2 Corinthians 4:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Did you notice that ‘while’? ‘Our light affliction… worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ And we are uplifted by the thought and it immensely strengthens and invigorates us, but only, only, while ‘we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.’ There is great awareness available to us of the glory which will follow and the wonderful things of eternity and they will mean much more to us and they will lift us up and motivate us and strengthen us immensely if only we continue to use the eye of faith. That is our calling to look at the things which are not seen.We think of the Saviour. If you looked at the things which are seen you would think his life was a failure. He lived and he died a poor man, all that he possessed could be divided up by the Roman soldiers who crucified him. If you looked at the things which are seen you would be like that playwright who wrote a musical who saw in Christ only the death of a man whose promise came to an end; the high hopes people had for him were all dashed and he could not fulfil his own prophecies and predictions. But if you look at the things which are not seen, the punishment of all those who would be redeemed poured out upon him on Calvary’s cross, his dying love and his compassion for needy souls, all that he achieved on Calvary and the millions upon millions who will enter into eternal life and glory through Christ; if you look at the things that are not seen the picture is altogether different. It is the same with the apostle Paul, if you looked at the things which are seen, he lived and died a poor man. He had no grand house, he had no substance, he was a failure. He gave up a glorious career. But if you look at the things which are not seen, the mighty use God made of the apostle, the mission to the Gentiles, the evangelisation of the world and the vast contribution to inspired Holy Scripture which has lasted for over 2,000 years and has enlightened millions of souls; if you look at that then you say, ‘These are the things that count.’