"Down, Not Out"

Verse 16 expresses something everybody here this morning wants to experience. Paul says, "We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." There is something here nobody wants and something everybody wants.

Nobody here this morning wants to lose heart. Nobody came in here saying, "I sure hope we sing some songs and hear a sermon that helps me lose heart. I really want to be discouraged this morning by what Rod says." Not one of you said that. Nobody wants the heart knocked out of them. Neither did Paul.

On the contrary, everybody wants inner renewal day-by-day. We all know that feelings of strength and newness and hope and vitality and courage and zest for life last for a little while, and then they tend to drain away. If we are going to be strong on the inside and have hope and joy and resources to love, we are going to have to be renewed day by day. We know that. Life is not static. It is up and down and up. It is fill and deplete and fill again. It's renew, expend, renew, and expend and renew. And every one of us wants the power of renewal. Nobody here wants to be left in the valley of depletion and emptiness and discouragement. If there is a secret to being made strong and hopeful and joyful and loving again day-by-day, we're interested.

There are two words in this text that are very important to understanding its meaning: the word "therefore" at the beginning of verse 16 and the word "for" at the beginning of verse 17.

Picture verse 16 at the top of a triangle (or pyramid) with two sides supporting it. "We do not lose heart . . . but our inner person is being renewed day by day." That's what we all want this morning—to be able to say that and really mean it. And it is supported in this text by two lines of thought. Verses 7-15 form one side, and verses 17 and 18 form the other side.

The word "therefore" at the front of verse 16 means that Paul has been saying some things that lead him to this experience and support it: "this is true and this is true and this is true" in verses 7–15, "THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . THEREFORE we are being renewed day by day." So the first line of the triangle is the truth of verses 7–15 that leads up to this experience and supports it. That should get our attention and send us hunting in those verses for what it is. Maybe it is meant for us too!

Then the word "for" at the beginning of the following verse (v. 17) means that Paul is about to say some things that are the reason for verse 16. "We do not lose heart . . . and we are renewed day by day" FOR (BECAUSE) this is true and this is true and this is true. So the second line of the triangle coming down on the other side is the truth of verses 17–18 that support the experience he just described.

So can you see it now? The experience we long for is sitting there on the point of this triangle with two supporting sides. Verses 7–15 are true, "THEREFORE we do not lose heart but are renewed day by day." That's one side. "We do not lose heart, but are renewed day by day" FOR verses 17–18 are true.

So our aim then is to look at the two sides of this triangle and make the truth that sustained Paul the truth that sustains us.

But first, one brief observation: verse 16 acknowledges that not losing heart and being renewed day by day are happening in the midst of suffering. "We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away . . ." Paul knew that he was dying—and that everybody is dying. He experienced tremendous suffering, and in it he saw the decay and the wasting away of his earthly life. There were weaknesses and sicknesses and injuries and hardships and pressures and frustrations and disappointments. And every one of them cost him a piece of his life. One way to say it was that "death was at work in him" (cf. v. 12).

That was the context for saying, "We do not lose heart . . . we are always being renewed." So what we are really asking now is not just, "How can I not lose heart in life?" and "How can I be renewed day-by-day?" but "How can I prepare to suffer without losing heart?" "How can I accept the decaying of my body and the ebbing away of my earthly life and at the same time not lose heart, but find renewed inner strength to go on with joy to the end with acts of love?"

Now we are ready to see Paul's answer to this question. First in verses 7–15 and then in verses 17–18.

Verses 7–15: Four Reasons Not to Lose Heart

In verses 7–15 there are at least four reasons that lead Paul to say, "THEREFORE we do not lose heart." And every one of them takes into account the decaying of his earthly life. He never loses sight that he is a dying man and that his life is being spent. So what he is doing in these verses is to show what is true in spite of and even because his outer nature is decaying and wasting away.

1. The Glorification of God's Power and God's Son

First, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering God's power and the life of God's Son are being seen and glorified.

Verse 7: "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because God's power is exalted in our weakness.

Verse 10: "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because the life of God's Son is exalted in our daily dying.

Verse 11: "For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that this life may be revealed in our mortal body." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because the life of God's Son is seen and glorified in our decaying bodies.

So the first reason Paul doesn't lose heart, as his outer nature decays, is that in his weakness and his daily dying for the sake of others God's power and the life of God's Son are glorified and that's what Paul loves more than anything.

2. The Strengthening of the Church

Second, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering life is flowing from him to the church. Christians are being strengthened by Paul being weakened.

