Clay Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (ESV)

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Yesterday the above verses really stuck out to me and I alluded to that in my post.  The idea of a jay or clay was interesting to me and as I thought about it more and broke into more of 2 Corinthians today it continued to stand out to me.  Paul continues in verse 8:

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

We are afflicted in every way but never crushed.  We always carry with us the death of Christ that he may manifest in our bodies.  The reason that all of this stood out to me is that Christ suffered the same things that we might be reconciled to him.  Chapter 5 v.15:

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

And he has given us, those who believe, the ministry of reconciliation (v.18) that all peoples would be reconciled to him.  This brings me to the verse that has really impacted me.

2 Corinthians 5:20,21
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We are his ambassadors here on earth.  He is using humans, these jars of clay, to make his appeal to all men that they may be reconciled to him and take joy in the ministry that he accomplished on the cross.  He who never sinned was made to be sin.  Not just a little sin like being mean or grouchy.  But all sin.  The murders and genocides, adultery and rape,  and even theft and lies.  All sin of all time was laid on him that we could be reconciled to God!

Therefore as an ambassador for Christ I will take that message of reconciliation in my little broken clay jar to whom will hear that they too may take part in the joy that Christ accomplished on that dark day over 2000 years ago.

I'll leave you all with this:

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Cor 6:2)

Veil Removed, Freedom Gained

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

It's interesting that this verse stood out to me this morning during my quiet time.  It's interesting because it was as if a veil was lifted from my own eyes and I could see clearly again.  As a Christian I often talk about the freedom we experience in Christ.  But today I understood a new level of that freedom.

The Word of God is living and active and pierces through bone and marrow to the very heart of the soul.  Yet when I was an atheist I read the Word of God with a veil over my eyes unable to see the Love and Freedom that were in those words, in Him.

Christians around me helped me to see the love of Christ and brought it to me with their own troubles and afflictions and sufferings.  It was the love that shines as a light in all believers that I saw and that drew me to Christ.  As paul writes "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 2 Cor 4:7. 

So it was by their humility and brokeness that I was drawn to the Lord and my veil removed.  I was pierced and my sin lay open before the Lord.  It was then that I realized I didn't have to keep it all together but I was free.  In the loving embrace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I was finally free to be me.  Not the me of the world but the me that God had intended from the beginning.

Now I am being transformed, along with all the saints, into the same image of Christ that beheld when the veil was first removed.  The Lord is working in me daily for His glory and renewing me to my freedom.  It is a joyful thing for the believer.

The question remains: What veils your sight?