REANIMATION - PART 6

MONDAY 24 MARCH 2025

Reference: 2nd Corinthians 4:16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day."

Today's article is focused on the first segment:

"Therefore we do not lose heart..."

This simply means that in the Lord, there is no justification for losing enthusiasm or for entertaining discouragement, which is a state of being utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out. And beloved, it is not your outward appearance or the muscular physique and rigidness of your outer person that causes you not to lose heart, or lose momentum and enthusiasm; It is the strength of your faithfulness based on inward reanimation, which is transmitted on the frequency of God's mercy, that empowers you not to lose heart, such that you remain significant and relevant in the work of the Lord.

This truth is exactly what apostle Paul noted in the very beginning of the chapter [2nd Corinthians 4:1] which reads, "Therefore, since we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favour, benefits, opportunities, and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged [spiritless and despondent] or become faint with weariness and exhaustion" (AMPC). In accordance with this very verse, what ministry did apostle Paul make reference to? The ministry of sharing the gospel with a lost world (Reconciliation).

The lost world cannot walk with God successfully unless they hear us or see the way we function differently, and what they see in us is what has been renewed [reanimated] in us, and that's exactly what they will believe about God first. On account of this truth, Romans 10:14 reads, "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?" (NLT).

Now watch this: The most striking thing about the lost world is that the Lord Jesus still has so many sheep out there, including the most terrible souls, so to speak. To that effect, the New Living Translation of Johannine literature numbered as John 10:16 reads, "I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd." 

The Lord Jesus assured that He must bring those sheep also, and that they would listen to His voice, resulting in one flock with one shepherd. And truly, He meant His words. Question: How will the Lord bring them? By virtue of sharing our faith, which conveys the outpouring of God's love on earth but we must make sure that our witness is evenly true and loving, because in this day and age, so many Christians are overly chief judges and prosecuting attorneys, instead of faithful and loving witnesses, and this can only keep lost sinners far away from the Saviour, or delay their predestined salvation. So we must purposefully regard Christ as a universal Saviour, in the light of sharing the glorious gospel. Stay tuned for part 7. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Luke 18:1; Ephesians 3:13; Galatians 6:9; Hebrews 12:3.

Guided Prayer:

Heavenly Father, the captain of spiritual life in the heart of every Christian is the risen, glorified, and eternal Lord and Saviour, namely Christ, and I'm forever grateful that I sustain my unwavering confidence and godly boldness in Him, by virtue of His wisdom and power that hugely work in me and through me, in Jesus' Name, Amen.