Life of Jesus - Renewal of My Inner Being Day by Day (1-11-2013)

January 11, 2013 - 2 Corinthians 4:10-16

4:10		身 上 常 帶 著 耶 穌 的 死 、 使 耶 穌 的 生 、 也 顯 明 在 我 們 身 上 。
4:11		因 為 我 們 這 活 著 的 人 、 是 常 為 耶 穌 被 交 於 死 地 、 使 耶 穌 的 生 、 在 我 們 這 必 死 的 身 上 顯 明 出 來 。
4:12		這 樣 看 來 、 死 是 在 我 們 身 上 發 動 、 生 卻 在 你 們 身 上 發 動 。
4:13		但 我 們 既 有 信 心 、 正 如 經 上 記 著 說 、 『 我 因 信 、 所 以 如 此 說 話 。 』 我 們 也 信 、 所 以 也 說 話 ．
4:14		自 己 知 道 、 那 叫 主 耶 穌 復 活 的 、 也 必 叫 我 們 與 耶 穌 一 同 復 活 、 並 且 叫 我 們 與 你 們 一 同 站 在 他 面 前 。
4:15		凡 事 都 是 為 你 們 、 好 叫 恩 惠 因 人 多 越 發 加 增 、 感 謝 格 外 顯 多 、 以 致 榮 耀 歸 與 　 神 。
4:16		所 以 我 們 不 喪 膽 ． 外 體 雖 然 毀 壞 、 內 心 卻 一 天 新 似 一 天 。

¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

   ¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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.

   ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

Believers are always living in a paradox of our life - the tension between death and life. Paul shares his experience that  while he was given over to death for Jesus' sake, he at the same time experienced the life of Jesus revealed through him. This death-life ministry experience is also revealed in Corinthians believers. Paul knows that the Spirit had raised Jesus up from death and certainly will also raise him up from death at the time of the resurrection. This eschatological promise affirms his faith in ministering to Jesus even though to the point that he is given over to death for Jesus' sake. However, this life-given experience shall also be experienced at the present moment in believers' lives.  The resurrected life of Jesus can be revealed in believers' lives by the Spirit through our faith. Paul affirms that his inner life is being inwardly renewed day by day. The Spirit is the source of Life who will resurrect us at the Day of resurrection, but is also the same Spirit who renews us through healing, cleansing, enlightenment, and empowerment day by day. 

My Jesus, I eager to experience your Life in my life by the Spirit. Life is full of challenges and difficulties that threaten us, and sometimes our life is filled with regret for the past failures, mistakes and wounds that we made or were caused by others. But there is an amazing promise that my inward life can be renewed day by day. I pray to the Spirit again that I want to be growing like Jesus through experiencing your works in shaping and renewing my inner being by Your resurrected power in me.