Pastor’s Blog: The Christ Effect

As dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed” (2 Corinthians 6:9).

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).

Our God and Father has thought of everything; He has built into His children, (His born-again ones) the character and nature of Jesus Christ. In effect, He has built us to outlast! Through our present difficulties, the life of Jesus is in real time, manifestly revealed in our mortal body. The apostle begins this passage of scripture by saying we have this treasure (Christ) in earthen vessels, in jars of clay that it might be evident to all that God’s excellent power is at work within our mortal flesh even in the midst of unpleasant and negative circumstances.

The child of God is not vulnerable to trials; he is built for them! He is built so that all will know that he has been born of God, and there is something greater happening inside him than is apparent! This word picture is one of a master artist! Through the words of the apostle, we see that we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.

In a corollary passage Paul says, “as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed” (2 Corinthians 6:9). It is through our daily lives and these scriptures that we see “the Christ-Effect!” Our Heavenly Father has in Christ, countered every seemingly indefensible weapon formed against us! Your perseverance through trials is not because of you but because of “the Christ-Effect!”

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