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Sketched VI Day 7 Cassidy: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) What does it mean to have “treasure in clay jars?” (verse 7)

2) Why did the Apostle Paul say, “we carry the death of Jesus in our body?” (verse 10)

3) How can I keep from giving up when I am afflicted and struck down?

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. 15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.  16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to have “treasure in clay jars?” (verse 7)
The Greek word for clay jars comes from the word ostrakinos, which means earthenware.  The dishes used in most ancient homes were plain, cheap, serviceable clay vessels.   The apostle Paul refers to them in 2 Corinthians 4:7, when he writes, “we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.”  Paul had spent about two years leading the church at Corinth, and he was writing to them after his departure because false teachers had come into the church trying to spread lies.  According to author John MacArthur,  “in order to be heard, they had to dethrone Paul. And so, they started an all-out assault on Paul.”  Macarthur further explains, “they assaulted him on the basis of his physical blemishes, his human weaknesses, the way he looked, the way he spoke.”  To defend himself and keep the church from following false teachers, Paul chose to acknowledge those weaknesses he was charged with and emphasize the power of God in his imperfections.  As John MacArthur  states, Paul was “strongest when he was weakest, because therein the power of Christ took over.”  The apostle Paul marveled that God chose to use ordinary, unremarkable people to share the treasure of His love and salvation to the world, and he expressed this in the metaphor of God putting His treasure in simple, homely jars of clay.

2) Why did the Apostle Paul say, “we carry the death of Jesus in our body?” (verse 10)
Once Paul accepted that Jesus Christ was the Son of God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-20) his life was drastically changed.  Not only was he no longer persecuting Christians, He was one, and He was trying to convert others to Christianity.  Almost immediately, the Jews started plotting to kill him.  He, and other Christians, were persecuted and jailed countless times throughout their ministry. When Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:10, “We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body,” he was referring to the fact of being constantly subjected to the kind of severe treatment Jesus suffered.  Albert Barnes notes that this statement is “a strong energetic mode of expression, to denote the severity of the trials to which he was exposed, and the meaning is, that his body bore the marks of his being exposed to the same treatment as the Lord Jesus was.”  Author David Guzik suggests that not only did Paul compare his sufferings with those of Jesus, but he also believed them necessary.  Guzik writes, “Paul, like any Christian, wanted the life of Jesus evident in him. But Paul knew this could only happen if he also carried about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. There are some aspects of God’s great work in our lives that only happen through trials and suffering.”  Paul recognized that suffering like Jesus helped him share the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

3) How can I keep from giving up when I am afflicted and struck down?
In 2 Corinthians 4:15-16, Paul writes,” Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.  Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.”  The apostle Paul had endured intense persecution, yet he did not give up.  Why did he persist in proclaiming Christ, even when it brought him ridicule and bodily harm?  He continued so his life would bring God glory.  In fact, he focused on the fact that he was growing in Christ when he suffered for Christ.  Author David Guzik explains that Paul does not give up because “though all his suffering takes a toll on the outward man, yet the inward man is being renewed and blessed.”  Guzik also notes that Paul believed his “death-like trials made for more effective, life giving ministry for the Corinthian Christians. Knowing this made him not lose heart in the midst of trials and suffering.”  Paul could continue his ministry without giving up because he knew he was becoming more like Christ, strengthening the church, and bringing glory to God.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to have “treasure in clay jars?” (verse 7)
There is nothing like the optimism of a new teacher brimming with new methods and ideas.  And there is nothing like an unruly bunch of junior high students to make her scour the want ads every night five weeks into the first semester, looking for a new gig.  As a first-year teacher, I quickly recognized my shortcomings and asked God why He entrusted this “clay jar” (2 Corinthians 4:7) with the call to teach when He was so well aware of my imperfections?  Author John Piper answers this question when he writes that God “puts the treasure of his gifts and his gospel in clay pots like you and me. Your ordinariness is not a liability; it is an asset, if you really want God to get the glory. No one is too common, too weak, too shy, too inarticulate, too disabled to do what God wants you to do with your gift.”  God had given me the gifts of teaching and compassion, and He was calling me to share them with my students the best way I knew how, even though I didn’t do it perfectly.  The more I failed, the more I had to rely on God for help and strength.  It was tempting to pretend like I had it all together rather than trust in God because, as John Piper points out, “The world stresses the classy container, not the glory of God in human weakness.”  But if we let God’s strength be made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9) we can bring Him glory while we carry out His work and share His Good News.  As a teacher, I found as I relied on Him, He helped me improve and make an impact on my students.

