks like a contradiction. Paul says he is not commending himself (2 Corinthains 3:1), but now Paul says he does commend himself (2 Corinthians 4:2)? How do we make sense of that?
Paul does not commend himself in a self-promoting way that resorts to control and manipulation. He allows God to commend his ministry (especially the way God saved the Corinthians through Paul’s ministry). Because Paul is so confident in God’s commendation and his own integrity, he does not need to commend himself. It is like an audit. He invites it. He has nothing to hide. He simply invites the Corinthians to do an audit between himself and the opponents and see who comes out on top. He commends himself to their conscience without trying to control them through cunning or coercion. Paul leaves things in the sovereign hands of God and does not try to take matters into his own hands. This approach leads to quite a contrast.
The opponents demand payment, use cunning, and resort to Scripture-twisting and corruption, while Paul does not accept payment and preaches the clear truths of Scripture. It is no surprise that servants of Satan use cunning, because Genesis 3:1 tells us that he was more crafty than any other.
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
The opponents attempt to enslave the Corinthians. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:18–21:
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!
What a contrast that Paul wants to be their servant—he does not want them to become his. Paul is content to place himself under them as their slave or servant. Paul does not preach in a way that makes him the main point of his preaching; Christ as Lord is the main point. But Paul does show up in his preaching. He preaches himself as servant. He serves the Corinthians by preaching Christ. That is what they need to see most—so he doesn’t waste time trying to paint pictures of himself.
It is no surprise that Paul would be this way. It is according to the model and teaching of Jesus in Mark 10:42–45:
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Paul does not let rejection go to his heart or take it personally because he knows who stands behind all negative responses. Paul can look upon the people who reject him not as his personal enemies, but as victims of his personal enemy.
How can Paul call Satan the “god of this age?” Paul had a two-age view of history. We are living in the time known as the “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). This age is evil because the god of this age is evil. 1 John 5:19 gives a sweeping assessment of this world: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Talk about a dark picture for humanity. It is like a scene from Lord of the Rings. You were caught in a spider’s web, but you never saw the spider. You did not know what hit you. Shelob the great spider captured you and wrapped you up in a blinding, gruesome spidery cocoon. But it gets even worse than the Lord of the Rings picture. If you knew you were caught, you would cry out. If you knew you were captured and imprisoned, you would try to escape or call for a rescue. But Satan enslaves people so completely that they don’t even know it. They are so thoroughly blinded and captured that they don’t even think they are blind or chained.
This brings us to a key question. How did Satan come to be the god of this age? We get a clue in Luke 4:5–7:
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
The first Adam was given authority to be the vice regent of God as the acting ruler to gain dominion over the earth. He was deposed by Satan in the garden. From that point on, Satan has acted as the ruler of the world. But the Jews believed that the Messiah would come to defeat his enemies and usher in the age to come. The New Testament shows that Jesus’ first coming ushered in the age to come, but expectantly there is an overlap of the ages. The age to come is here and has invaded the present evil age to plunder Satan’s kingdom. The first coming was like D-day in which Satan and sin are defeated at the cross. The second coming of Jesus will be like V-E (Victory in Europe) Day when the war will end because Satan and sin will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. There will be a cease-fire only when Satan and sin are cast into the Lake of Fire.
The Second Adam came once, and the Gospels show how often he cast out demons to show the dominion of his kingdom over Satan’s. In fact, in the Gospel of John, there is only one exorcism because it is what every other exorcism pictures.
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.—John 12:31–33
But Jesus died and rose again to rescue us from the present evil age. He came to bind the strong man and plunder his kingdom (Mark 3:26–27). How does God do that? Paul gives us a parallel picture in 2 Timothy 2:24–26:
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
They are captured and don’t even have the sense to know it. But they come to their senses when God grants them repentance. Paul gives us a more dazzling metaphor for this in verse six.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul did not lose heart in widespread rejection because he had seen the greater power of God. The “god of this age” was simply no match for the one True and Living God, the God over all ages. To give a sense of how much greater this power is, he returns to what happened in the beginning: creation.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.—Genesis 1:3
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”—2 Corinthians 4:6
Genesis has "God said" and the creation of light like Paul does, but where does the idea of light shining out of darkness come from? There is one text in the Old Testament that connects the words for light, darkness, and shining.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.—Isaiah 9:2
Isaiah is saying that there is one coming who will be called “Immanuel.” We learn more about him in chapter 9.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.—Isaiah 9:6–7
This birth of this Son is going to lead to a great light. How great is the light? It is as great as the first light of creation. The salvation he brings will be a new creation. Paul combines the two texts into a quotation because he saw that Isaiah already pictured salvation in creation terms. Paul joins the texts together because he noticed that Isaiah already provided the interpretation. He just followed Isaiah’s lead.
But there is more here than just a picture drawn from Genesis and Isaiah. This picture of conversion was very personal to Paul because he experienced it in a first-hand way.
As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’—Acts 21:6–16
I used to think that it was unfair that only Paul got to experience this. Then I learned he was called to be an apostle and thus had to see the Lord Jesus in the flesh. But only later did I see that every Christian gets to experience this. What Paul saw on the outside is what we see on the inside. God comes and knocks us down off our high horse and completely changes our hearts. That happened on the inside of Paul as well.
