2 Corinthians, 4:5-7
Jim Pool · Sep 5, 2004
2 Corinthians (2004-05), No. 10
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262312247964

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

We're going to look in chapter 4, continuing on in 2 Corinthians. So, I just want to kind of get the flow here a little bit. Kind of where we started last week and kind of going to tie into verses 5, 6, and 7 this week. But just to kind of get the flow from where we were last week. talked about because we have this ministry and mercy from God we're not losing heart nor are we discouraged. We talked a lot about that last week and the probability is that some of us this week have had opportunities to lose heart and I know I did myself as I shared last week. It was interesting that often times as I study something that God doesn't waste any time. and given me the opportunity to appropriate it. And I don't know if you guys find that true in your lives, if maybe opportunities came about this past week to appropriate things that we talked about last week, so that we wouldn't lose heart. But I did this past week, boy, finding myself wanting to be discouraged, because I was looking at my circumstances and not at Christ.

So, because we have this ministry and mercy from God, we're not losing heart, nor are we discouraged. Because of Christ, who is our life, we are renouncing dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating God's Word, but we are making clear the truth and have clear consciences before God and before man and God.

Because of people's unbelief, Satan has blinded their minds, and they are veiled from seeing the light of the Gospel, which is the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. That's kind of a summary there, verses 1 through 4. So verse 5, we pick it up, but we are not preaching ourselves. but we are preaching Jesus Christ and ourselves as your bondservants for Christ's sake. And let's look at just verse 6 and verse 7. For God who said light shall shine out of darkness is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. So that's what we're going to trust the Lord to get through this morning. Some interesting things there and some pretty powerful stuff in those verses there. So that's what we're going to trust the Lord for this morning.

So Paul here says that they were not preaching themselves. So it's interesting that people were not veiled because of Paul preaching himself. And so this is one reason why people thought that some were veiled, is because they were accusing Paul of preaching or exalting himself. Basically, Paul is coming under these accusations that, you know what man, you're just preaching yourself. You're trying to exalt yourself, and Paul says, well, wait a minute.

No, that's not what I'm doing, I'm not, verse 5. We are not preaching ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves actually as your bondservants for Jesus' sake. So, Paul was not preaching himself, which was causing them to be veiled, but they were veiled.

Why? We talked about it last week. Why were they veiled? Because of their unbelief. Right. So, some people are saying, these people are veiled, they're not understanding the gospel, because you're preaching yourself. And if you wouldn't be preaching yourself, these people would understand the gospel. Does that make sense? But Paul says, wait, no, that's not the case. We're not preaching ourselves, but we're preaching Jesus Christ. And the reason that the folks were veiled is because of their unbelief. And they also were blinded by Satan there. So, Paul's not preaching himself. Another thing for us to give some consideration to is there were people who were preaching themselves during this time. Page 2 there on your handout.

The Sophists, who were smooth talkers, and who could give a clear argument, but their argument and its purpose was to make themselves look good. So there were this group of people that were there, and they were doing, in fact, preaching themselves. But the purpose of their clever, or their argument, was to make themselves look good. And so, Dio Chrysostom, who lived from 40 A.D. to 120 A.D., says, now the great majority of those style philosophers proclaimed themselves. So, it's interesting that we keep that in mind, that culturally, that there were people who were preaching themselves. And the sophists would say this, but praise me or cry out to me bravo or marvelous.

So, in the context of what we're talking about, there were those people who were preaching themselves, and so Paul is making this response back to them, just making it very clear that we are not preaching ourselves, but we're preaching the word Jesus Christ, we're exalting Him, we're wanting to proclaim Him, not ourselves. So as we look down at the verse particularly, we see the word ourselves there is used twice.

For we are not preaching ourselves, but Jesus Christ is Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus' sake. So, ourselves we are not preaching, but Jesus Christ. in the bottom bullet there, "...ourselves are your bondservants for the sake of Christ." So, ourselves are not doing this, but ourselves are doing this. Does that make sense? But notice, on both situations, both instances, the point is for Jesus Christ. Ourselves we're not preaching, but we're preaching Jesus Christ. Ourselves are your bondservants, why? For the sake of Jesus Christ. So, Christ is the issue here. themselves are involved. Sure, they're not preaching themselves, but they're preaching Christ, the bondservants, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

It's interesting to look at it in that way. So, we preach is a verb. It's a present active indicative, and it really means to proclaim. The word there, preach, means to proclaim. They're continuously preaching or proclaiming, and it is a reality. And we could say it this way, that the object of their preaching or their proclaiming is never themselves as they go about in the present tense in their day-to-day activities, but the object of their preaching or proclaiming is always in the present tense, Jesus Christ, and this is a reality in their life in the indicative mood. That's how we could word it, that's how we could say it, what was a reality. You'll never see anything different in their life because Jesus Christ is their very life. Because He is their source, because He is their very life, you'll never see anything different except for them preaching on a continual basis Jesus Christ, not themselves. Not trying to exalt themselves, not trying to better themselves or anything such as that. But they're simply proclaiming, upholding Christ in ourselves, are your bondservants for the sake of Christ.

