2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Seeing the Invisible
The third set of polar opposites that Paul brings together in this passage are the visible and the invisible. We may say, ‘I know that God works together all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I know rationally that affliction is real. And I know that God is working through it all that is well and good. But right now, I’m in the thick of it. What can I do?’ Here’s where Paul’s incredible comparisons helps us out. We look at the invisible. The eternal weight of glory is something that we don’t see with our physical eyes, but it’s perceived by faith, by trusting in Christ. It’s not something that we can hold up and say, ‘Look, you are clothed in the righteous robes of Christ. Look, here is the crown that is reserved for you in heaven, the reward that is waiting.’ Instead, those things are perceived by faith. They are invisible to our physical world, our physical eyes. We face trials that afflict us, and things that especially draw our visible eyes and our visible attention towards them. It’s almost like a black hole that sucks the light and the life out of us as that affliction draws us down. What Paul says, practically speaking, is to turn our sight away from the visible and to look at the invisible. Look at Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
The final comparison that Paul gives is the temporary and the eternal. The real experience that we face and we do go through is counterbalanced by the larger weight of eternity that stretches out in front of us. In this life, we face a variety of trials which are to us weighty.They are long. They are ones that bring our hearts down to the grave. But by comparison, they are temporary. They will come to an end. God makes our afflictions to serve His purpose, to work out a great joy in us. You may feel like the trial that you are beginning is enough to kill you. Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. Set your eyes and your heart on that which is invisible, on the crown that awaits those who belong to Him. You can say with Paul that you press on towards that goal of the upward call of Christ, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. He is working in you, an exceeding and weighty, eternal glory which cannot be taken away.
Question
- How can we look at the invisible?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.