Resurrection (Part 1): Let Light Shine Out of Darkness

Photo by David Monje on Unsplash

My dear friends and readers, after a several-month-long hiatus, I am back! Since finishing my series on Trusting God, I have struggled to know what to share with you all next, and up until now the result has been some unfinished writings that have yet to materialize into any published posts. However, it has been impressed on my heart to share my recent thoughts about the power of the Gospel, and I am planning a series which will be an attempt at putting those things into writing. Based on 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 and inspired by a sermon my father recently preached, this series will explore the power of God to bring life from death. I am so very excited to share what the Lord has been placing on my heart and at the forefront of my mind! I trust that He will use this series to encourage your hearts.

Deception. We see it all around us, so much that it almost seems like a normal piece of life. Just turn on the television to watch the news, and there it is on display for the whole world to see. From politicians who put a nice little twist to their perspectives in order to make it seem agreeable, to reports of the latest court case, we are bombarded with the reality of every kind of deception. It even finds its way into our churches where we see all kinds of lies being swept under the carpet and treated as if they are not a problem. We see people who claim to be Christians, yet live in ways that malign the name of Jesus Christ. We see people attempt to manipulate others into following their interpretation of Scripture, leading them to follow one heresy or another.

For some of us, deception has become our lives. We deceive the people around us, we deceive our social media followers, and we deceive ourselves. We act as if everything in our lives is going well, and we hide the reality that we are dying on the inside. We put a smile on our faces as we walk out the door each morning, but crawl into bed each night feeling as if we just cannot go on any more. We hide the pain, the suffering, the sin. And we just keep living the lie that we are okay and that those things don’t exist, or at least don’t matter. And we keep dying.

This prevailing problem of lies, manipulation, and all other forms of deception is nothing new. From the time that Adam and Eve listened to the lies of the serpent, deception has been rampant. In the days of the apostles, the deception of false teachers and the prideful manipulation of people attempting to make a profit from the Gospel was also a problem. In the mist of all of this, Paul writes to the Corinthians, mainly to tie up some loose ends from the tumultuous situations which had been plaguing that church, but also to encourage them.

In chapters 2 and 3, Paul refers to himself and his fellow teachers as ministers of the New Covenant and as the Corinthians as his “letter of recommendation” as they display the life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit. He also talks about the hope found in Christ and how it is that hope which makes him and his fellow teachers bold in their proclamation of the truth.

Chapter 4 begins by stating, “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (NIV). Paul did not practice the use of deception to manipulate anyone into following Christ, but made an effort to speak the truth plainly. One of the things my pastor consistently reiterates is the importance of being honest and sharing from the heart. It is when we are honest about our struggles and about the faithfulness of God in the midst of them, that the world looks in and is enraptured. And why not? Our honesty about who we are and who God is and what He has done is a breath of fresh air in a world where deception reigns.

Verses 3-4 go on to say, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” As I mentioned before, deception has been a reality since the Fall of Adam and Eve. The devil, who is the master of deception, still continues his mission to keep all people from the knowledge of the Truth. To many, the gospel is offensive, or at the least does not ring true, because the devil (the “god of this age”) veils the truth to hide it from them. This could seem like a hopeless dilemma if it were not for the truth of what Paul writes in verses 5-6.

The conclusion of this initial section of 2 Corinthians 4 says, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” When we preach the Truth of Jesus Christ, we are not preaching something that we made up. No, we are preaching the Word of the God who created all things – the One who created light by merely speaking it into being, the One who speaks words of life over our dead hearts and brings them to life again. The God whose words spoken by Ezekiel over a valley of dry bones brought those lifeless bones to life and the One to whom Peter exclaimed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68, NIV).

We can rest, assured that when we speak the truth, throwing away the “secret and shameful ways” of the past, that the Truth of God’s Word which brings to life those things that are dead, has the power to transform lives. We do not have to resort to manipulation when sharing the Gospel because God’s power is sufficient to use the Words of His Truth to bring those who are spiritually dead to life. We do not need to continue on deceiving the world and ourselves by hiding the truth of who we are. We have been given the gift of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and it is in that life-giving light that we find freedom from the lies we have perpetuated as the truth.

So, speak the life-giving Truth of the God who has the power to resurrect our dead, sinful hearts. Speak the truth of who you are and of the God who has redeemed you to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

(Resurrection: Part 2)

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™