our Bibles today to 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. Our text this morning is verse
18. In this verse, the Apostle Paul
makes a tremendous statement about God's children. He tells
us that God's children may look at things that are not seen. Let that soak in. That God's
children have the ability to look at things that are not seen. The natural man That is, a person
who has never been saved by the grace of God, he cannot see,
he cannot perceive the things of God. To him, they are foolishness. But God's children have this
tremendous blessing, the ability to look at things that are not
seen. While we look not at the things
which are sane, but we look at the things which are not sane. For the things which are sane
are temporal, but the things which are not sane are eternal. Now, leading up to this verse,
I want to look at the context, of course, as always. So let's
look at the verses which preceded, beginning with verse 14. Let's
see, first of all, in this verse what the Apostle Paul knew, what
he knew. Knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall
present us with you. The Apostle Paul knew that all
of God's redeemed people will one day be raised up and presented. He continued to preach even though
doing so brought much persecution upon himself. If you notice in
verse 8, he said, for we are troubled on every side. We're
troubled on every side, and the reason he had trouble was because
of the gospel message which he preached. The world doesn't love
the gospel, never has and never will. And Paul, he was troubled
on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, and I'm so
thankful that the Apostle Paul wrote that he himself was at
times perplexed. because all of God's children,
and especially those of us who preach the gospel, at times we
are perplexed. We're perplexed at God's providence. We don't murmur and complain,
but yes, at times we are perplexed at things that we experience,
knowing that God is sovereign over all things, and all things
work according to the counsel of His will, We experience things,
we go through afflictions and trials and troubles, all of God's
children, that causes us at times to be perplexed, but not in despair. Never, not in despair. Persecuted,
and they were of course persecuted. Paul was greatly for preaching
the gospel. From place to place he was persecuted. But not forsaken, not forsaken. God never forsakes his own. Cannot
be separated from the love of God. Height or depth, creatures
present, whatever it may be, nothing is able to separate one
of God's children from his love. Persecuted, but not forsaken.
Cast down, but not destroyed. always bearing about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our bodies. So first of all, Paul declares
in verse 14 that he knew, and this is something that all of
God's children know, all of God's children know this, that one
day we shall all be raised and presented. A person doesn't know
the gospel who doesn't know about the resurrection. If you turn
back just a few pages to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul knows, he says
here in verse 14, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you.
Part of the gospel message concerns the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, doesn't it? Verses 1 through 3 of this chapter,
he said, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein
you stand, by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For
I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that's fundamental. Every
believer, every child of God knows that he is a sinner, that
she is a sinner, and that Christ is the only sacrifice that does
effectually put away our sins. We know that he died for our
sins according to the scriptures and was buried, but notice, rose
again the third day according to the scriptures. And we recognize
that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ testifies to
you and to me, to all who believe this message, that the Lord Jesus
satisfied God. He satisfied the justice of God
for the sins of all of his people. And that's the reason he was
raised from the dead, for our justification. He had the sins
of his people imputed to him, charged to him, but the fact
that he paid that sin debt is manifested and declared by his
resurrection. So every child of God knows about
the resurrection, knows that we're going to be raised. And
if you look further down in this chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians,
the reason we know this is because there's a union There's a union
between Christ and every believer, a mystical union. Yes, he's the
head and we are all members of his body. And the apostle makes
it clear here. If we deny that believers are
going to be raised, then we must also deny that Christ was raised. And if we confess that Christ
was raised, and we do, then that means that assures us that every
member of His body also shall be raised. Notice how he puts
it, beginning with verse 12. Now, if Christ be preached that
He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is
no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen? Cannot be true. If there is no resurrection of
the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain. Our preaching, Paul said, is
just empty words. That's all it is. It's a fable.
It's make-believe. It's worth nothing if Christ
isn't raised from the grave. That's what we preached unto
you. But if He's not raised, then
our preaching's empty. It's vain. It's of no use. And your faith also is vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses
of God, because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ,
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. They go together. And if you
deny one, then the other isn't true. For if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins. Then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. They're perished
if there's no resurrection. Those who trust in Christ and
who have fallen asleep in Christ, who've died, who've gone on to
be with the Lord. And we say they've gone on to
be with the Lord because there is a resurrection. But that wouldn't
be true if there's no resurrection. They've perished. Notice, if
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are, of all men,
most miserable. But now is Christ risen from
the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. For
since by man came death, by man, the God-man, came also the resurrection
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ, all of those who are in union with Christ, who
are in Christ, shall all be made alive. It is in virtue of the
union which exists between Christ the head and all believers who
are members of his body that, yes, we shall be raised. When we read here in our text,
if you turn back to 2 Corinthians 4, that believers will be raised
up by or with the Lord Jesus, that means that when we are raised,
when believers are raised, that we will receive a body like His
glorious body. In Philippians 3 and verses 20
and 21, Paul says, for our conversation is in heaven. Isn't it wonderful
to have citizenship in heaven? That's what the word conversation
means, isn't it? Citizenship. It's wonderful to
have citizenship in our country. That's a privilege. That's a
blessing. But think about this. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are citizens of heaven, of
the New Jerusalem. If our conversation, our citizenship,
is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior. We look
for Him. He's told us He's coming again.
He shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and the trump of God, and the saints of God with him. For our
conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen, who shall change
our vile body. And that means our body of humiliation,
this body of humiliation, it shall be changed that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body. We know this, Paul said. We know this. We know there's
a resurrection. And we know that in that resurrection,
we will receive a body like unto his glorious body. But notice
he said also, and be presented with you. Now, what does that
mean? Be raised and be presented with you. We'll look over a few
pages the other way to the letter of Colossians chapter one. Colossians
chapter one. And verses 21 and 22, remember
Paul is writing to believers. He says, and you that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath he reconciled. Isn't it wonderful to realize
we came into this world, we started out in life enemies to God, But we've been reconciled. We've
been reconciled unto God by the death of Jesus Christ. Have peace
with God. Notice the next verse. Reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy. There it is, present. Presents
you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Knowing, Paul says, knowing. Knowing, Paul knew, that he which
raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and
shall present us with you. Present us unto himself without
spot or wrinkle or blemish, unreprovable in his sight. All right, notice
the next verse, verse 15. Paul knew, verse 15 of 2 Corinthians
4, for all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory
of God. Paul knew that which he suffered
as a minister of the gospel redounded to the glory of God. He says
the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. And we understand
this in one of these two ways. When he says the thanksgiving
of many, the many who were praying for him. The many who were praying
to God for the apostle Paul. That redounds to the glory of
God. Or those to whom Paul ministered. God answered their prayer and
Paul ministered the gospel. They gave glory to God. But in either case, everything,
Paul knew that everything redounds to the glory of God. Everything
that he suffered, the persecution, the afflictions, whatever it
was that he went through, he knew that ultimately it all redounded
to the glory of God. And the same is true of you and
me and every child of God, everything that God as ordained for our
lives, ultimately redounds to the glory of God. And everything
we do should be for the glory of God, whether we eat or drink
or whatsoever we do. All right, notice the next verse,
verse 16, for which cause we faint not. But though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Paul benefited. Now, we've looked at what he
knew. We've looked at what he says I know. I know there's going
to be a resurrection. I know we're going to receive
a glorified body. I know we're going to be presented.
And I know that all of these things redound to the glory of
God. Therefore, he says, for which
cause? Because of these things, these
things I've just mentioned, we faint not. And that brings me
to say that Paul benefited by using his knowledge. Paul benefited
by using his knowledge. He did not faint. because of
the knowledge he had, and he used the knowledge which he had
and that benefited him. It kept him from fainting, for
which cause we faint not. And all of us today, we all need
to be reminded of this from time to time. What benefit is our
knowledge if we don't use it? And I'm talking about the knowledge
we have of God, the Word of God, the things of God. What benefit
is our knowledge that we have if we don't use it? It'd be,
if I could illustrate it like a man has a big bank account,
he's got thousands of dollars over here in the bank, and yet
he's going half naked and starving to death. Now what benefit is
that money over there in the bank if he doesn't use it? And
what benefit is it to you and I, the knowledge we have, if
we do not use the knowledge? Let me give you some examples. What benefit is our knowledge
of the sovereignty of God if we don't use it? We know God
is sovereign. I know that, and I know that's
true of most of you. You know there's not the tiniest
insect upon the face of God's earth that is somehow out of
God's control, that God rules and reigns everywhere, all the
time. There's no question about it.
His will is done in the armies of heaven. and among the inhabitants
of the earth, and no one can ever ask God, what are you doing? Why are you doing this? No one
can. We know that. I believe that,
don't you? I know that's so. But what good is that knowledge
if we don't use it? If when something upsetting comes
into our life, if we act or react, I should say, as if somehow God's
no longer in control. We know it when we're here together
on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings or Wednesday night when
we're singing God's praises and reading the word of God, we know
that God's sovereign, but tomorrow, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, and
something upsetting happens, comes into our life, if we don't
use that knowledge, if we act or react as though somehow God's
not in control of this, this got out of His control, oh no. What good is that knowledge if
we don't use it? And here's another example. We
know Our knowledge, we have that God's superintending providence
supplies the needs of all. Think about this. Our Lord said,
not a sparrow, and that must have been a small bird, maybe
not sparrows like we have today, but a small bird. The Lord Jesus
Christ said, not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father. Your father's watching over you.
