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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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2 Corinthians 1:6
Comments
We are afflicted, says the apostle, in order to pass comfort to you and in order to preach the gospel to you. You will be saved and you in your turn will suffer for being Christians. As you do, you will remember how we were helped through every trial by God and you will look to him. Paul elaborates: his sufferings are effectual – that is the assurance we can face trials with. The unbeliever gives up; the Christian says there is purpose in it. This is the means by which faith grows and love for Christ is deepened. Pauls wants others to know what he has been through because knowledge of his sufferings may be the means by which others endure. Present difficulties may bring pressure which we want to see the end of. What kept Paul going was the belief that, ‘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).
Application
I knew of a case of someone who had believed and there had been changes in their life, but they lacked assurance. Then someone they were close to went through an illness, and the grace of God was so clearly displayed in this sickness that this Christian lady received deeper assurance through this.
We must look to the Lord for a positive outcome of all events so that we become optimists. We are optimists if we belong to Christ from an eternal perspective, whatever the natural pessimism we are naturally endowed with.
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