So let's look at this idea here a little bit of bondservants. What does this mean? What are we getting at here? The word is duos and it means slave. When we come to the idea here it says that we are your bondservants. The idea here is duos meaning slave.

Now the Roman slave was considered as the lowest order of social class with none of the rights of citizens or freedmen. People that were free when we look at this word slave in the context here of the culture. And so Paul was humble and indifferent to social rank and he's associating himself and identifying himself as a slave.

He's not trying to hang on to any social rights when he calls himself a bondservant. I'm not preaching myself, folks. I'm not exalting myself. In fact, I am your bondservant. Total opposite. If a guy is going to try to exalt himself, he's not going to call himself a bondservant. He's going to use the word duos here. That's not going to be what he's going to be doing.

The slave is also one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other person or the other identity. It's often used of a person who is a slave, a slave by birth. So who or what were we a slave to at birth? The sin nature. We all know that, that quite well. And so we are born slaves into this world to the sin nature, the old, the Adamic nature, the first Adam. But because of our identification with Christ, we are no longer a slave of the sin nature, but we are now a slave to a new master, righteousness, life, his life. See, let's look over at Romans in chapter 6 and let's look at verse 18 for just a moment. Romans in chapter 6 and verse 18 here. Romans 6 and verse 18. Let's start in verse 17, kind of catch the flow.

But thanks be to God that through you, that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Having been freed from what we were once slaves to when we were born into the world, we have been freed from that. Now we are slaves, have become slaves of righteousness. So, Paul says here that you were slaves for Jesus' sake, so they were slaves of righteousness for Jesus' sake.

So, kind of go back to 2 Corinthians there, in chapter 4, verse 5. that they are slaves for the sake of Christ, slaves of righteousness for Jesus' sake. Kind of what they're getting at there, communicating with them. Not exalting themselves, that's the context here. They're not trying to make themselves look any better, or exalt themselves, but they're simply slaves of Christ for the sake of them.

Alright, for the sake of Christ here, it's interesting, When we look at this now, this next to see how this one comes out, my prints a little bit off. This is what happens when you when you put your overhead in your printer and you don't put the rough side up. You know, so when it prints on the on the smooth side of your overhead, that's what happens. I figure it's not worth doing it over last night. It's about midnight when I was finally getting these printed out.

So. For the sake of Christ, denoting the channel or the channel of the act, which was for Christ. So, Christ was the channel of the act. So, they were slaves for the sake of Christ. So, we can kind of ask the question, what are we slaves for? We can pose that question to this verse. I am a slave for what sake? That's right, for Christ. So, we can ask these questions and say, no, none of these are true.

Am I a slave because I work here and it's my job? Is that why I'm a slave? Is it for the sake of because it's my job to do this? Is it for the sake that you've done a favor for me and I'm returning that favor back to you? Is that why I'm a slave? Is that why I'm a servant? No. Because I'm looking for some kind of payback from you? No. Because you're a family member of mine and it's my duty to serve you?

No. None of those are true. I am a bond-servant, I am a slave, for the sake of Christ. It was for Christ's sake, so that they would know Christ, and so that they would grow in their relationship with Him. There was nothing else. It was simply for that, that they were bond-servants. Not exalting themselves, but they're bond-servants for the sake of Christ. Nothing else. I don't think there's any other ulterior motives were involved. anything like that, simply for the sake of Christ, so that they would know Christ, and that they would simply grow in their relationship with Him.

Jim? Yeah? Can't you use that analogy also with people who are thinking that they're going to do something for someone, or, not in this context, but in their walk, that it's all for Christ's sake. It's not for, like you said, a family member to be nice or all those other reasons.

It's because Christ is your life. Exactly. That's right. And that's who you are. That's right. And so that's why you're doing those nice things or those accommodating things or whatever it is you're doing. That's right. That's right. Yep. And so many people, I think, in the Christian world That's right. Right.