Verse 12: "So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because not only is God being glorified, but you, my loved ones, are receiving life and strength and hope.

Verse 15: "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because (and notice how verse 15 puts the first two reasons together) through my suffering grace is spreading to you and glory is going to God. These are the two great motivations of Paul's life: bringing grace to others and bringing glory to God—and this verse says they happen in the very same experience. THEREFORE Paul does not lose heart.

3. God's Sustaining Presence

Third, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering God sustains him and does not let him be overcome.

In verses 8–9 Paul give us a series of pairs by which he is saying, “Yes, our outer nature is decaying, but, No, we do not lose heart.” "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because God sustains us and does not let us be overcome.

4. Our Resurrection from the Dead

Fourth, though his outer nature is decaying, yet he will be raised from the dead with the church and be with Jesus.

Verse 14: “We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . . because it's going to be all right. Not even death can make the story have a bad ending. I'm going to live again; and I am going to live with you, the people I love; and I am going to live with Jesus and share his glory forever and ever.

THEREFORE . . . that's the first line of the triangle (verses 7–15) that supports the great experience of not losing heart but being renewed every day.

1. I am being renewed because God's power and the life of God's Son are being seen and glorified in my decaying weakness.
2. I am being renewed because life is flowing from my suffering into the church that I love so much.
3. I am being renewed because God sustains me in my suffering and does not let me be overcome by it.
4. I am being renewed because I know I will be raised from the dead with you and with Jesus to live together forever and ever.

THEREFORE I do not lose heart!

Verses 17–18: Four Reasons Not to Lose Heart

Now look at the other side of the triangle that supports Paul's experience in verse 16, namely, verses 17–18. He does not lose heart, and he is being renewed day by day FOR verses 17–18 are true. Again there are four reasons for Paul's not losing heart in spite of his decaying outer man—his weaknesses and sicknesses and injuries and hardships.

1. Momentary Troubles

He does not lose heart FOR his troubles are momentary.

Verse 17: "For our light and momentary troubles . . .” This does not mean it lasts 60 seconds. It means it only lasts a lifetime (which is momentary compared with a million ages of millenniums) and that's all. The word means "present"—"The present troubles"—the troubles that will not outlive this present life. I do not lose heart . . . FOR my troubles will end. They will not have the last say in my life.

2. Light Troubles

He does not lose heart FOR his troubles are light.

Verse 17: "For momentary light affliction . . . " This is not the judgment of a comfortable modern American. This is Paul's judgment. He had Paul forgotten what he says in 2 Corinthians 11:23–27:

I have worked much harder, have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from fivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

When Paul says his troubles are light, he does not mean easy or painless. He means that compared to what is coming they are as nothing. Compared to the weight of glory coming, they are like feathers in the scale. "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). I do not lose heart . . . FOR my afflictions are light.

3. An Eternal Weighty Glory

He does not lose heart FOR his troubles are actually producing for Paul an eternal glory far beyond all comparison.

Verse 17: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” What is coming to Paul is not momentary, but eternal. It is not light, but weighty. It's not trouble, but glory. And it is beyond all comprehension. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

And the point is not that the afflictions merely precede the glory; they help produce the glory. There is a causal connection between how we endure hardship now and how much we will be able to enjoy the glory of God in the ages to come. Not one moment of patient pain is wasted. I do not lose heart . . . FOR all my troubles are producing for me an eternal glory beyond all comparison.

4. The Unseen, Eternal Glory to Come

Paul does not lose heart FOR he sets his mind on the unseen, eternal glory to come.

Verse 18: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" God might offer you all the glory in the universe to keep you from losing heart and to renew your soul day by day, but if you never looked at it, nothing would come of it.

This text is one lavish invitation from God for us to look at all the reasons why we don't have to lose heart—all the reasons why we can be renewed day by day.

• Look! The power of God and the life of his Son are seen in our weakness.
• Look! The life of Jesus is flowing through our suffering into the lives of other people.
• Look! God sustains us in our afflictions and will not let us be destroyed.
• Look! Our afflictions will not have the last word; we will rise from the dead with Jesus and with the church of God and live in joy forever and ever.
• Look! Our afflictions are momentary. They are only for now, not for the age to come.
• Look! Our afflictions are light. Compared to the pleasures of what is coming they are as nothing.
• Look! These afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

So LOOK! Focus! Meditate! Think on these things! Believe what God says. And you will not lose heart, but your inner person will be renewed day by day.