All of verse 7 reads like this: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us. ” The Greek word for excellency “surpassingness, ” “exceeding greatness. ” The fact that we are earthen vessels proves that the excellency of the power is of God and not out of us. Here Paul seems to be saying, “I am nothing more than an earthen vessel, low and worthless. In myself I am sinful, fallen, and low. How can such a person manifest the truth and shine forth the glory of the gospel? I do not have the power to do this. The excellency of the power is not out of me—it is of God. Although I am a worthless earthen vessel, God has shined this precious treasure into me. Now this treasure becomes the source of the power energizing me and enabling me to shine forth God’s glory and to manifest the truth. ”
Do you not have a divine motor within you? The marvelous treasure is now a heavenly motor empowering us from within. This motor may not trouble us while we are sleeping, but during the rest of the day, it bothers us. Preachers often tell others that Christ will give peace. In my experience He often does not give me peace. He gives me joy, but instead of giving me peace, He bothers me. If I do not go along with His inward bothering, I cannot have peace. Sometimes I cooperate with His bothering and have joy, but still there is no peace.
According to your experience, can you sit quietly at home and enjoy peace? Is it not true that the Lord often bothers you inwardly? Christ is a bothering One. This treasure is a living and active treasure operating within us. This treasure even constrains us to do certain things. According to 2 Corinthians 5 , the love of Christ constrains us. Christ not only bothers us; He constrains us, pushes us on. This is the power, the source of strength, for the apostles to behave themselves in such a way as to shine the gospel and manifest the truth.
Life-study of 2 Corinthians
Message 10 (LSM)
oct.92024
Maria L
Fremont, California, United States
Praise the Lord!
We all can testify that, when we spend time with the Lord and enjoy His preciousness, we have a sense of how precious and dear He is, and we have His sweet presence.
Hallelujah 😀
sept.262024
Maurice Ward
Irving, Texas, United States
Transformation is my need,
To be broken more indeed,
That the clay may change in form,
To the treasure to conform.
août162024
Sanjay Maisi
Delhi, India
Transformation is my need,
To be broken more indeed,
That the clay may change in form,
To the treasure to conform.
avr.162023
Br Jeff Hall
Church In Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
We start out as corruptible earthen vessels, But through the Lords mercy we became regenerated and we are filled with the Glory of the Divine Dispensing! Now we can be transparent and beholding and reflecting, shine forth the Glory of the Triune God!
mai222021
Sarah
Kampala, Uganda
Amen Lord, transformation is my need.
mai112021
Cesar
Madrid, Spain
Praise the Lord!! , we are earthen vessels, with a precious treasure.
Christ is our treasure, who is transforming us day by day into his image
févr.192021
Sister Vali
Tirane, Albania
Him expressing from within,
Making Him to others seen,
I transparent have to be
That He may be shown thru me.
févr.212020
Dawn Citto
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Amen, dear Lord, mingling with us ALL the way.
What a wonderful Life - In His Image we were made,
fit that Christ would all pervade... Hallelujah!
Gain what You need in us Lord, You will gain your expression fully!
oct.152019
Janice McKenzie
United States
Amen! What a treasure! Yes, we are Your containers, fill us full of Your precious Self!
Moving in us day by day,
Mingling with us all the way,
All our steps He regulates,
Every part He saturates!
He is moving, mingling, regulating, and saturating us!
I spoke on the all-inclusive Christ during the last seven days of 1962. The next day, January 1 of 1963, I was brought by a brother to Whittier to share with a group of seeking ones there. My burden was to share the truth and experience of transformation. Today I am still speaking on transformation. Stanza 6 of Hymns, #548 says: 'Transformation is my need, / To be broken more indeed, / That the clay may change in form, / To the treasure to conform.' We were made as an earthen vessel, but this vessel should be transformed in its appearance. Transformation is not a kind of outward reformation or correction. Transformation is a metabolic change in the substantial form.
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A. The Treasure in
the Earthen Vessels
----------------
All of verse 7 reads like this: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us. ” The Greek word for excellency “surpassingness, ” “exceeding greatness. ” The fact that we are earthen vessels proves that the excellency of the power is of God and not out of us. Here Paul seems to be saying, “I am nothing more than an earthen vessel, low and worthless. In myself I am sinful, fallen, and low. How can such a person manifest the truth and shine forth the glory of the gospel? I do not have the power to do this. The excellency of the power is not out of me—it is of God. Although I am a worthless earthen vessel, God has shined this precious treasure into me. Now this treasure becomes the source of the power energizing me and enabling me to shine forth God’s glory and to manifest the truth. ”
Do you not have a divine motor within you? The marvelous treasure is now a heavenly motor empowering us from within. This motor may not trouble us while we are sleeping, but during the rest of the day, it bothers us. Preachers often tell others that Christ will give peace. In my experience He often does not give me peace. He gives me joy, but instead of giving me peace, He bothers me. If I do not go along with His inward bothering, I cannot have peace. Sometimes I cooperate with His bothering and have joy, but still there is no peace.
According to your experience, can you sit quietly at home and enjoy peace? Is it not true that the Lord often bothers you inwardly? Christ is a bothering One. This treasure is a living and active treasure operating within us. This treasure even constrains us to do certain things. According to 2 Corinthians 5 , the love of Christ constrains us. Christ not only bothers us; He constrains us, pushes us on. This is the power, the source of strength, for the apostles to behave themselves in such a way as to shine the gospel and manifest the truth.
Life-study of 2 Corinthians
Message 10 (LSM)
Fremont, California, United States
Praise the Lord!
We all can testify that, when we spend time with the Lord and enjoy His preciousness, we have a sense of how precious and dear He is, and we have His sweet presence.
Hallelujah 😀
Irving, Texas, United States
Transformation is my need,
To be broken more indeed,
That the clay may change in form,
To the treasure to conform.
Delhi, India
Transformation is my need,
To be broken more indeed,
That the clay may change in form,
To the treasure to conform.
Church In Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
We start out as corruptible earthen vessels, But through the Lords mercy we became regenerated and we are filled with the Glory of the Divine Dispensing! Now we can be transparent and beholding and reflecting, shine forth the Glory of the Triune God!
Kampala, Uganda
Amen Lord, transformation is my need.
Madrid, Spain
Praise the Lord!! , we are earthen vessels, with a precious treasure.
Christ is our treasure, who is transforming us day by day into his image
Tirane, Albania
Him expressing from within,
Making Him to others seen,
I transparent have to be
That He may be shown thru me.
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Amen, dear Lord, mingling with us ALL the way.
What a wonderful Life - In His Image we were made,
fit that Christ would all pervade... Hallelujah!
Gain what You need in us Lord, You will gain your expression fully!
United States
Amen! What a treasure! Yes, we are Your containers, fill us full of Your precious Self!
Moving in us day by day,
Mingling with us all the way,
All our steps He regulates,
Every part He saturates!
He is moving, mingling, regulating, and saturating us!
Hallelujah!