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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain 2 Corinthians 4:16:
II Corinthians 4:16-18
Excerpted from: Conviction, Moses and UsWe see in those three verses that the faith concept continues. For us, and for this sermon, the important thing here is the phrase even though the outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. Do you know what Paul is describing here? He is describing the process of dying and renewing. The outer man—the shell, the body—is decaying. What is causing the decay? In the context, it is the trials of life—the perplexities, the afflictions, the persecutions, the solitude.
The outer man is being decayed through the trials of life, while the inner man is being strengthened through the same trials. The energy of the body is spent in doing God's will, and it is being transformed into the energy of the spirit. Moses was so energized that it says at the age of 120 his natural forces were not abated.
You are aware of this principle because transformations of energy are taking place all around you every day. Energy from the sun strikes the earth; and plants transform that energy into leaves, into flowers, and then into fruit. The energy of a river can be transformed into electricity, which in turn is transformed into light and heat—one form of energy turned into another.
Paul is saying here that if we yield to God, through it expends our physical energy, it will be transformed into what? Christ's likeness. You will become like Christ. The key is to expend your energy in doing the will of God. Otherwise, the right fruit will not be produced. Even though you have to sacrifice yourself in doing it—you give up your time; you give up your energy; you give up your resources—what it is going to produce is spiritual energy. The physical energy will be transformed into the beauty and power of the spirit until death, and then the resurrection releases the full power of the spirit. All along the way, the fruit of that process is going to be true conviction because you know God.
II Corinthians 4:16-18
Excerpted from: The Eternal Privileges of the BrideLet us turn over to II Corinthians 4, verse 16. Now this world and universe we are in right now are only temporary. They are not the real or permanent world. Here in II Corinthians 4, we are going to read verses 16 to 18.
We have no reason to have anxiety over this because we share Christ's inheritance, His possessions. He puts these things into our hands.
And I will add to that dignity. The foolish man lacks unrivaled allegiance to God since wealth is his god.
So the Kingdom of God itself is compared to an immense treasure that is worth securing at all costs, as Matthew 13:44 tells us.
The rich man has replaced genuine trust in God, and his reward, that is, treasure in heaven, with worldly riches. He thus breaks the first commandment, You shall have no other gods before Me.
This does not mean that every disciple of Christ must sell all he owns. Instead, the heart should be focused on God, and every possession should be yielded to God, with the result that possessions will be handled as a form of stewardship.
Everything is God's and everything we own is God's, and so we are stewards of it. The path to eternal life lies in turning away from reliance on self-achievements and worldly securities, and instead trusting in Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom.
II Corinthians 4:14-18
Excerpted from: It's Enough! Now, Lord, Take My Life!When this happens, we must - despite how difficult things may seem - hold on to God and His way of life, not letting go even unto death. Despite his many hardships, the apostle Paul relied on God and did not let himself get depressed for very long, if at all. Now look at what he told the Corinthians.
Now flip over to Philippians 4, verse 10. Paul had many reasons to get discouraged. His letters and the book of Acts record many of his unpleasant predicaments, yet he did not let adverse circumstances depress him. After five shipwrecks, he did not let it get to him. I am still bewildered at that one.
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