So Paul was not going to lose heart in preaching the gospel because he knew the power of the gospel. It could knock you off your horse and cause you to see the glory of the Righteous One. It could turn the greatest persecutor against the church into the greatest preacher for the church. Paul knew the power of God. He took the greatest persecutor of the church and made him the greatest preacher. Seeing God’s power and his own personal miracle helped Paul not to let acceptance of his preaching go to his head because he knew that God’s power stands behind all positive responses.
Application
So how should we respond to rejection (personal, family, and cultural) and not lose heart? The gospel gives us two things: an identity and a hope.
Personal Rejection Because of Rebellion
The gospel can overcome rejection. God’s approval of us in Christ is the only thing great enough to satisfy our inner approval junkie. We will not lift our finger into the wind to see what people like and go that way. That would cause us to hold back the gospel in the hope of being liked and accepted. Our identity in Christ enables us to keep the connection tight between who I am and whose I am. Whose I am controls who I am. There is no higher acceptance. His approval of us arms us to not lose heart when we lose the approval of others.
We also always have a hope when sharing the gospel because it can overcome rebellion. We do not lose heart when we see darkness because we know God can create light out of darkness. It may seem like we have nothing to work with, but that is no problem at all for God.
Family Rejection
These same two truths need to be embraced even more deeply when facing family rejection. Nothing cuts deeper or causes you to give up hope more than family rebellion. Some of you know the pain of having either your parents or your children not walking with the Lord. Jesus said that the coming of the gospel would not lead to peace with everyone—including our earthly families (Matthew 10:34–38).
Cultural Rejection of What We Love
This week Cara had me watch a video of Miley Cyrus’ song. It disturbed me deeply for several days. Its theme was that we can do whatever we want. If you like cutting yourself, do it. If you like drugs, do them. Oh, how much this supposed freedom brings slavery, suffering, and death (as some of you have heard in the news of drug overdoses because these songs are commending it).
Cultural definitions of freedom run so counter to the gospel that we are just inviting widespread rejection and perhaps increasing persecution. Freedom is being defined as self-love—doing whatever you want. The “you” is the standard or definition. I don’t care what you do; I only care that you have the right to do it with no one constraining you like a big ball and chain holding you back. Your God defines your freedom for you. The god of this age tricks you into thinking you are defining your freedom, but you are really just feeling the "freedom" of his slavery.
Self-centered love is no love at all. It is the counterfeit of real love—which makes sense because Satan cannot create anything; he can just counterfeit what God has created. In self-love, you are the center of it all. You define love by whatever you decide it is without any constraint. This definition leads to the murder of true love. No wonder so many marriages end in divorce with this kind of definition. I feel loved by you only when you let me do what I want to do.
Real love sets its affection on another. They love the other person so much that they think about how to show love for the other person. They especially want to protect what they have. Those who are truly in love do not regard boundaries as ugly things, but as beautiful things.
We need barriers to protect what is beautiful. We don’t want it to be defiled. We gladly give up a measure of freedom because we have found what we treasure most. We gladly give up the right to date other people, because we don’t want to. We want an exclusive relationship! We don’t talk about it like a ball and chain. People who tout the privileges of freedom are often left lonely and empty because all they have in the end is themselves.
How much more is that true of our relationship with Christ. Real freedom is found in being a slave of Christ. He has no other rivals. No one is greater. And wonder of wonders, no one loves us more. So we want to chain ourselves to him! Why would we want to go somewhere else? Why would we define freedom as running away from our only source of good? Why would we celebrate the freedom to defile our relationship with him? We want to protect what is beautiful and keep the relationship pure!
Small Groups As a Structure of Support and Spreading
In the face of widespread cultural rejection, the church can be a place that caters to the world and grows a worldly church, or it can walk the Calvary road together armed with the acceptance of the gospel and the acceptance of the family of God. Small groups are like a rest stop for our weary souls to regroup for the battle. You get the support you need to get back on the road. We don’t minimize the Christ-centered relationships and sanctification support that you get in a small group. But neither do we see small groups as primarily as a bunker (a thing of defense). Small groups should not be seen as a bunker to hide out in like Saddam Hussein once did, but a beachhead where a band of brothers and sisters gathers for the sake of the spread of the gospel in our neighborhoods. We are trying to develop ways that our small groups can join our local outreach efforts.
Conclusion
Seeing the bright, burning beauty of Christ is the unifying thread of our past, present, and future. Salvation, sanctification, and glorification come from gazing at the glory of Christ. This text shows us that gazing at the glory of the gospel in the face of Christ saves us (2 Corinthians 4:6), we are changed from glory to glory by beholding his glory (2 Corinthians 3:18), and seeing the full glory of Christ will culminate in our full glorification. “We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
This trajectory also helps us see what heaven is. Heaven is not a place where people are free to pursue a love affair with their idols (an abundance of earthly pleasures). It is not so much about a place as it is about a Person. For the Christian, Christ defines both life and death. To live on this earth is Christ. To die and depart this life is gain because we will have more of Christ as we see him face to face. Death is gain because in this life we only see in part and know him in part—on the other side of the grave we will see him face to face and know him fully (1 Corinthians 13:12). Seeing Christ's glory is also therefore the culmination of love in 1 Corinthians 13. God is most loving when he displays the glory of Christ for us and does not hold back from magnifying him. Don’t lose heart; more of Christ’s glory is on the way—O Glorious Day!
Closing Song: "Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)"