Faith & Sight

The Round-about

This lesson, of what I want to present tonight, arrived in a round-about way.

It started with a desire to look at the Proverbs
From their it went to 1 John 1:5-10, about walking in darkness or light
Then to 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, about the resurrection and the physical body sown and the spiritual body raised.
And finally that brought me to 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:11
All based on the idea that we are a three part being of body, soul, & spirit as was discussed last Sunday morning in Douglas Hamilton’s sermon, "The Trip to the afterlife, Part 1 - God is triune & we are triune"

And I’d like us to think about why it is that salvation was offered to mankind but not to the fallen angels.

2 Peter 2:4 (ESV): 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Hebrews 2:5-6 (ESV): For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶ It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?

Let me suggest that the reason that is, is:

We live by faith not sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (ESV)

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. ² 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. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ 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. ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶ 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.

→ By the way, what’s another way of saying, “Let light shine out of darkness,” ? How about, "Let there be light"

Treasure in Jars of Clay 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

→ What are: jars of clay ? How about the inspired writers.

⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18

¹³ Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ^14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

→ What’s the purpose of God extending grace? So that it may increase thanksgiving.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

→ What’s being talked about here? Things physical - transient and things spiritual - eternal.

(ESV) Our Heavenly Dwelling 2 Corinthians 5:1-11 (ESV)

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Note

Jesus, Mark 14:58 (ESV): “We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'”
Stephen, Acts 7:48-50 (ESV): Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
⁴⁹ “'Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?'

Note	The Hebrew writer, Hebrews 9:24 (ESV) For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf

² For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

→ By the way, if our earthly body is a tent, could it be that our heavenly body is a… mansion? Just saying…

⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.

⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. ¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Invitation

We are extending the invitation, now, to anyone who is subject to it. Come,… while we stand and sing.