2) Why did the Apostle Paul say, “we carry the death of Jesus in our body?” (verse 10)
I have heard it said that having a child is like carrying your heart on the outside of your chest.  It seems like an apt description to me.  It perfectly describes the feeling of vulnerability and love that arrives when your first bundle of joy is born.  I think something like that happened to Paul when he became a Christian. He seemed to carry with him an intense identification with Jesus and an ardent love for the cause of Christ.   He was frequently bruised, ridiculed and persecuted for his dedication to the Lord.  John MacArthur explains that Paul’s sufferings were “simply carrying about in [his] body the dying of Jesus.  And so, he elevates his suffering to this marvelous level.”  Author David Guzik asserts that for Paul, “the death of Jesus was not only a historical fact, it also was a spiritual reality in his life.”   For Paul, he saw the suffering that came with being a Christian as another way to point people to the marvelous work of the cross.   He taught that “we carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:10)  The trials I face may not leave me bruised and shackled like Paul, but they do remind me that Jesus suffered and died so that I could live free from sin and shame.  I want to allow the suffering I encounter to lead others to life in Jesus.

3) How can I keep from giving up when I am afflicted and struck down?
In the past, when adversity came, I endured because I believed God was in control and had a purpose in the pain.  Scripture tells us our “momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17)  But there came a time of extended difficulty where I had trouble seeing beyond the daily struggle to recognize God’s hand in the situation.  Complications from a surgery resulted in a two-year hospitalization for my mother while my sister and I struggled to help my dad care for her, their house, and their other responsibilities along with caring for our own homes and families.  The daily stresses were relentless and exhausting.  I wanted to give up, and I was mad at God for not intervening.  God lovingly revealed what should have been obvious to me all along: He was with us in every aspect of this ordeal.  My mom nearly died multiple times, but she survived.  I could almost feel myself buoyed up on the prayers of my church family, who covered us in prayer daily.    There were meals provided and free childcare and divine appointments in hospital waiting rooms.  There was grace to handle each day, even if the day wasn’t going how I wanted. God was maturing me as I relied on Him when I ran out of my own strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I was able to keep going during that two year struggle, not knowing when it would end or what the outcome would be, because I had the grace of God to sustain me as the trials strengthened me. Paul wrote that he looked forward to the “eternal weight of glory” that is being produced by our afflictions. (2 Corinthians 4:17) We don’t give up because we know that God’s blessings and purposes are greater than any troubles we may face; His grace is enough to help us endure and grow.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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This is Sketched VI Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Cross Day 11 Trinity

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 27
John 1:1-18
John 14:7-21

Cross, Day 11

Prayers so intense, sweat became drops of blood.

Whip strikes, ripping the flesh from His back.

Thorns slipping beneath skin from the crown of thorns mockingly placed upon His head.

Nails piercing His hands and feet in order to hold Him to the tree.

His raw back pressed into the wood of the cross, imbedding slivers into shredded skin.

The inability to draw in breath as the agony of His angle slowly strangled the air from His lungs.

But the deepest pain of the crucifixion?
The weight of my sin, your sin, the world’s sin rested upon Christ’s shoulders
and God the Father turned His face away.

I’ve seen the Passion of the Christ and other depictions of the crucifixion, closing my eyes at the gruesome fate Jesus endured for my sake. The crucifixion process screams of brutality and a slow, painful death. The sacrificial lambs mentioned throughout the Word had far more compassionate endings than the one Jesus lived and died through as the sacrifice, once and for all, for my sin.
He willingly went to the cross for me.
He willingly experienced torture for me to pay for my sins.
Even now I am dumbfounded at His willingness to experience all of that for my sake, for your sake.

As I sit and process the cross today, sitting comfortably in a local coffee shop, fingers clicking away on my laptop, I sense the Holy Spirit stirring within me. My assignment is to look at the cross from the perspective of the Trinity, the Godhead three in one. Now, I readily admit I can wrap my mind around the reality of the physical aspects of Christ’s sacrifice; however, I can only begin to comprehend the agony that took place beyond the physical.

