"Having The Right Attitude Of Faith"
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 (NASB)
(This Sermon was preached at Trinity Bible Church on September 17, 2000)

Introduction: In our last couple of chapters, Paul has been contrasting the differences between false teachers and their ministries to that of those who truly serve the Lord. Last week we saw how God entrusts the glorious gospel message to the weak and frail vessels of men and women to minister to others. And how sometimes this even means suffering and facing death so that others can find God's grace. Today we will see what our attitude should be when we face such trials and sufferings for the sake of the gospel. If we are going to serve the Lord faithfully, then we need to have the right attitude of faith.
 

I. It Is Outspoken (v.13).
1. The spirit of faith (v.13a).

A. "having the same spirit of faith"

1) "having," echo {ekh'-o: v, part, pres, act, nom, m, 1 per, pl}; to have, to hold in the hand, possess.
2) "same spirit," pneuma {pnyoo'-mah: n, acc, neut, sg}; spirit, the context here is the disposition or way of thinking, attitude.
3) "faith," pistis {pis'-tis: n, gen, f, sg}; faith, belief, firm persuasion, reliance upon Christ for salvation, assurance.

B. This phrase is speaking about our attitude or outlook that should belong to every believer when it comes to their faith.

A. Paul quotes Psalm 116:10 here, "I believed, therefore I spoke,"

1) "believed," pisteuo {pist-yoo'-o: v, indic, aor, act, 1 per, sg}; to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, believed, to be convinced of (i.e., in reference to the gospel message).
2) "spoke," laleo {lal-eh'-o: v, indic, aor, act, 1 per, sg}; to speak, to tell, to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts, preach.

B. Paul identifies himself with the writer of the psalm and says, "we also believe, therefore also we speak"

1) "we also believe," pisteuo {pist-yoo'-o: v, indic, pres, act, 1 per, pl}; to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, believed, to be convinced of (i.e., in reference to the gospel message).
2) "speak," laleo {lal-eh'-o: v, indic, pres, act, 1 per, pl}; to speak, to tell, to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts, preach.

C. Paul could not remain silent about the gospel he believed: "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" (1Cor 9:16).

Application: Having the right attitude of faith should be something that others hear coming from us. We have no problem telling other people (or even strangers) when we get excited about other things in our lives (i.e., an engagement ring, a new baby, a new car, a diet that works, our job, about how we made money, etc). There is something wrong with a faith that never talks about what Jesus Christ has done for them. If we really believe that Christ is the Son of the living God, who died for us to save us from an eternal hell, then that should excite us enough to tell others about it.
 

II. It Is Confident (v.14).
1. Based upon Christ's resurrection (v.14a).

A. "knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus"

1) "knowing,"oida {oy'-da: v, part, perf, act, nom, m, 1 per, pl}; to perceive, notice, discern, to know or have knowledge of.
2) "raised,"egeiro {eg-i'-ro: v, part, aor, act, nom, m, sg}; to arouse from death, cause to rise, to recall the dead to life.

B. Paul's confidence was founded upon the resurrection of Christ which is our guarantee for our own resurrection.

- 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, "Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." (NASB)

A. "will raise us also with Jesus"

1) "will raise us also," egeiro {eg-i'-ro: v, indic, fut, act, 3 per, sg}; to arouse from death, cause to rise, to recall the dead to life.
2) Paul was just as certain of his own resurrection as he was of Christ's resurrection.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:14, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." (NASB)

B. And not only will we be resurrected, but Paul says that it will be a time of reunion for all Christians "and will present us with you."

1) "shall present," paristemi {par-is'-tay-mee: v, indic, fut, act, 3 per, sg}; to place beside or near, stand by, present, to bring into one's presence.
2) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." (NASB)

Application: Having the right attitude of faith comes from knowing that God is totally faithful to His promises. If Jesus wasn't resurrected from the dead, then could we truly trust God to do resurrect us? Of course not! But the fact is, God did raise up His own Son, and the Bible tells us that He will do the same with us. The world has no solution to death, but the Christian's answer to death is Jesus Christ. And knowing that Christ has conquered death, should assure us that there is nothing this world can do to us will have a lasting effect upon us. 2 Corinthians 1:9-10, "indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us," (NASB)
 

III. It Is Outreaching (v.15).
1. It is totally unselfish (v.15a).

A. "For all things are for your sakes"

1) "all things," pas {pas: adj, pron, nom, neut, pl}; each, every, any, all, the whole.
2) "are for your sakes,"dia {dee-ah': prep, acc}; on account of, for...sakes.

