We talk a lot about natural human behavior and how that often runs counter to the real life given to us in Jesus Christ. Today I want to talk about your image. In our natural state we try really hard to present a good image to the world. We try to clean up, dress well, and act civilly. Beyond that, then, we try to present ourselves to the world in a way that we appear competent, successful, together, and basically as impressive as we can make ourselves appear. For Christians we end up talking and acting so we appear to be obedient, spiritual, holy, and together in our walk with the Lord.
Now I’m not saying that our goal shouldn’t be to become more like Jesus—of course that’s the goal. But when we put on the “Christian” mask (which doesn’t necessarily mirror the character of the Messiah), we actually hide our true selves from others and from God. What we miss is an opportunity to be authentic with others, which leads to support (or should), and encouragement for others to be authentic with us—and it leads to us hiding out from God in a made-up Jesus suit.
Such was the case in Corinth where a group of men came into the church who appeared on the outside to have it all together. They sounded and acted like real apostles, or at least what an apostle ought to look like from a natural human stand point. Paul the Apostle didn’t really fit that character sketch. Everywhere he went people seemed unhappy or downright hostile to him, and it led the Corinthians to doubt him, and even the doctrine that he had preached to them.
So in chapter 4, Paul suggests a reality of living that is completely opposite and diametrically opposed to this sort of “fake” Christian character. And as we go through this, I want us to picture ourselves coming out from behind the mask and being truly authentic—and what an opportunity it is and what incredible impact we can have on the world around us.
1
Paul has been talking about a new reality—one not of rules chiseled in stone externally that point out our failures, but a reality of internal change caused by the Spirit of God. It’s a gradual transition from one character to the next—from natural human character to supernatural Jesus’ character. The veil is off because the gospel is real and our lives are shining out—not a made up mask but real changes.
In this light Paul says “This is our ministry and it is one of mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13 ). So he contrasts this way of life with the character being presented by the false apostles. And despite the tendency to “fake it” and become legalistic like the false teachers, Paul will not give up!
2
Paul basically accuses the false teachers of being disingenuous. They are hiding their true motivations and their true selves and in the process distorting the truth of the gospel by claiming that to look impressive is to be good and what God wants. He is accusing the false teachers of being con-men. A con man makes you feel comfortable and like you can trust them. You don’t know you’ve been fleeced until they are long gone.
One great way to tell a huckster is how they handle the Bible. If they fill the gospel with legalism, self determinism, or health, wealth, and prosperity—then watch out—there is probably more going on under the surface. Your spiritual danger detector should be going off loud and clear.
But I love how Paul puts it: “we commend ourselves to every person’s conscience by an open display of the truth.” “Don’t look on the surface for impressiveness” Paul says “but look in your heart, and look at our hearts for we are an open book.”
Someone might say “well if you are so truthful then how come not everyone comes to Jesus?” Here’s the answer.
3 – 6
It’s all about seeing God. As you are transformed into God’s image, His character begins to ooze out of you. Lucifer, the “god of this age” wants to mitigate the effect of your changed character and the effect of the gospel, which Paul said in Romans is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Satan’s plan is to make sure their minds are so pre-occupied with worshiping either themselves or this creation that they have no room for another God and certainly not another Lord.
Unlike the false teachers, Paul is not proclaiming himself, but Jesus. And that’s the whole idea. As we become more like Him people see us and are drawn to Jesus.
Jesus said “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14 ). If you have the spotlight on yourself it is shining in the wrong direction. So we get out of the way and let Jesus’ character shine into the darkness of this age.
Paul then goes on to describe how this works out.
7
This is one of the coolest verses in the Bible. The most awesome treasure imaginable—the glory of God—God’s character, in a common clay jar: us. The point is so that when those outside of Jesus look at us they know for certain there is no way you could be this way on your own. That’s very humbling for us humans who want to be impressive.