Jesus came to earth fully God and fully man.
As a member of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ death on the cross was both facilitated and experienced by more than Jesus alone. The entirety of the fullness of God in His three persons of Father, Son, and Spirit were perfectly unified in the plan to redeem us as sons and daughters.
Here was the reality:

  1. Sin had entered the perfect world originally created in the Garden of Eden.
  2. Because of the sin, a blood sacrifice must be made in order to cleanse all record of the sin and restore the relationship between God and man.
  3. The three persons of the whole oneness of God so loved handcrafted humanity, the sacrifice was worth the cost.

The cost of removing the sin barrier for eternity and thereby making way for restored relationship motivated the godhead to make the ultimate sacrifice. God the Son would become the perfect sacrifice, once and for all making atonement for mankind.

As I pondered the role of each person in the Trinity, quite possibly for the first time in my life from an emotionally engaged perspective, the cross and its impact on the godhead came to life.

I became a Christian when I was young and the horror of the physical pain Jesus went through stuck in my mind as the most difficult reality of the crucifixion story. However, as I reflect on the crucifixion from a more mature perspective, and with prayer to the Holy Spirit for His help in giving me understanding, the depth of sacrifice and the height of love involved in the plan of the cross began to overwhelm me.

Jesus left heaven to dwell among us and eventually die for us. He became the pure, spotless Lamb who died for our sins. He bore the agony of a brutal, physical death, but He also walked through the pain of rejection and separation from God the Father. As He became our sin, the separation sin causes required God the Father to sever the relationship until the sacrificial price had been paid.

Jesus paid that price and defeated the grave, death, and hell at the cost of breaking His relationship that had existed eternally with God the Father.
Jesus lived one side of the separation, but what of that for God the Father and the God the Holy Spirit?

I have seen my friends and siblings become parents.
I have watched them experience pain when their children are in pain.
I’ve heard them express how they would take their place if that were possible.
How much pain must God the Father have felt knowing He could have taken Christ’s place, but His love for us kept Him from destroying the only plan for our salvation?

The Father watched Jesus the Son be brutally murdered, then take on the world’s sin. His very nature requires holiness and sin cannot abide in His presence, hence the need for sacrifices to remove sin from the equation. As Jesus took on our sin, the other two persons of the Trinity were forced to turn away, forsaking the Son.
Sin must be rejected.

Christ’s love kept Him on the cross.
God the Father’s love demonstrated itself in the self-control required to follow through on the very rejection that restores our relationship with Him.
The Trinity followed through on the grand plan of redemption because of the joy set before them of restoration between humanity and God!
As I continue to envision the crucifixion’s impact on the Trinity, the role of the Holy Spirit keeps coming to mind as that of a midwife. Jesus promised the disciples that a helper is coming to them. Maybe that description came from experiencing that very help Himself? A midwife coaches a mother through the throes of birth. With each labor pain, the midwife encourages the soon-to-be-mom of the joy that is coming and cheers her on through the contractions. Might the Holy Spirit have been doing a similar work throughout the pain of the crucifixion?

“We have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
“Today they will be with us in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

In Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit is listed with love at beginning and self-control at the end. The entire process of redemption enacted by the Trinity through the cross demonstrated immense love and self-control.

As Christ bore the pain of the cross, the entire Trinity carried the burden.
For the joy to be gained by our own redemption, and for that, I am eternally grateful!

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Roads Day 8 How Much Is Enough?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
1 John 2:1-6
John 1:1-18 

Roads, Day 8

Imagine a young woman named Fatima who grew up in the Islam faith. 
As far back as she can remember, she has seen her mother quickly cover her head, kneel on her prayer rug, and pray five times a day during the namaz (required memorized prayers).

She has watched her brothers being sent to the Imam (EE-mom) weekly to learn recitation of the Quran in Arabic. Arabic wasn’t Fatima’s native language and though poorly understood, was necessary for recitation as it was chosen by Allah.

On Fridays, her brothers and Father proudly wear their white caps and Kurtas (long shirt) and pray at the mosque.

Fatima’s mother has strictly taught her to keep her skin covered in front of men, following the example of Prophet Mohammad’s wives. Allah’s command is for women to be modest so as not to entice men. She regularly hears her parents sneering at their unbelieving neighbors who eat unclean pig, drink forbidden alcohol, and flaunt their women instead of protecting them.

As Fatima seeks to obey the principles of Islam, she sees how this pleases her parents and she is filled with pride. The more she denies herself with fasting from “worldly” desires, the more she is seen as righteous. She feels a strong sense of pride in being Muslim. 

