Unconquerable-3

UNCONQUERABLE-III—2Corinthians 4:1-18

Attention:

Someone sent me a Facebook post showing what had happened when their ‘Roomba iRobot’(automatic vacuum cleaner) encountered something unusual on the kitchen floor...

The picture shows the tracks left all over the kitchen by the vacuum cleaner, as it tried to clean up some ‘dog poop!’ The owner also took a picture of the underside of the automatic vacuum cleaner after it had tried to clean up the poop. Every moving part of the vacuum was totally gummed up & clogged by dog stuff!

I don’t think it would be very cost-effective to have the vacuum cleaned after such an encounter.

Yet unfortunately for the owner, the vacuum continued unabated on it’s mission!

And unfortunately for the devil, God’s people continue on their mission despite the setbacks that the world may throw at us.

Beginning with :7 we’ve found that ‘A disposition for being & remaining unconquerable’ shines thru...

1. GOD’s MERCY(:1)

2. Thru PERSONAL MANIFESTATION Of TRUTH(:2)

3. Thru OPENNESS To The GOSPEL(:3-4)Personal Choice

4. Thru THANKFULNESS(:5-6)

5. The CONTAINER Of FAITH(:7)

6. PRACTICALITIES Of FAITH(:8-11)

7—A disposition for being & remaining unconquerable shines thru...

PERSONAL SURRENDER, CAUSING LIFE To WORK In OTHERS(:12-13)

Explanation:(:12)

:12—“So then death is working in us, but life in you.”

Being those who willingly constantly deliver themselves to death for the sake of Jesus, those who serve Him always have “death” that is “working in” them. But by their allowing the “death” of the Lord Jesus(:10) to accomplish it’s work in them, a positive result is produced. The result is that “life” is produced, begins, & remains(“is”) “working” in those to whom you & I minister!

In other words, when I commit myself to die to self daily(“death is working in us”), Christ Jesus is honored in that sacrifice of self to Him. And by carrying that particular ‘death working’ wherever I am & in whatever I do, then the “life” that He offers is offered to others as well.

Again...consider :10, 11:

2Cor. 4:10-11—“always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

This concept of Christ’s “life” arising from or flowing from my & your self-less “death”, works in all of God’s people. It is seen/experienced/lived out as these minister to & among one another, but also as they minister among the lost.

:13—“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,

What is this “same spirit of faith” which the author speaks of?...cf.-:7, 10, 11 & 12.

Thus the faithful servants of Christ—those manifesting Jesus life thru exemplifying His dying to self daily(:10)—all “have the same spirit of faith.”

Here Paul applies Psalm 116:10(see Ps. 116:7-10) to those who live by faith of Christ Jesus.

As a result of that “same spirit of faith”, saving “belief” is confirmed partly thru opening their mouths to declare the belief.”(cf.-Rom. 10:9-11)

*Rom. 10:9-11—“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””

“And Since”(See :12—“But”)—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, and, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, and, etc..

“Have”(See :7)—ecw OR-- scew—Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To have, i.e. To hold—1a) To have(hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have(hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess—2a) External things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc., 2b) Used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to—4a) To be closely joined to a person or a thing. Strong—including an alternate form scew; (used in certain tenses only); a primary verb; To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).

“Same”—autov—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, themselves, itself; 2) He, she, it; 3) The same. Strong—from the particle au[perhaps akin to the base of ahr[air] through the idea of a baffling wind]--Backward; the reflexive pronoun--Self, used(alone or in the comparative eautou) of the third person , & (with the proper personal pronoun)of the other persons.