We know that. We believe that. We confess that. We sing that. We sing that from
time to time. But if we don't use that knowledge
that we have to calm our hearts when we are in a storm, what
good is that knowledge? If we only have it when we're
here congregated together, what good is that knowledge? And what
benefit is our knowledge that we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous? If when we fail, and we do, we
mess up, we sin, we know, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sin.
We know that. But what good is that knowledge?
When Satan assails us for some wrong we've done, some sin we've
committed, not on purpose, but something that's overtaken, we've
been overtaken in a fault, we need to use that knowledge, right?
I didn't lose my salvation. God's still my Father. Jesus
Christ still loves me. He's still there making intercession
for me. What am I saying? I'm saying
that the Apostle Paul used the knowledge that he had of the
resurrection, of the glorious body, of being presented one
day without fault or blemish unto God, and that all things
that he suffered, all the afflictions he went through, somehow redounded
for the glory of God. He used that knowledge. He said,
we faint not. We faint not. We must, you and I, we must,
like Paul, use the knowledge we have so that we don't faint,
so that we do not become discouraged and give up, because that's a
tendency that some of us have, you know? When something happens,
something disturbing happens, we don't use the knowledge we
have, and so we're kind of forlorn and broken down and, you know,
out of sorts. Paul said, no, this knowledge,
for this cause, we faint not. We faint not. In fact, Paul says,
though the outward man perish, the inward man, that is the new
man, is renewed day by day. We would faint. We would faint
if it were not for the inward man being renewed day by day. And when I read that day by day,
I thought again of the Israelites and the manna with which God
fed them for those 40 years that they were in the wilderness.
But they had to go out every day and gather manna. We cannot live on yesterday's
grace We cannot live on yesterday's strength. We just can't do it,
every day. Day by day, Paul says, the inward
man, the new man, is renewed. And how is the new man renewed?
The new man is renewed in prayer. We neglect prayer. The inward
man, the new man, he's not going to be renewed, probably. We neglect
the word of God. We neglect the services, hearing
the gospel. Now you can say what you will,
my friends, but there's something special about worshiping God
together as a congregation. And people who, of their own
will, absent themselves when they could be present, they're
just hurting themselves. Now that's just so. We need each
other. The scripture said, forsaking
not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some
is. We not only need to hear the
word of God preached, but we need the fellowship with one
another. That's how this new man renewed day by day, the renewing
of the new man. But my point is, Paul used his
knowledge so that he did not faint. Then notice in verse 17,
he declares three truths about these afflictions. He says they
were light, they were momentary, and they work for an eternal
weight of glory. Well, when we read that, let
me read it, I didn't read it, verse 17. For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory. Paul, are you telling me that
your afflictions were light? Look over to chapter 11. 2 Corinthians
chapter 11. Are you saying that your afflictions
are light? Absolutely. Absolutely. He says,
that's what I'm saying. In 2 Corinthians 11, beginning
with verse 23, he asked, Are they ministers of Christ? I speak
as a fool. I am more. In labors more abundant,
in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths
off. Of the Jews, five times received
I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods,
once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck,
a night and a day I've been in the deep. In journeyings often,
in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine
own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the
city, in perils in the wilderness, and perils in the sea, and perils
among false brethren, and weariness, and painfulness, and watchings
often, and hunger, and thirst, and fastings often, and cold,
and nakedness, besides those things that are without, that
which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. But now, he says, our light affliction. Obviously, the Apostle Paul is
using a different standard of judgment when he says our light
affliction. If you think of a scale with
two weights or places to put weights, if you put the eternal
glory over here, that which God has prepared for them that love
Him, You put the eternal glory over here on this side, and you
put your afflictions over here, they're light. They're light. And the same thing when He says
they're momentary. If you put eternity over here
in the scale, and you put a lifetime of suffering over here, it's
but for a moment. That's the point He is making. afflictions are but for a moment. Now, here we come to our text. Just a few things I want to say.