This is a common picture for an Islamic family today.
Taking pride in their religion is taught from a young age as Muslims are family and community based. Their communities are centered around mosques; religious practices are outward, not private or personal.

The biggest difference between Christianity and Islam is how Jesus is understood.  Muslims are taught Jesus was a great Islamic prophet.
Believing Jesus is the Son of God will send you to hell. (Quran 5:72)
Christianity believes Jesus is the Son of God and belief in Him, as being fully God, will save you from Hell and grant forgiveness.

What does this mean in everyday life?
Since Islam does not believe in Jesus as Savior, good works attain salvation.
Salvation in Christianity is based on grace and faith alone, with no good works in order to be forgiven. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
How will we know if our good works have finally achieved salvation?
How much “good” is good enough?
And, of course, there is the constant pressure to perform and perform, better and better.  

In my conversations with girls like Fatima, I have often asked,
“What happens to you after you die?”
They respond, “I will go to heaven if Allah wills.”
When I ask, “How do you know if Allah wills it?”
They shrug their shoulders saying,
“We cannot know for sure. 
We hope our good works outweigh our bad, 
and hope Allah will be merciful.”

These words break my heart!
Our gracious, loving God has given us His truth that we may indeed know for certain He will rescue our souls for eternity!

The Qur’an teaches that in the last day, Allah will bring out a scale, weighing good versus bad deeds. Many hope their prayers and rule-keeping to be enough to grant acceptance by Allah on judgment day. 

All religions and belief systems, except for one, are the same as Islam;
they are man-made,
relying on our ability to work for forgiveness and eternal security.

That one that’s different?
It’s Christianity!
The Bible teaches faith in Christ’s work on the cross for eternal salvation is,
and will always be,
enough to cover the sins of the truly repentant heart.
This stark contrast between true Christianity and all other religious belief systems, including Islam, should give us confidence as we share our faith with others!

One reason Christians feel inadequate, even scared, to share the Good News with Muslims is because they aren’t sharing regularly with anyone.

Learn to share the Gospel and begin sharing 
with everyone God puts in your path!
As evangelism becomes more natural, through faithful obedience and dependence on God, you will be able to adapt and adjust to whatever religious or spiritual background you encounter.  

There’s no silver bullet in how to share with a Muslim, but Christianity and Islam share much common ground we can utilize to begin and continue spiritual conversations.

Both religions believe in creation, monotheism, similar prophets, Torah/Psalm/Injeel (New Testament), many of God’s qualities (such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence), and many things about Jesus (such as His virgin birth, no sin, many miracles, His ascension to heaven, and His future return to earth). 

Want to help a Muslim understand the gospel?
Intentionally make a friend!  
Because Muslims practice their faith in community, many immigrants to America feel isolated. Take this opportunity to disprove any wrong presuppositions they might have toward Christianity as they get to know you.

What does that mean practically?
Humanize them!
These are the faces of individuals with many of the same problems as you:  finances, marriage, raising children, workplace difficulties, etc.
Invite them over for birthdays, holidays, and special events.
Start regularly praying for specific concerns they have.  

As your friendship grows, be intentional to share the Good News both directly and indirectly.
This isn’t time to shy away until you “know each other better”.
Direct sharing is as simple as sharing your Gospel-focused story of how Jesus remade you! As you gain their trust, you can ask what they believe about Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible. Not all Muslims believe the same way. This will provide opportunities to humbly use God’s Word to correct wrong understanding of Christian principles and beliefs.

Indirect sharing can be accomplished by drawing them into your everyday life. Allow them to witness the sincerity of your faith in the way you treat your spouse, children, and time spent in worship and prayer. Don’t pull away from your regular spiritual practices out of fear of offending your Muslim friends.  

There is a good chance that a woman like Fatima lives near you.
Be intentional, share in her life, faithfully pray for her, and speak of Jesus often with reverence and love, using Bible stories about Him.  At the appropriate time, you can gift a Bible in her heart language (the New Testament, Psalms, and the first five books of Old Testament are acceptable portions of Scripture in Islam).
Then, if she is willing, teach her how all the books of the Bible fit together!
Just as Islamic women are proud of their religion, let us also be unashamed of the Gospel of Christ! 
Let’s pray for boldness in reaching Muslims around us, in order to bring them into eternal Christian community!
Because Jesus is more than enough!

*Written by Janna Comfort 

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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Roads Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Roads!