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.
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. – 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 ESV
What Paul taught, he fully believed, and his belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is what fueled his ministry and personal life. It was also his firm, unwavering belief in the reality of our future redemption and glorification that motivated all his efforts. Quoting from Psalm 116:10, Paul says, “I believed, and so I spoke.” To understand why Paul chose this particular verse from this particular psalm, it is essential to recall what Paul has been discussing with the Corinthians.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. – 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV
In these three verses, Paul describes the nature of his earthly ministry that was difficult and, at times, dangerous. No doubt, Paul chose to quote from Psalm 116 because it had become near and dear to his heart during those many times of trials and troubles. The second part of the verse he quoted reveals that this psalm carried special meaning for Paul.
I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted” – Psalm 116:10 ESV
Even during his times of difficulty, Paul’s cries of despair were driven by his belief in God. The psalmist shared Paul’s faith in the sovereignty and compassionate mercy of God.
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live. – Psalm 116:1-12 ESV
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living. – Psalm 116:8-9 ESV
What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people. – Psalm 116:12-14 ESV
Paul had experienced the mercy of God not only in his conversion but also in the everyday struggles of life. His awareness of the Lord’s constant and compassionate intervention became part of the message he shared with others. He wanted them to know that his efforts on their behalf were motivated by his firm belief in the Lord’s providential involvement in his life.
He assures the Corinthians that his ministry among them was done for their sake.
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. – 2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT
The greater good of men and the glory of God were what motivated his efforts. And it was these two things that prevented him from losing heart or becoming discouraged, no matter how much difficulty he faced.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT
Paul could relate to the reflections of the psalmist.
How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me. – Psalm 116:5-7 NLT
Paul was buoyed by the mercy and grace of God. He believed in God’s presence and trusted in His power. Yes, his body was dying, and he knew what it was like to suffer physically as he performed his ministry, but he found hope in the knowledge that God was with him in this life and would one day reward him with eternal life. From Paul’s perspective, his suffering was nothing more than “light momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV). In the grand scheme of things, the trials of this life were small and of limited duration, “Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT).
He chose to view his earthly struggles from a positive, rather than a negative, perspective. They would be short-lived but have a long-lasting influence on his life. In his letter to the believers in Rome, he reminded them that their temporal suffering was nothing when compared with the future glory God had in store for them.
…if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. – Romans 8:17-19 NLT
Suffering precedes glory. Jesus believed it and demonstrated it in His own life. He endured the cross before He received the crown. That is why He promised that this life would have its difficulties (John 16:33), but He also assured us that this life is not all there is; there is more to come. And it was Paul’s belief in the reality of the resurrection and its guarantee of our future redemption that kept him going.
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
It is our faith in the future that gives us strength in the present. Having a future-focused faith keeps us from fixating on our troubles and trials, as if they are reality and heaven is nothing more than a fantasy. Paul reminds us, “the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT).
Like a runner who keeps his eyes on the finish line, we are to run the race of life with endurance. We must be willing to suffer the pains and difficulties associated with this world because we believe the reward at the end of the race will be well worth the effort.
The writer of Hebrews provides us with some powerful words of motivation:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. – Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT
Father, too oftern I buy into the enemy’s life that this life is all there is. Even though I believe in the promise of the resurrection and the reality of eternal life, I find myself trying to turn this world into my personal “heaven.” I want to experience all the abundant life Your Son promised but I want it now. and on my own terms. Then, when things don't turn out quite the way I expected, I find myself questioning Your goodness or doubting Your promises. I end up inflating the light momentary afflictions I face and forgetting about the future glory that awaits me. I take my eye off the prize and forget why I was running the race to begin with. Help me to maintain my focus and remember that I am running with a destination in mind. There is an end to this race, and the reward will far outweigh any pain and suffering I may have to endure along the way. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.