Let us read from 2 Corinthians 4:6,7, “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.” In this letter of Paul, he talks about his ministry and how the sufferings he had endured had been a blessing for the church in Corinth and was of eternal profit for Paul also. In Genesis 1 we read how light was created by God’s word.
In verse 4 Paul says that the god of this world have blinded the eyes of the unbelieving to the light of the gospel. It is by God’s grace that we have the light of the gospel within our hearts. In Chapter 3:15 onward Paul talks about the removal of the veil when a person turns to the Lord. In verse 18 we read, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” This unveiled face can be ours when we turn to the Lord. When we receive God’s word, we can see the glory of the Lord as in a mirror. Through constant repentance and coming to the Lord, we can be transformed in the image of Jesus. In chapter 4, we read that Paul overcomes the possibility discouragement because of the mercy he has received. Paul says in verse 5 that he is a bond servant for God. And then he talks about the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in his heart.
In Exodus 33 we read of when Moses prayed that he could see the glory of God’s face. But in verse 20-23 God says, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” Moses was permitted on to see God’s back and not His face. In chapter 34:8 we read, “Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship”. This was Moses’ reaction when we saw a glimpse of the glory of God.
In John 11 we read the story of Lazarus. Mary and Martha were waiting for Jesus when their brother fell sick. They expected Jesus to come and heal him. But Jesus came after Lazarus had died and the sisters were troubled. Martha was hesitant to remove the stone from the tomb when Jesus commanded her. We read in verse 40 that Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth. Jesus showed the glory of God through this incident. Let us be encouraged that even if we have dead and stinking areas in our lives, we can become alive through the glory of God. If we can’t believe in this glory we will be on the path to destruction.
In Acts 9 we read of the conversion of Saul to Paul. We all know this story very well. Saul had a great zeal in his life to destroy the Christians. The great light that he saw blinded Saul. God spoke to Ananias to go to Saul and heal him. Saul had some knowledge about God, but that knowledge had to be broken and Saul had to be changed in order to useful for God. In verse 15 and 16 we read, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” When Ananias prayed for Saul, we read that scales from Saul’s eyes and his eyes were open. Saul received the light of the knowledge of God. We see an immediate transformation in Saul’s life when the veil was taken away. We read in verse 20, “immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.””. In verse 22 we read, “But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.” We can see how his life changed when he saw the light of God. We see how God used him to build up so many churches.
In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul says that we are all earthen vessels. Paul knew this fact very well. Earthen vessels need to be filled again and again with water because water will leak out of it. The same with us; the light that we have might get leaked out from us – so we have to be careful and remember that all the light that we have is only form God. In Judges 6 and 7 we read the story of Gideon. God didn’t want all the 32,000 men to fight against Mideon. We know how the number of men was reduced to the 300 men who cupped their hands to drink water. With these 300 men, Gideon was able to win the battle. These men had a pitcher with light inside it which was revealed when the pitcher was broken. Only if we are broken, the light that is inside us can be shone to those around us. This is what Paul speaks about in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” We must allow God to break us so that the life of Jesus may be manifested through us. In verse 16 we read, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Although we face these momentarily afflictions, the eternal glory that they will bring is great. Let us be encouraged by these verses.