Yeah. The idea there of the slave, you know, communicated the idea of ownership and the servitude of the one who owned them, in a sense. And who owns us? The Lord. That's right. Christ owns us. You know, we no longer, because of our Identification with Christ, we're no longer under the Adamic nature, we're owned by Christ. I mean, Christ has bought us. By His blood, we've been bought with a price. And He owns us.

So that's the source out of which we are to be doing things. That's right. Not out of our own source or anything such as that. Any other thoughts? Okay. Jim, I was just going to bring up the idea that potentially this can be harmful. And in context, it's true.

But, you know, some people develop this atmosphere of self-pity and martyrdom, etc. in the bond slate. I don't think that's the relationship at all. No. I mean, bond slate, if you think about it, how would you define it? I mean, all the things you've written here make me think I'm under, you know, punishment to work out this task, right? That's not the relationship. So how would you tell somebody who has that attitude? Right.

What I would say is to, if we were to go back to page three, a bond slave is one A slave is one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. Now, because we are identified with Christ, our will is wrapped up in the will of God. I think what oftentimes causes us to stumble there is the word servitude. We carry with it the idea of servitude that has to be done out of duty or of obligation, instead of because Christ is living His life in and through us, our will is His will, and because of that, we're not doing things out of duty or obligation, we're doing it out of the fact because we want to. I think that's a big key point there. When we're walking in the flesh, when we're walking in the old man, we're going to be doing things out of wrong motive, out of a wrong source, more out of duty or out of obligation, which oftentimes that word servant or servitude does carry with it that connotation in our thinking, but I think in the context that's not what it means.

Page 3 there again, the slave is one who is in a permanent relation to another. We have a permanent relational change with God. And we're talking about a positional truth there. We have a permanent positional relationship with God where our will is all together consumed in the will of God. I'm speaking from a positional sense here. Last week we kind of talked about how does this position and condition work out practically.

So as we're walking by faith in Christ, being occupied with Him, looking unto Him, His will is going to be lived out through our will, and in that sense, we're bond servants. Not out of duty, not out of obligation, but simply because we want to. We want to do what it is that God is leading us to do, God's leading us to do.

Why? Because He is the source. You know what? There's no in-between. You're either in Christ, Sure. That's right. That's right. That's right. At that moment, it's not. That's right. Conditionally, that's right. Yeah, we can't be 50% in the spirit and 50% in the flesh, walking through our day like that. That doesn't work. It's either all or one. Bob, does that make sense? Yeah. That's right.

In the sense of using the word slave there, Paul was not trying to exalt himself. I think that's one purpose of using the word slave there. He was saying, listen, I'm not exalting myself, I'm a bondservant to you guys. I'm no great person. But at the same time, he was identifying himself as one who is in this relationship to Christ, who Christ is living his life in and through him, in the sense of he is a servant of the Lord. One of the more obvious examples of the first That's right. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. That's right. Yeah.

And even as the evangelists preached themselves, there were this group of the sophists who were, in this time and age, the televangelists, who were using smooth speech and drawing attention to themselves for their own glory, for their own exaltation.

So it was happening then, and it's still happening now. I think that's where the Holy Spirit is so powerful in revealing the truth in the message and the messenger. It's not a matter of we sit there and be critical, That's right. The truth has a way of declaring itself. That's right.

And as someone is sharing the truth, where is people's focus being drawn to? That's a good question. Is it being drawn to that person? Or is the Lord Jesus Christ being lifted up? Focus being drawn to the Lord. That's always kind of a test case. Ask that question.

You can see kind of really what's going on. I think that the slave idea, like Bob was saying, is kind of demeaning and put down. And in terms of being a slave, it's in nature to be a slave. I thought it was a constant realization of failure and disappointment and a real put down. But then looking at text, it talks about the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ and being a servant of righteousness.

It's very uplifting. That's right. That's right. Right. That's a good point. The idea of a servant or slave carries negative connotations to us. But when we look at it in light of that, it's a very positive idea. Yeah, that's great. Good. Alright, let's go to page 5 of your handout here. Handouts. And let's just read verse 5 and 6 here together, kind of get the flow.

We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus his Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

So why are they not proclaiming or preaching themselves by Christ? Because Christ has shone past tense in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Kind of just the simplest answer there. Why were they not proclaiming themselves to Christ? Because Christ has revealed himself to them in this way. Christ has done this work past and since. He's shown himself to them. And because of that, they're not preaching themselves. Because God has revealed themselves to them in this way.