In John chapter 16 Jesus says two things about the Holy Spirit. One is that “he will not speak on His own” and “He will glorify Me.” Just as the wind (a picture of the Holy Spirit) is invisible, so too we need to speak in a way that reflects the character of Jesus, and act in a way that shines the light on Jesus and not on ourselves as something good.
We would put a treasure in a crystal container or a gold box but God has put His character in ordinary people so He will receive the glory (because only He is worthy of it and only He can handle it).
So here is the result of that—openness to God and willingness to be a common vessel containing the character of God—those jars get thrown around and broken—and that’s okay.
8 – 12
So this is very cool and very troubling at the same time. Essentially God is willing to take this jar of clay, our lives, and throw it over a cliff for it to be broken on the rocks of difficulty in this age so that the treasure inside us can shine out of the cracks and pieces. This runs totally counter to our natural inclination and to the way the false teachers acted in Corinth.
It also echoes what Paul said in chapter 2. If you are doing well with God your circumstances will be doing well. Not so. In many ways the Christian is always looking like he is about to be defeated, but not quite.
Pressure without crushing, consternation without giving up, attack with God’s presence, pressing the battle upon us without utter defeat. It’s much like Jesus who seemed to be totally defeated on the cross when in reality it was victory pulled from the jaws of defeat.
We play out that same drama every time God brings us into failure or difficult circumstances. (And I’m not talking about willful disobedience here). Here’s what we miss—we want to appear in control so we hide the brokenness. But Paul says that it is the very presence of brokenness that brings healing. Why? Because then we are authentic and real, and others who are also experiencing difficulty can see that it is not about us and having it all together, but about Jesus and Him making it all better as he breaks then heals and strengthens us.
13 – 15
Paul quotes Psalm 116 and clearly identifies with the Psalmist who said “The ropes of death were wrapped around me.” “Then I called on the name of the LORD: “Lord, save me!”” And I love how it goes on: “The LORD guards the inexperienced; I was helpless, and He saved me.”
Here’s the promise: no matter what happens to you, God is working His glory in you and shining it out from you in order to bring more people into His family.
2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.”
There is a purpose to everything that happens to you. It is so that others will see, not your incredibleness, but God’s grace and say “that’s for me!”
And the conclusion gives us the perspective that allows us to be authentic with God and others:
16 – 18
Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.”
For the false apostles, perception is reality. Style is more important than substance. This feeds our natural human nature. But in the kingdom of God the outer circumstances might look dire, but God is busy working an “absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.”
We want to escape difficulty while God wants to use it to break us and build us and shine through us. We want temporary fixes, God wants eternal ones.
To think of difficulties as “momentary light affliction” is almost laughable. But remember this:
Hebrews 12:11-13 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead.
Conclusions�
So we have two things we need to consider from this chapter.
�How do we make sure we aren’t being duped by the super cool?
The Corinthians really like style over substance and we can fall into that too. There are plenty of great sounding teachers out there—and especially those that embrace post-modernism—seem so current and we all want to be current, not old fashioned or out of date.
Here in Chapter 4 we see several ways to spot a fake:
Does their doctrine line up with the Bible?
Is their focus on themselves more than on Jesus?
How genuine are they—how real?
Do they put a lot of emphasis on the cost of ministry? (2:17)
Is the gospel their number one aim?
�We have to make a choice too—are we going to try to appear to others as super cool, or be super real?
We also do it to each other—criticizing people for being vulnerable. Taking off the mask, being authentic with others, letting them see your difficulties and weaknesses—this is hard for us. We want to appear like we have it all together and want everyone around us to have it all together too.
But somehow in the sharing of our weaknesses we can make others stronger. How? We’ll get to it in Chapter 12 in more detail, but Paul says there:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. 10 So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong. �
Living as super real means a) others see that life can be tough and that then sets good expectations and so when tough things come they won’t doubt their salvation or standing with God and b) as you yourself lean on the Lord for your strength they do that too and so what Paul says “So death works in us, but life in you.”