B. All that Paul had experienced in the way of suffering was for the benefit of other Christians.

1) The reason for any ministry to exist is for the sake of someone else, and not the one who is doing the ministering.
2) The false teachers that were at Corinth were self-serving, they took all they could from the people and only gave division to the church.

Application: A good indicator of any ministry is to look at where it's focus is; is it giving more than it takes?  Matthew 20:28, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (NASB). The false teachers came to be served and not to serve others. Having the right attitude of faith helps us to focus upon others and not ourselves just as it was with our Lord.

2. It allows God grace to abound in others (v.15b)

A. "that the grace which is spreading to more and more people"

1) "grace," charis {khar'-ece: n, nom, f, sg}; grace, mercy, goodwill, kindness.
2) "is spreading to more and more," pleonazo {pleh-on-ad'-zo: v, part, aor, act, nom, f, sg}; to super abound, in abundance, greatly abound, to be more than enough.

B. Paul's sufferings were not wasted, because he was able to minister to others and allow God's grace to abound in others.

1) The more Paul suffered, the more the grace of God was made available to others.
2) Tertullian speaking of the early Roman persecution of Christians wrote, "The blood of the martyrs is seed..."
3) John M. Gordan said this concerning Christian suffering, "...It seems to be God's intention that the main impression on a pagan world should be made not by words from the lips of an orator, but by power in the lives of God's alerted people."

Application: When we have the right attitude of faith, then any suffering that we may face will seem worth it as we see God's grace working and changing lives forever. The only thing of eternal value is God's grace. And the only legacy worth leaving to mankind is not a library, or some great art work, but our testimony of God's grace on our own lives and the lasting impression that it leaves on their hearts.

3. It is done for the glory of God (v.15c).

A. "may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God"

1) "may cause the giving...to abound," perisseuo {per-is-syoo'-o: v, subj, aor, act, 3 per, sg}; of things provided for in abundance, cause to increase, to cause to abound.,"
2) "of thanks,"eucharistia {yoo-khar-is-tee'-ah: n, acc, f, sg}; thanksgiving, giving of thanks, thankfulness, an attitude of gratitude.
3) "to the glory of God," doxa {dox'-ah: n, acc, f, sg}; glory, splendor, grandeur, brightness, radiance, as a manifestation of light.

B. As more people accepted Christ as their Savior, the more this caused thanksgiving to overflow to God.

Application:  Paul reminded the Corinthians that he endures all his afflictions with resilience, not to promote his own good but for their benefit, and ultimately for God's glory. True ministry seeks to serve others, no matter what the cost is to one's self, so that God may be glorified as His grace abounds in the lives of others. A ministry that costs nothing, is worth nothing.
 

IV. It Is Transforming (vv.16-18).
1. It doesn't give up (v.16a).

A. "Therefore we do not lose heart"

1) "therefore," dio {dee-o': conj, superord}; wherefore, on account of, therefore, for which cause.
2) "do not,"ou {oo: part, neg}; no, not (can denote a strong emphasis or contrast).
3) "lose heart," egkakeo {eng-kak-eh'-o: v, indic, pres, act, 1 per, pl}; to be utterly spiritless, faint, be weary, to give up or lose heart.

B. Paul wasn't speaking of being just discouraged here, because he had experienced that before himself; but he never "gave up" even when he became discouraged with others.

Application: Having the right attitude of faith helps us not to give up when things get tough, or they don't go our way. If we have the wrong attitude or put our faith anywhere else but in Jesus Christ, then our ministry becomes easy to give up when things don't go our way or times get a little hot.

2. Its transforms us (vv.16b-18).

A. By a daily renewal of strength by God (v16b)

1) "but though our outer man is decaying"

A) "outer man,"exo {ex'-o: adj, adv}; outside, the outer man (i.e., the body) and anthropos {anth'-ro-pos: n, nom, m, sg}; man, male.
B) "decaying," diaphtheiro {dee-af-thi'-ro: v, indic, pres, pass, 3 per, sg}; to change for the worse, to perish, to waste away, become weak.

