This document discusses 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 and contrasts the rising tide of eternity within believers' souls with the increasing physical deteriorations of living in earthly bodies. It notes that Paul does not want believers to lose heart due to physical waste or life's afflictions. Paul's secret is fixing our eyes on the unseen eternal realm rather than temporary earthly things, as the eternal outweighs life's light, momentary troubles.

2. 2 CORINTHIANS 4: 13 - 18
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have
that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore
speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord
Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present
us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the
grace that is reaching more and more people may cause
thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are
wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by
day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our
eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is
seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

3. THE “ALREADY” AND THE “NOT YET”
We often speak in Vineyard circles of the tensions
that exist between the kingdom of God will one
day be fully consummated at the return of
Christ and the way it is already breaking in to
our life experience and environment now.
In a similar way, Paul contrasts the rising tide of
eternity within our souls to the increasing
physical deteriorations that go along with our
being housed in earthly “tents”.

4. “THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART”
How are we tempted to “lose heart” in this life?
What does Paul want us to remember so that we
are not so prone to do so?
1. Two things are mentioned: physical
deterioration and the afflictions of this world
2. What is Paul’s “secret weapon” in overcoming
these factors?

5. “FIX OUR EYES”
The text concludes with his urging us to “fix our
eyes” on something in particular – the
“unseen”.
This is a little ironic since he wants us to gaze
steadily upon the invisible! But, yes, that is
exactly what he is wanting us to do.
Why?

6. JARS MADE OUT OF CLAY
As we reflected in our Lectio Divina passage from last week – there
is an earthly jar that contains a heavenly treasure in all of our
lives.
If “the good life” is all about the jar (to the neglect of the treasure)
it is a recipe for a tense and anxious attempt to preserve the
unpreservable.
Rather, the path to the “good life” is to fix our eyes on the
surpassing value of the eternal and to weigh our present
troubles against the glory of that which “God has prepared for
those who love Him”.