Three things. First, what is the ability that
enables God's children to look at or perceive things not seen? What is it that gives you the
ability, that gives me the ability to look at things which are not
seen, unseen things? It is, of course, the grace of
faith. The grace of faith. Hebrews 11,
the apostle said, now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith enables a believer
to perceive that which is invisible, that which is not seen. Remember,
our Lord said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man
be born again, he cannot see, he cannot perceive the kingdom
of God. It is in the new birth that a
person is given faith. Faith which enables us to see
or to perceive these eternal realities that are unseen, the
spiritual sight. And this helps us to understand
about the new birth. I know many people, or some people
at least, are confused about the new birth, and many people
are troubled about the new birth. And they wonder, have I been
born again? Have I been born again? Do you
have faith? Do you have faith to see eternal
realities? You've never seen Christ. We're
not talking about seeing Him with the physical eye. But do
you perceive who Christ is? I'm not talking about imagination
of some person, some man. But do you perceive who He is? The God-man, can you see that? Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. This ability to spiritually see. A person that I know, he told
me, this has been several years ago, but he still believes, he
said, I just don't have any need. I just don't have any need. I
don't come to church. I don't want to come to church.
I don't want to hear the gospel. I don't read the script. I just
don't have any need. Why is it? And I told him, I
said, that's not a good sign. That's a bad sign. Obviously
you're dead. You're spiritually dead. You
don't say that you have a need. Can you see? Can you see these
eternal realities? Yes, I have a need. I have a
need that my sins be put away. And I see there's only one way
that my sins may be put away, and that is through the sacrifice
of He who is both God and man. I see that. I perceive that.
And not only see it, but trust in what we see. The child of
God has this ability to see things that are unseen. Look with me, turn with me to
Hebrews chapter 11, just a moment. You remember our Lord said this
about Abraham. You know how many years Abraham lived before the Lord
Jesus Christ came into this world? About 2,000, a little bit less,
maybe than 2,000 years. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ,
he said this about Abraham, he rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it and was glad. How did he see it? By faith,
by faith. And look here in Hebrews chapter
11 about Moses in verse 27. It says, by faith he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as
seeing him who is invisible. Moses, he had faith. He could see. Pharaoh couldn't
see. Many of the Israelites didn't
see, but Moses, he saw him who was invisible. How did he do
that? By faith. Faith is a grace that is given
unto God's elect in the new birth, and we see. Now back to our text. I have to hurry, but I want to
make these other two points. The second thing, what is true
of things that may be seen without the gift of faith? What is true
of the things that may be seen without the gift of faith? Well,
things that may be seen without the gift of faith are all temporal.
For instance, the largest thing, the biggest thing that any of
us can see, I would say, is the universe. And we don't see all
of it. But all that we see is pretty
big. But let me tell you something.
It's temporal. The universe as it exists today
is temporary. Temporary. Because we read there's
a day coming in which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. You see the moon,
the stars, the planets. You see things on this earth.
That's all temporary. That's all temporary. You don't
need faith to see that. I'll tell you something else.
When you got up this morning, brushed your teeth, combed your
hair, and looked in the mirror, that person looked back at you,
that body, that's temporary. It's just temporary. In fact,
in the next chapter, the apostle Paul tells us that we live in
a tabernacle that's going to be dissolved. That's just temporary. And relationships, relationships
in this world. And you know, in marriage, such
a beautiful picture of the union between Christ and his church.
But the marriage relationship, when two become one, sometimes
it lasts for many years. I read sometimes people have
been married for 70 years, some less, some more. But they're
all temporary. It's just temporary. There's
no such thing as an eternal marriage, except the eternal marriage between
Christ and His bride. That's eternal. Don't be taken
in by this cult that tells you that they can perform a ceremony
and you'll have a wife or a husband in heaven eternally and have
your own little cloud over here, you know, with your harem that
you can live in or with. What foolishness, right? What
wickedness. Inventions of men. Look at this
last point. What is true about the things
that God's children should and may look at by faith? They are eternal. They are eternal. The joys of heaven that await
every child of God. The apostle said, I hath not
seen or ear heard Neither have entered into the heart of man
the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. To depart
and be with Christ, which is far better. Look on that. Look
on that. To depart and be with Christ,
which is far better. In thy presence is fullness of
joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Look
on that by faith, these things which are unseen, but God's children,
we have the ability to see the unseen. There shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain, for the former things are passed away. Look on these things. When He shall appear, we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Look on these things. Press on. We faint not, Paul says. Why? Because we know some things.
And yes, disappointments, afflictions, troubles, trials, difficulties,
perplexities, they come to all of God's children. We have some
knowledge that keeps us from fainting, from giving up, from
going on. Well, I trust the Lord will bless.