"… we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor. 4:8–9).
One of the most common criticisms hurled at the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture is that it was written by mere men. The Gospel was not proclaimed directly from heaven but was declared through the feeble efforts of fallible men. This fact Paul admits in 2 Corinthians 4:7–15, yet he does not admit it shamefully but with confidence—confidence because he trusts in the power of God, not in the frailty of men. The ministration of the Gospel is one of life, power, and glory; yet, these things are not derived from those who deliver the message—they come from God Himself who is the source of that life, power, and glory. The more Gospel ministers, and Christians in all circumstances, are reviled, abused, perplexed, and persecuted, the more God’s glory will shine forth in their weakness. Fallen man cannot understand this. He cannot grasp how or why God would use “earthen vessels” to proclaim His truth, but that is exactly what He has done, so we will know that eternal life and the power of the Gospel come from Him and not from man.
The effects of the Gospel, its power to free men from condemnation and the power of sin, to transform men into the image of Christ, to deliver them from the god of this world, and to make them partakers of eternal life, are too grand, too powerful, to be produced by ministers. The real efficiency of the Gospel and the Christian life is not in man, but in God.
This should instill in every believer greater confidence in God, deeper trust, and abiding peace. Though we suffer, though we are weak, though we are treated just as Christ was treated, God will sustain us because we live by His power. Our faith is not rooted in something man-made that changes like the tide, but it is grounded in the unchanging, eternal God. Our hope in the midst of distress, in the midst of accusations and ridicule from those who refuse to believe in Christ Jesus and who mock His Gospel, is that God will deliver us. Though we die daily, though ministers like Paul give up their comfort and even their lives for the sake of their flocks that the Gospel might go forth, our hope remains steadfast because our God, who has revealed Himself in the Scriptures with manifold promises, is faithful.
Do you get frustrated or depressed because of the suffering that you go through on account of your Christian beliefs? You might even face the threat of physical harm because of your faith. If so, what do you do about it? Do you let your fears take over, or do you trust in God? Meditate on today’s passage. Trust in God.