So God has commanded, out of darkness the light to shine, would be actually a better way to translate that. It says, for God who said light shall shine out of darkness, actually the idea there is God commanded out of darkness for the light to shine. So we need to understand what it is that God did so that we will understand what He did to us. So it's kind of giving an example there. God commanded out of darkness for the light to shine and He has also shone in our own hearts.

So let's kind of get a picture of the first part of it first. As real as God did this with creation, He did this with us as believers. So let's kind of take a couple steps back and get a picture of what it is that God did. Genesis chapter 1. Let's go back to Genesis 1. Let's look at the magnitude and the power and the awesomeness of what God did here.

Out of darkness for the light to shine or the light to shine out of darkness. So Genesis chapter 1 in verse 3 Then God said let there be light and there was light verse 4 God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness in verse 5 He called the light day in the darkness. He called night and there was evening and there was morning one day and go down to verse 14 Then God said, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years. So this is God setting the stage. Out of darkness he commands the light to shine. Over to Psalm, chapter 74, Psalm 74, verse 15. We'll read down through verse 17. Psalm 74, 15-17. You broke open springs and torrents. You dried up ever-flowing streams.

Yours is the day. Yours also is the night. You have prepared the light and the sun. You have established all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and you have made winter. So, verse 16, there. Yours is the day. Yours also is the night. You have prepared the light and the Son.

And over in 136, chapter 136, in verse 7. 136 and verse 7, down through verse 9. To Him who made the great lights, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. The Son to rule by day, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. The moon and stars to rule by night for his loving kindness is everlasting. Just the first sections of those verses there. He made the great lights, the sun to rule by day, and the moon and the stars to rule by night. And then Isaiah chapter 45. Isaiah 45 verses 6-7. Isaiah 45, 6 and 7, that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides me. I am the Lord, there is no other.

The one forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity. I am the Lord who does all these. The one forming light and creating darkness. That's the idea of what we're What we're talking about here, so out of darkness light has shined because God just put that in place. God commanded that to be the case. He has called light to shine out of darkness. It is God who said light shall shine.

Now physical light is what is being referred to here. In the passages that we've just looked at, in the creation scene that we've just looked at, physical light is what it is that is being referred to here. You just need to keep that in mind. Now God did this same work in our own lives, because it says there that He has shone in our own hearts, back to 2 Corinthians, flip back over there, 2 Corinthians. So for God said light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts, so He did this work in our own lives, has shone in our hearts, He has caused light to take the place of darkness, but it's not a physical light, but it's a spiritual light. Key for us to understand that. Physical light is what we were talking about earlier, but spiritual light is what we're talking about here.

God has caused light to take the place of darkness in our lives. That's a huge praise. Just let that sink in for a minute. God has caused light to take the place of darkness in our own lives. Just as he did in creation. He did that with us in a spiritual way. Now it's interesting that We talked about being veiled in the past. Spiritual light taking the place of darkness is the opposite of being veiled. Someone's being veiled, but not able to see clearly.

But now we've got this light coming in because of God's work in our lives, taking the place of darkness, so that we will be able to see. He has shown, or hath shown, is an heiress active indicative, an accomplished fact in the past, which God did, and it's a reality. And Vine says this, to shine as a torch or for illumination so that the knowledge may be lighted or seen. So God has shown into our lives so that, for the purpose of illumination, so that the knowledge can be seen. Tremendous work that God has done there for us.

Almost tough to We put words to the significance of God doing that work in our lives. And the light is His light. The light is His light, exactly. When people see the light, it's not our light. That's right. It's His light they see. Yeah. Yup. Is this light coming into my life or light coming out of my life? It's both. It has both implications there. Yeah. Yup. So, is that a growth process? I think it's both.

I think it's a positional truth where it has shown, but when I'm walking in the flesh, nobody's seen it. I've got it, but I'm hiding it under the bush. You know the song we sing as kids? I forget it, it's been so long since I sang it. I'll probably learn it here soon with Henry.

Under the bushel, yeah, but when I'm walking in the flesh, that is not... When I'm at home and I'm walking in the flesh, Rachel's not seeing any light. She's seeing ugly, stinky Jim in the flesh. When I'm at work, walking in the flesh, nobody's seeing light. They're seeing wretched Jim.

