For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor. 4:6, 76For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:6‑7).
In these verses we find ourselves introduced into a position where the glory of God fills our vision. In connection with that position, we find ourselves gazing upon an Object that exercises a transforming power upon us. But in the meantime we are beset with difficulties; the rich treasure we have is in an earthen vessel. We pass through a scene where there is much bitterness, disappointment, suffering, and sorrow. I suppose in a measure, everyone feels the burden of the ruined creation through which we travel.
At the same time, the Spirit of God calls our attention to the fact that all that burdens us down here has only a momentary character, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4:1717For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17). It will soon be gone, and the very conforming power that is working in our lives now to make us more like Christ is going to have this grand and sudden climax when He appears: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him...for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2).
Although we are traveling through a scene where we prove every day that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, and although those vessels are broken again and again that the treasure within may be discovered, yet the Spirit of God assures us that the end of the journey means perfect and full conformity to Christ.
How rich is our endowment! He has put in our hearts the grandest and most wonderful revelation that has ever been committed to man, or ever will be for all the ages of ages.
God is speaking and He is telling us of the glorious truth that has been revealed to these poor hearts of ours. We are only poor earthen vessels—just dust, but in these vessels we have the most precious knowledge man ever possessed. We have the knowledge of the glory of God, and it is in the face of Jesus Christ.
What are we doing along the way? We are beholding the glory of the Lord. And the result is that we are being conformed into the image of that One upon whom we gaze—even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
What is the Spirit of God trying to do with us? He is changing us and conforming us to be like Christ in glory, and He is doing that in your life and mine. He knows how to order the circumstances of our lives. He knows about the treasure being in an earthen vessel; those sorrows and troubles and disappointments are all part of His plan to conform us to the image of Christ. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." 2 Cor. 4:1818While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18). What are they? They are the things that at eternal. Everything we are losing is for time, and everything we are gaining is for eternity.
God has left you and me in this scene for one grand purpose—to manifest Christ in our lives. One of these days the wilderness will be past. All the lessons will have been learned, and suddenly we will hear the shout and find ourselves enjoying the glory about which we have been talking all these years. What a future!
We cannot get enthusiastic about things down here if we are living in that hope. We do not care about the new age, or the prosperity that is just around the corner. We have seen the glory of the Lord, and it is Christ for whom we wait. That is what gives character to our lives. Christ in glory is the transforming power that is working in your life and mine. We do not know what we are going to be, but we do know that when He appears we are going to be like Him (1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)). Can you measure that? Yet, that is our destiny, poor failing creatures that we are. I am just a poor earthen vessel, but I am going to be like Christ. I may be perfectly, wholly conformed to His image before the sun goes down tonight. "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
C.H. Brown