The Flames of the Gospel
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
We have talked about the
facts and the faces of the gospel. Let's now look at the flames of the gospel.
The books of the Bible called the gospels present the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The letters of Paul explain the gospel and its implications. Paul
encouraged his friends in Christ to persist and endure hardships. His argument
was that there was enough power in the gospel to see them through the rough and
tough. The gospel you received brought newness of life and ignited a fire in
you that produces light out of you. The gospel flames inside have
potential to grow and spread unstoppably. The fire however needs to be tended.
It needs to be oiled, fanned and cared for through submitting to the Holy Spirit
and reading the Bible and meditating on its teaching. Also through praise and
prayerfulness. As well as through shunning evil and fellowshiping with other
believers. It also needs to be exposed. In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul taught
about the effects of the precious gospel fire burning in you as a believer.
It exposes the location of
your treasure (2 Cor. 4:4-7).
Have you ever wanted to
discover a vast treasure? Before the recent discovery of the Marange diamonds
people who lived there for generations did not realize what treasure they lived
with. Believers have the greatest treasure of Christ in them and often do
not realize it. The gospel helps us to understand the value of this treasure.
It brings a revelation of the greatness and glory of Christ in a believer. If
only you can know the glory of God in the face of Christ which is far
more greater than that which was seen on Moses' face. Before believing your
eyes were veiled from all that Christ is (2 Cor 4:4). Now eyes have been opened
to see the glory (power and goodness) of Christ in you. Don't die without
knowing and enjoying the priceless treasure in you by Christ. The treasure of
His power working in you is big enough to enable you to do all things. It is
time for the power working in us to work for us. It is enough to fight your
battles, to pay all your bills, to carry you through difficulties, to cure all
your diseases, to cleanse from all sin, and to reverse all the gains of the
enemy over you.
It examines your heart.
It takes humility for the
Christ treasure in you to show outside for the glory of God? The weaker the
vessel the more the glory that arises to God. 'We have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and
not from ourselves (2 Cor 4:7). We who have been created from the dust of the
earth are such frail earthen vessels to have been trusted with the most valued
treasure ever known. Ordinarily treasure is secured in strongest vessels to be
kept safe. But God did not want the treasure kept away safe but shared through
the brokenness of the vessel. Our calling is to let the light shine freely by
gladly agreeing to be broken. When you are broken you are more trusting and the
treasure in you shines out brightest. God wants the earthen vessels conquered so
he can do great things. So that his light can shine outside and his aroma
poured out (Mark 14:3). He wants hearts of flesh not stone. He wants to
overcome our strong wills, our self dependence and self centeredness. In
breaking the lesser, the greater inside is released! God is able to accomplish
mighty works through broken vessels for which they cant take credit. No
person can take the glory. There is nothing you have that you have not received
(1 Cor 4:7). We are just like the donkey that carried Christ into Jerusalem
It expels your enemy.
The gospel light that shines
in our brokenness is not only for warming and lighting but for fighting. Light
drives away darkness. For darkness to reign you simply swith off the light.
Paul was facing untold resistance and suffered from natural causes,
persecutors, some who compared him less favorable to people like Apollos and
those who questioned his apostleship. But he wrote, 'we are afflicted in every
way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor 4:8, 9). Gideon (Judges 7) with
an army of 300 overcame thousands of Midianites by blowing trumpets (Numbers
10:9) and breaking jars with burning lamps inside to show forth the light
inside. The trumpet sound and the exposure of three hundred small flames
brought the victory. When we are humble, prayerful and trusting before God He
fights our battles (James 4:7).
It extends your
view/perspective.
Paul describes his
afflictions as light. But they really far from being light (2 Cor 1:8,9;
11:23-28). How could he call them light. several times he writes 'we do not
lose heart' and 'we faint not'. He was looking with a perspective enlightened
by Gods glory on Christ in him. He saw the afflictions he suffered achieving an
eternal weight of glory. He saw a crown awaiting him at the end of it all. He
saw his inward man being renewed day by day even though the outward was wasted.
God is more interested in our inner development than our outer comfort. Paul
found strength from knowing that the inside treasure has more lasting value
than the fading value of the outer vessel. '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
Cor 4:18). He later asserted that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor
5:7). There is a real unseen realm. Realm of seen is for manifestation.
Production happens in the unseen realm.
It exonerates your past.
We must all appear before the
judgement seat of God (2 Cor 5:10). But for us the old has passed away behold
all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17, 21). In Christ you receive a new nature
and a new assignment as Christ's ambassador (2 Cor 5:20).
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
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