But why did God do this in our lives? I think that's a question that we need to ask. Why did God, why has God shown in our lives for the purpose of illuminating that we would have the knowledge and to see Christ? and the glory of God. Why has He done that? Let's talk about it, let's look at these verses, because as we see the significance of why He did it, I think it'll make us appreciate what He's done. So let's look at these up.

Jeremiah chapter 17. Familiar verse, I'm sure, to probably most of you. Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9. Jeremiah 17 verse 9 says, If the heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick or desperately wicked, who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. Verse 9 says, If the heart is more deceitful than anything else, and is desperately sick or is desperately wicked. Ephesians chapter 2. Let's look over there, and Vern has taught through these verses on Sunday morning for us in the service. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1-3.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Dead in our trespasses and sins, were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. That's a very, very tough spot to be in. A very, very undesirable position to be, and we were by nature the children of wrath, separated, or enemies from God, as other scriptures tell us.

Romans chapter 5, verse 12, says, Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Talking about the universal Adamic nature there that we all receive because Adam sinned. Death came in, death spread to all men because all have sinned. This is giving us the picture as to why it is that we needed God to intervene and shine. God has shined past sin, He has already shined. This is why it is that we needed for Him to do this. in our lives. Verse 18 and verse 19 of Romans chapter 5.

So then, as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous.

So the point being is that we were in need of a Savior. We were desperately in need of some help. I mean, we all know that. But it's important for us to see that's why we needed for God to shine in our lives in the way that He has. So, God has shone in our hearts and has taken us from the place of darkness to light.

An interesting verse here that we see recorded in Acts and Paul's conversation as he's given his defense before Agrippa. Let's look over there in Acts chapter Acts chapter 26, and we're going to read verses 12 down through verse 18. Acts 26, 12 down through verse 18, again it's Paul's defense before Agrippa. We're not going to get the whole conversation, but we're going to pick it up in verse 12.

While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, meaning O King Agrippa, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shine all around me and those who were journeying with me.

And when we had all fallen on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet. For this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness, not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in me."

You notice that? That last verse there? What was the purpose there? Now, we had physical light came to Paul on the road, saw it at this point. Interesting, physical light, this great, blinding, bright light came. to shine, to saw, and then God speaks.

Verse 18, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light. For the very purpose of God to work and take darkness in our lives and make it light. And so that we would turn from the dominion of Satan to God in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith. So, let's go to John 12, and this picks up on what Margaret was mentioning a little earlier. John 12, we looked at this verse last week just briefly, but I think it's worth looking at again. John chapter 12 and verse 45 and 46. so that everyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness."

So very clearly there we're seeing that Jesus says, I have come as light into the world. So Christ says, I have come as light into the world. He's the light that we're talking about here, as you were mentioning earlier. So God has shown in our hearts to give us Christ. Let's go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 6.

For God who said light shall shine out of darkness is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. So God is the one who has shone in our hearts. We saw why we needed for God to shine in our hearts. Because we were desperately lost in need of a Savior. He has, past tense, shone in our hearts to give the light. of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. So, the light is Christ. He is shown in our hearts to give us Christ. I am the light of the world, says Christ.

So, we're kind of taking this thing step by step. Let's go to page 7 of our handouts here. Now, I'll just kind of talk in the context here, just a moment, of unbelievers and believers. It's interesting. Unbelievers are blinded from seeing the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ. We talked about that last. We look up in verse 4.

"...in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." So the unbelievers are blinded from seeing the glory of Christ, the light. They're blinded from seeing the light, which is Christ. The light has shown they are illuminated for seeing the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Opposite. The unbelievers are blinded from seeing. Believers are illuminated so that they can see Christ. It's the issue in both things. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. It talks about in Corinthians that the preaching of the cross to them that are perishing is foolishness. They find it as a stumbling block and they find it repulsive and offensive. Yeah. Okay, let's see.

Verse 6, God is the one who has shown in our hearts, oh boy, wow, alright. God is the one who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Okay, so this idea here of knowledge is a seeking to know or an inquiring investigation, knowledge in looking toward or in respect of the glory of God. So, Christ is giving, we've been given the light, which is Christ, of the knowledge of the glory of God. So, we could say it this way, Christ is the light or source of seeking to know and inquiring and investigating the glory of God. Let me say that again. Christ is the light or source of seeking to know and inquiring and investigating the glory of God. So, God has given us Christ so that we will be able to know the glory of God. See? Now, where is the glory of God seen? In the face of Christ. It kind of comes full circle. And I find that very interesting.

