"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Part 3
Yesterday: Affliction and Glory
“Worketh for us.”
“A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Our afflictions are given to us by our loving Father, who will one day exchange our suffering for glory!
Today: Where Our Focus Is
“While we look not at the things which are seen.”
This says that we believers do not look for, aim at, scope out, or pay attention to all that is temporary around us. This is not our focus!
“The things that are seen – Men, money, things of earth”[1] (John Wesley).
These “not seen things” are purposely unseen by God-fearers.
“We mind not the things seen, whether affliction or refreshment come, so as to be seduced by the latter, or deterred by the former”[2] (Chrysostom).
It is easy to take our focus away from the Lord and begin to “scope out” the things we see around us when life becomes too intense. The car isn’t running, there are impossible bills to pay, and even our boss is mistreating us. At times like this, we can think of many logical “reasons” that God should let us win the annual and very famous “Sweepstakes!” This is the kind of thinking that Chrysostom was speaking of. These kinds of things may tempt the child of God to look at what ought to remain “unseen” by him or her.
“But at the things which are not seen.”
As we grow in Christ, our eyes get better at seeing the unseen.
“The things that are not seen – God, grace, heaven”[3] (John Wesley).
Believers, we are called by God to live by faith.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Face it. If we can see it, it is not of faith. Faith sees the hand of God working in our life. It is trusting God for salvation and then for our daily walk as well. Knowing that the same God who met our needs last week will do so again this week. Faith in God is that calm assurance that helps us walk into the raging storms of life when we have no answers, except that we are convinced that our God will take care of the need!
Our most significant example of living by faith is Jesus, Himself.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Living by faith.
Did you ever think about what Moses could “see” when he was growing up in Egypt? He was surrounded by his impoverished Jewish brothers and sisters. They lived in a land that was not theirs, slaves to a people who no longer knew about Joseph or his God (Exodus 1:8). On the other hand, he saw the Egyptian “taskmasters” who made life miserable for his people. And when his stepmother found him in his basket in the Nile and adopted him, he then saw firsthand the opulence and grandeur of the nobles’ life in the land. He had the best education with the Pharoah’s children. And he was in line to become “somebody” in Egypt when he grew up. But here is the fantastic thing, Moses didn’t settle for what he could see with his eyes, but his focus landed on what he could see by faith.
“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Hebrews 11:25-26).
“For the things which are seen are temporal.”
Believers, why would we waste our time on “temporary” things that don’t really matter?
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
“But the things which are not seen are eternal.”
There are two things on earth that we know are eternal.
1) People!
2) God’s Word!
What do you think we need to see as important? Doesn’t it make sense that we spend much of our time trying to win people, eternal souls, to Christ? And God’s Word must play a significant role in our lives so that we can have the biblical mindset that helps us keep our focus on the eternal, not the temporal.
“And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25).
Let’s stay busy reaching out to people with the Gospel. Our prayer is that we have begun to grasp our temporary afflictions’ biblical meaning in this life. Now we will focus on the Lord and the invisible things for us in the next life.
“The affliction is light, but the glory of the future is fraught with radiant and satisfying blessedness. The one is transient, the other eternal. The one is the price of the other, though each is the gift of God”[4] (F.B. Meyer).
Believers, let’s keep our eyes on Christ and not the angry waves around us.
Quote: “He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he’s moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain. He who spends his life moving toward his treasures has reason to rejoice. Are you despairing or rejoicing?”[5] (Randy Alcorn).
[1] John Wesley. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. 2 Corinthians 4:18.
[2] Chrysostom’s quote borrowed from JFB. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. 2 Corinthians 4:18.
[3] Wesley, ibid.
[4] F.B. Meyer. Through the Bible Day by Day, the electronic version in eSword. 2 Corinthians 4:17.
[5] Alcorn’s quote Downloaded: Saturday, March 20, 2021. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/18-wonderful-quotes-eternal-life/.