Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Even though our outer person is being destroyed, as Paul understood, that is the whole point.
Our troubles are meant to peel away the old man, the shell, like husk from corn. Remember what Jesus said to Peter in speaking of his coming denial? Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. Jesus said He was praying for Peter, not that the sifting would not occur, but that Peter’s faith would not fail. Do not fear the adversary. Let him do his job: separate the inner wheat from the outer chaff.
When Paul says the inner man is being renewed, he is not talking about growth in the sense of maturity. We require a daily renewal of the new man and a day-by-day shucking of the old man. The outer person is dead, but, zombie-like, he just can’t seem to grasp the concept. The Lord uses the trials, temptations, failures, and stresses of the daily grind to continually wear away the natural self, to reveal my hopelessness and vanity.
Does it sound like I have this all figured out? Do not be deceived. I am the world’s worst whiner most of the time. I completely lose sight of the truth on a regular basis. I am writing it down here in the faint hope that I might be reminded the next time – probably later today – that I run into something I can’t handle, something that humbles me, that forces me to acknowledge I am not “all that”.
What is it that the old man operates on? What is it that keeps him going? Why does he have to be knocked down day after bloody day? The life of the zombie has its own ghoulish rewards. We get recognition, gratitude, plaudits, and plasma TV’s -- feedback, positive reinforcement. The outer person can achieve a lot in the material world. The old man can have most anything if he is willing to work at it – except true peace and contentment.
It is this conflict, this continual stripping away of that which is dead and insensitive to the Spirit that confuses many people – both those who are seeking after Truth and those who are trying to keep as far from it as possible. Peter’s denial of Christ was not the end for him. It was merely part of the revelation he needed.
I say, if I could just find the right teacher I would be able to get it together. Jesus taught Peter for three years. You can’t do any better than that. Until he denied his Lord, Peter still relied on his own great strength, his own fleshly power to get things done. Yes, he had worked miracles through the authority of Christ, but he still argued with his wife; he still clung to his status among the other disciples; he still lost his temper because he did not realize that the outer person cannot be reformed by all the spiritual teaching in the world. A hog returns to the wallow. The failure of his most cherished virtue, his courage, was necessary to show him he had to let the old man go. He had to deny himself if he didn’t want to deny the Lord.
That’s how “our momentary light affliction” works for us an eternal reward, in part at least. If we are going to live in the light of truth and the overwhelming rush of reality as it is, the inner person has to be renewed, strengthened, and trained. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom. Caterpillar and cocoon must be left behind.
8 comments:
This is probably it for the week. I just have too many projects going the next few days. Grinding away.
I hope it all goes well, Mushroom. If nothing else, maybe all that grinding will leave you feeling freshly polished, if a little raw :)
Fe-fe, fi-fi, fo-fo, fum
I smell smoke in the qp's-torium.....
again.
We'll miss you.
Grinding Away. Finally, got around to opening my daily e-mailed meditation -> Grace amazes *again*:
God, who is Almighty, Alpha and Omega, First and Last,
that God is also Love itself; and therefore this Love is
Alpha and Omega, First and Last too. Consider Christ's
proceeding with Peter in the ship, in the storm: First he
suffered him to be in some danger in the storm, but then he
visits him with that strong assurance, "Be not afraid, It is
I:" any testimony of his presence rectifies all. This puts
Peter into that spiritual confidence and courage, "Lord bid me
come to thee;" he hath a desire to be with Christ, but yet
stays his bidding: he puts not himself into an unnecessary
danger, without commandment: Christ bids him, and Peter comes:
but yet, though Christ were in his sight, and even in the
actual exercise of his love to him, so soon as he saw a gust,
a storm, "He was afraid;" and Christ lets him fear, and lets
him sink, and lets him cry, but he directs his fear and his
cry to the right end: "Lord, save me;" and thereupon he
stretched forth his hand and saved him...
God ... puts his children into good ways, and he directs
and protects them in those ways; for this is the constancy and
perseverence of the love of Jesus Christ to us, as he is
called in this text (Matt. 21:44), a stone.
~ John Donne (1573-1631)
Do not fear the adversary. Let him do his job: separate the inner wheat from the outer chaff.
We require a daily renewal of the new man and a day-by-day shucking of the old man. The outer person is dead, but, zombie-like, he just can't seem to grasp the concept.
Oh, yeah. Keeping the goal in mind day by day, hour by hour - it's the razor's edge between despair and hope. The hardest part is how it just goes on and on and on...
You left us with the perfect meditation / homework while you're off at the mill. Um, chewy.
excellent and inspiring, as usual.
When Paul says the inner man is being renewed, he is not talking about growth in the sense of maturity. We require a daily renewal of the new man and a day-by-day shucking of the old man."
That's my chance to yell at the Old Man:
"Get off my lawn!" :^)
Excellent post, Mushroom!
I hope all goes well for ya this week.
Thanks for the ideas. I used this to go to Mark to read about Peter's denials. My message to my sons was to tell them there is a limit to self-reliance. It may well be that for the really important things in life, they need to rely on God through His Holy Spirit.
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