"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:17).
This was written by a man (the apostle Paul) who had been shipwrecked, beaten multiple times, snake-bitten, living in a 4' x 8' cell in the Mamertine prison in Rome and under house arrest the rest of the time, ostracized by his brethren, fleeing for his life, left for dead, and yet he says "our light affliction." But note the result..."it works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." He told the church in Rome, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18).
The revelation of that glory is not "when we all get to heaven." It is NOW! The Weymouth translation says, "For this our light and transitory burden of suffering is achieving for us a preponderating, yes, a vastly preponderating, and eternal (age-enduring) weight of glory."
For the past 200 years, we have preached a futuristic gospel. In other words, we don't get anything until we die and go to heaven. Out of that mentality was birthed the idea that if we just hold on tight, someday "in the sweet bye and bye," Jesus will come and rapture us out of this "nasty-now-and-now." I admit, life is often a scary and bumpy ride, but Jesus said, "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21, emphasis added). The question then is, "When are we seated with Him? Now or later?"
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3, emphasis added).
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly places (realms, dimensions) in Christ Jesus..." (Eph. 2:6, emphasis added).
"Jesus Christ...has made us kings (a kingdom) and priests to God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever" (Rev. 1:5-6, empasis added).
To the church at Smyrna, Jesus said, "Be you faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). Did it ever occur to us that the death He is talking about there, may not just be physical death, but death to the flesh?
I like Adam Clarke's commentary on this:
“Here is a most remarkable expression: Jesus has conquered, and is set down with the Father upon the Father's throne; he who conquers through Christ sits down with Christ upon his throne: but Christ's throne and the throne of the Father is the same; and it is on this same throne that those who are faithful unto death are finally to sit! How astonishing is this state of exaltation! The dignity and grandeur of it who can conceive?”
Kings seldom go out to battle. They sit in ruling authority and their orders are carried out by others who do the fighting for them (Heb. 1:14). In a kingdom, the king's word is non-negotiable; it is law! When kingdom sons finally realize who they are, they will rest in the "finished work" of Jesus (John 19:30; Rev. 21:6) and instead of being in combat with satan day after day, they will simply enforce Kingdom law in their situations (Ezra 7:26).
“I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
Young’s Literal Translation reads like this,
“Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the Heavens” (Matt. 16:19).
When I pray, I do not beg or plead for anything. It has been and always will be the will of God that His "Kingdom come" and His "will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
Graphic by Peter Olsen, used with permission (http://www.peterolsenart.com)
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