Title: True Hope
2011.3.27 Sunday morning worship service
Bible: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Title: True Hope
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ‘16. Therefore we do not lose heart, for our outward man is perishing, but our inner man is being renewed day by day, 17. For our light affliction, which is for a little while, works for us an exceedingly great and eternal weight of glory. It is not the things that are seen that pay attention, but the things that are not seen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal." - Amen.
Today's saints, who live in the age of material omnipotence, need to worry about how to have a biblical understanding of culture as a Christian. The idea of believing in Jesus and trying to heal the so-called sell-off is not Christian thought.
However, the reason for the existence of the church is not that it is a social welfare altar. The purpose of life as taught in the Bible is the Atonement, eternal life, and its eternal worth. This is the difference between the Old and New Testaments, but the problem is that there are many foolish believers who prefer material things and covet honors more than those of the Old Testament. We want to understand what <true hope> is.
1. When we have a clear understanding of the outward and inward people, we will know what our true hope is.
True knowledge cannot be properly acquired through theory alone, but essential feeling can only be obtained through experience. In order to properly understand the Christian thought, it is possible to experience and retain the inner person by being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. At the level of living the church life according to my convenience, even as time goes by, I will not know the meaning of hope properly.
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore, we do not lose heart, for our outward man is aging, but our inward man is being renewed day by day.”
If you don't know what a human being is, you will die without fully understanding life and death. So it's even darker about the afterlife. But those who have put on a new existence in Christ overcome even the hardships of the world by the new life that is within.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are afflicted on every side, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9. We are persecuted, but not forsaken; Carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
2. Without the tribulation of faith, we cannot know what true hope is
Since the idea of Bible truth speaks of the eternal value of heaven beyond the empirical knowledge obtained on earth, all knowledge is different, so it is hated or has a character that is not in harmony with society. However, if a person properly adapts the ideology of truth to the world, it becomes a dirty ideology that is neither the truth nor religion. Even those who teach that they comfort sufferings caused by faith, if they are humanly exhorted, they will weaken the soul, who should eventually mature in faith and grow to the next level.
Acts 14:22 '...In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must go through many afflictions...' To make our hope firm and equipped, we must persevere in tribulation. Romans 5:4 'Patience takes character, character. 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is for a little while, works for us an exceedingly great and eternal weight of glory.”
3. We need spiritual eyes to see eternal values
When buying a house or furniture needed for your home, you want something that is reliable and can be used for a long time. There is a point in human nature that resembles the image of the eternal God and likes things that are permanent. However, in the ideology of faith, there is a problem in living a foolish life by throwing away the philosophy of a good life that we have because we are looking for materials or opportunities that are short-sighted.
2 Corinthians 4:18 'We focus not on the visible, but on the invisible, for what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal.' Although we need material things, the value ideology of the Christian life is that the kingdom of God comes first and the order in which we seek what we need. There is. There is Korah, who devoured the earth after coveting the honor of the world and became a merchant (Numbers 16:32-33). Achan, who was stoned to death in the Valley of Achor while greedy for material things (Jos 7:25-26), and the last of Judas who sold Jesus. (Matthew 27:5) and Samson (Judges 16:28-31), who was crushed by a collapsed house. Life of the world passes in an instant. Psalm 90:9 “... our whole life is over in an instant.”
If you believe in Jesus and change your church to be happy in the world, please change your mind if you know Christianity as a mere religion. If you lead a biblical church life, you can live well or you can be poor and difficult. How you hold your heart is important, and if you set your mind on eternal values, there will be no regrets or conflicts. 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If all we have in Christ is the life of this world, we are of all men the poorer.”
If you want your life to be richer than for the church of Jesus to prosper, you are already ignorant of true hope and true hope. If we strive to become the saints of true hope, we do not fail or fail. May you do your spiritual will to the true hope and eternal worth according to the will of the Lord. So I wish you all success in everything.