Don't Give Up...Glory

“Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extended 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. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17, CSB)

Tempted to Give Up

Is it weird that I find comfort in the fact that Paul must have been tempted to give up? Two times in this chapter, Paul talks about “not giving up,” and he includes himself in the exhortation. WE do not give up. 

There’s encouragement in knowing Paul had to make these statements. There must have been some in the church who were tempted to give up. Paul may have been tempted to give up and had to work through his own emotions regarding that temptation. He had to ask himself, “How does one fight the temptation to give up on the work God has called them to do?”

In the first instance, Paul says that we do not give up because of the mercy of God. I wrote about that earlier this week. This time he answers it with Glory. 

Two Glories

The statement “we do not give up” is sandwiched between glory. In verse 15 Paul speaks about grace extending to more and more people, causing thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. The spread of the gospel leads to thanksgiving which lead to God’s glory. Therefore, they do not give up. 

On the other side of this statement is another glory. Paul speaks about how their afflictions, the things that are tempting them to give up, are only light and momentary and that these very temptations are accomplishing something inside them. They are “producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” Therefore, they do not give up. 

Don’t Give Up…Glory

These two types of glory need to be working inside of us, stirring our hearts to keep on going, firming our hearts to not give up. 

One glory is external—the glory of God. To give up, would be to no longer pursue God’s glory. That’s not an option. God calls us to glorify Him in everything we do (1 Cor 10:31). This is our purpose in life. To step away from the task and calling of glorifying God is to pursue a path away from true humanity and to fall into the depths of sin. This is not an option. Therefore, we do not give up. 

The other glory is internal—a weight of glory. God is doing something inside us through the trial and temptation. If we give up during these trials and temptations, we would not reap the harvest of glory. We would give up the reward that comes on the other side of affliction. Therefore, we do not give up. 

Advent Glory

As I repeatedly mention, Advent is a season of waiting. It’s a season of waiting for glory—waiting for the glorious Messiah. 

At the birth of Jesus the angels cried out, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14, ESV). Not only did they know that the purpose of all things is to glorify God, they recognized that Jesus IS that glory. Then Jesus says, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one…” (John 17:22, ESV).

This child, born in a manger, is the glory of God and is working in His people to bring about His glory in us. In order for him to bring about that glory in us, he had to be born, to endure the cross, and to rise from dead. He didn’t give up and neither should we.