2) "yet our inner man is being renewed day by day"

A) "inner man," eso {es'-o: adj, adv}; inside, within, the inner being, the inner nature.
B) "renewed,"anakainoo {an-ak-ahee-no'-o: v, indic, pres, pass, 3 per, sg}; to be new and better, renewed.
C) "day by day,"emera kai emera {hay-mer'-ah kahee hay-mer'-ah: n, dat, f, sg}; day, every day.
D) Ephesians 3:16-17, "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,"  (NASB)

Application: Paul found his daily spiritual strength in the Lord Jesus Christ and that allowed him to go on in spite of every adverse circumstance. I remember watching some videos, I believe of Gary Smally or Zig Ziggler, but anyhow I remember the person talking about who you "plug yourself into" will effect the way you think and feel. If you are relying on others and they let you down then you are affected by them. Likewise, instead of plugging yourself into others, you and I need to be plugged into the only person who will let us down, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. That was Paul's source of daily renewal that kept him going. We need to charge our spiritual batteries daily by studying God's Word, by prayer, and by allowing the Holy Spirit to mature us with God's Word.
 

B. By light Afflictions (v.17).

1) "For momentary, light affliction"

A) "momentary," parautika {par-ow-tee'-kah: adj, adv}; for the moment, momentary, for a little while.
B) "light," elaphros {el-af-ros': adj, pron, nom, neut, sg}; light in weight, light, limited in extent.
C) "affliction," thipsis {thlip'-sis: n, gen, f, sg}; tribulation, affliction, trouble, persecution, the pressing together.

2) "is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison"

A) "producing," katergazomai {kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee: v, indic, pres, mid/pass, dep, 3 per, sg}; to perform, accomplish, achieve, work out, do deed.
B) "eternal," aionios {ahee-o'-nee-os: adj, acc, neut, sg}; without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be, everlasting.
C) "weight," baros {bar'-os: n, acc, neut, sg}; weight, produce, make, bring about, prepare, to make completely ready, overcome, conquer.
D) "glory,"doxa {dox'-ah: n, gen, f, sg}; glory, splendor, grandeur, brightness, radiance, as a manifestation of light.
E) "far beyond all comparison," uperbole eis uperbole {hoop-er-bol-ay' ice hoop-er-bol-ay': n, acc, f, sg}; surpassing or outstanding quality, beyond measure, to the extreme, beyond all comparison.

3) Paul had learned to live by faith and had the right perspective on suffering.

A) He was weighing the present trials against the future glory, and in doing so had learned that his trials were actually working for him.
B) Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (NASB)

Application: Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (NASB). We need to remember that are His workmanship, and that means that sometimes He has to work on us to shape and mold us into the image that He desires. Sufferings and trials in our lives is nothing more than God applying His sandpaper to us to smooth out our rough edges.
 

C. By allowing us to look beyond this physical world (v.18).

1) "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen"

A) "look,"skopeo {skop-eh'-o: v, part, pres, act, gen, m, 1 per, pl}; to look at, observe, notice carefully.
B) "seen," blepo {blep'-o: v, part, pres, pass, acc, neut, pl}; see, look at, take notice of, regard.

2) "for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal"

A) "temporal,"proskairos {pros'-kahee-ros: adj, nom, neut, pl}; temporary, for a season, enduring only for a while, temporal.
B) "eternal," aionios {ahee-o'-nee-os: adj, nom, neut, pl}; without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be, everlasting.

3) Paul knew that the things this world has to offer are only temporary and only the spiritual things that we do will last.

- His afflictions were temporary but his reward eternal.

Application: To have the right attitude of faith, we need to learn to welcome God's transforming power in our lives. We need study God's Owner's Manual on life and learn to look beyond the problems of today to our glorious future when we are with our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

INVITATION:
1.  Do you have the right attitude of faith?
A.  Is it demonstrated by a desire to share the gospel with others?
B.  Is it standing firm upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
C. What's your focus? Others or yourself.
D.  Is it changing your heart, your life, and your attitudes about who you are and what God wants you to be?

2. We need to be like Paul and come to the realization that the only thing of lasting value are the things that will be and not the things that are.