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.
—1 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NKJV)
The love of God has given us the greatest treasure. Another way of defining the treasure we have been given is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Paul spoke of our lives being joined with Christ and all its benefits. This truly is a treasure, far beyond anything this earth or any man can give us. This treasure was purchased with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).
The earthen vessels that Paul speaks of are our physical bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:7 compares the worthlessness of our bodies to the matchless value of Christ in us. Our bodies are like clay pots that contain the precious treasure of Christ. Paul says that hard times and challenges may come against us, but they can’t destroy the treasure of His grace within us.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul wasn’t saying God was the source of these troubles. He wasn’t saying the Lord was performing some kind of redemptive work using these problems. Paul was only listing things shared by everyone. However, he also showed how God’s power makes us more than conquerors in every difficulty (Romans 8:37). What Paul demonstrates in these verses is that the credit for the power to live a victorious life goes to God and not to us.
Paul encountered situations where he didn’t know what to do, even where there seemed no escape. But he knew he was never without God’s help. His earthly reasoning didn’t have the answers. Paul had Christ living inside Him and drew on the power of the Holy Spirit from within. He possessed the treasure of God’s grace and drew from that treasure by faith. This kept him from despair and discouragement. Our problems, or even our lack of problems, should never determine how we feel. We can draw from the treasure of Christ within us—the power of the Holy Spirit—to overcome every situation and to understand what the Holy Spirit wishes to reveal to us (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57).
God doesn’t afflict us to prove that we are His. Satan is the one who afflicts and attempts to steal God’s truth from our hearts (John 10:10). Godly believers are constantly persecuted because of their stand for Christ. It is only when we die to ourselves that Christ can manifest His life in us. When we lean on His treasure within us, we experience His life and power to overcome.
Paul denied himself so that others could receive the grace of Jesus. Throughout his ministry, many made Christ the Lord of their lives, which was a sufficient reward for Paul. By dying to self, his inner man was renewed every day. When we allow our inner man to be renewed by the truth of who we are in Christ, we are transformed (Romans 12:2), and the treasure of His life within us defines our lives.
Knowing his relationship with God through Christ, Paul could yield to God. Paul trusted the treasure He had received, and he died to himself so Christ might live through him (Galatians 2:20).
Understanding your position in Christ is crucial to surrendering your human position—your needs, wants, and plans—to God. Dying to self—dying to your need to prove yourself—magnifies God’s position in your life. You allow God to prove you. Additionally, knowing who you are in Christ gives you God’s perspective. You have His power within you to demonstrate that your strength comes from Him and not from yourself. You possess His faith to believe that Christ is greater in you than anything that comes against you.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
You have Christ, the hope of glory. The victorious life of Jesus is within you, just waiting for you to believe, trusting His resurrection power. When you “know” your position in Christ, you trust His life within you. You believe as Jesus is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17). When surrendered as Paul was surrendered, your flesh has no power. Christ is alive, living in and through you to change the lives of others.
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