So God gave us Christ so that we would be able to know the glory of God, which is wrapped up by being occupied with Christ. So as we behold Christ, as we are being occupied with Christ, as we're walking in the Spirit, as Christ is living His life in and through us, we're going to be able to know the glory of God. It was incredible the way that Let me just read this last point there on the bottom of page 7. God gave light, which was Christ, as the pathway through which one learns of the glory of God. Christ is the revealer of the glory of God as we behold Him and are occupied with Him. It's all about beholding Christ, and as we do this, God's glory is revealed.

You talk about a complete package. I don't know if you're able to track that through with me. Hopefully, if you were. If not, we can talk about it on the slide a little bit more. He gave us Christ, because through Christ we're going to learn the glory of God, and that happens as we behold Christ. Does that flow there, that track, make sense? Hopefully so.

So because of all this, on page 8, because of all this, there's absolutely nothing of ourselves to preach, because God is the one who has given us the light. And this is the light that the unbelievers cannot see because of their unbelief. We tie this back into a couple of previous verses. If God had not shown Himself, then we wouldn't have anything to say.

We wouldn't be able to preach. But because He has shown in our hearts, because He has shown Himself true to us in this way, with the fullness of the ministry of the New Covenant, tying that back into some previous verses, now we can preach. Now we've got something to talk about. Now we have something to tell people, the Gospel, the New Covenant. If this wouldn't have happened, we'd have nothing to say. We're not trying to exalt ourselves. We're just communicating what it is that God has shown in our hearts. See how this works together?

We have this light or this treasure which has been revealed to us in our earthly bodies. Look at verse 7. We have this treasure and earthen vessels so that their surpassing greatness and their power will be of God and not of ourselves. So this idea here of we have, it's already, it's in the present active indicative, we already have it, we continuously have it, and it's a reality in our lives. We have it. We have this treasure. It's not like we're waiting to receive it, but we already have it.

And what is the treasure? Christ, the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ in the face of Christ. The glory of God in the face of Christ. The treasure is the knowledge of the glory of God, which is shown to us through Christ, because He has been shown in our hearts as being the light. That's the treasure.

I know I'm just blowing through this material here at the end, but what do you do? Earthen vessels. We have the treasure, the knowledge of the glory of God, we have it, already have it, in earthen vessels. The idea here is of earthenware of clay or something that is very frail or very fragile. Some would say clay pots. The idea here is that the fragileness and the temporal state of our earthly lives in contrast with the eternal nature of the treasure put into us by God.

We have this treasure given to us by God so that the surpassing greatness will not be of ourselves, but it will be of God. I'll let you read through these few things there on your own. So, surpassing greatness or excellency, it's Hooper Ballow. Vern nailed that.

In Ephesians, in the main service, the power, he actually talked about that as well in Ephesians 1.10. So I won't take a lot of time, a lot of time there. Let's see. Let me read that point 2 there on page 9. Let me just kind of go back up a couple of bullets there.

This light from God is heavenly and spiritual and we have it in earthly bodies so that we cannot boast of it as coming from ourselves. See, we're earthen vessels, we're frail as in a clay pot. We're frail, we're temporal, we're fragile, and we're earthy. But God has given this spiritual light in us, so it sources outside of ourselves, like what you were talking about earlier, Margaret. So that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not of ourselves. We can't boast. about having this light coming from ourselves because we're just a clay pot. We're just a frail piece of clay that breaks very easily and doesn't last.

Let me just read these last two points here, page 10. So that we can, on this earth and in these earthly bodies, by God's grace and enabling power, do what is unexplainable in the minds of man, so the only explanation is the power of God and not of ourselves.

God has done this in such a way that this would be the result. There's no explanation in our lives except for God's work. Let's have our lives be lived out in the power of God, so that there's no human explanation for our lives. Isn't that, I think, what God would desire is for Him to live His life in and through us?

And then we pick it up the next verse, always carrying, or I'm sorry, we're afflicted in every way but not crushed. That's what we're talking about there. We're afflicted but not crushed. The only explanation for being afflicted and not crushed is because of Christ's work in our life.

Because we're living in the light of the fact that He has shown in our hearts to give us a knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Alright, I think Hal picks up there next week. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this time. May your Holy Spirit continue to bring these things to our remembrance and to teach us these things and to guide us into all truth. That's our desire, Lord, just to simply know you. the words of man, or the thoughts, or the ideas of man, but simply the thoughts, words, and truth from you. In your name we pray. Amen.