Treasure in Jars of Clay

II Corinthians 4:6-7   

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" (Genesis 1:3), made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.   

What is in the jar is what is important, not the jar itself. When Jesus was "transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun" (Matthew 17:2), and when John was visited on the Isle of Patmos by Jesus, "His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance" (Revelation 1:16). When Moses spent 40 days on the Mountain in the presence of God, his face shone so much that he covered it with a veil so the people could look at him (Exodus 34:29-35). And we "all reflect the Lord's glory, being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18). Paul wrote of our Resurrection bodies in First Corinthians, chapter 15. As part of that discussion, he said, "We will not all sleep [die], but we all will be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality" (verses 51-53).

As we are being transformed now, gradually, to be fully transformed in the Resurrection, I visualize this continuing process now as though my body is a clay jar containing God's brilliant spiritual light. Light can't shine through opaque clay, but as the pressure comes and I seek His face and grow more godly, it's like God is replacing the clay molecules with molecules of clear crystal, or diamond, tiny bit at a time. So when I am in tune with God, and others see Him rather than me, it's because His glory is outshining my clay darkness through those minuscule cracks of crystal diamond.  So my clay jar is being transformed into a diamond vase, and one day I will "shine like the sun in the kingdom of [my] Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:43).

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Hope - Riches - Power

Ephesians 1:17-20    

The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, [why?] so that you may know Him better.   

To be able to know who God is and what He's like takes His wisdom to discern and revelation from Him to see the truth about Him and His ways, to understand how it all fits together.   

The eyes of your heart may be enlightened 

in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, 

the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 

and His incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead into a glorious Resurrection body, and even enthroned Him; that same power is working in me! In us! I have access to the strength, the ability, the skill to be transformed into the very image of Christ, to think His thoughts, do His works, accomplish His purposes! 

So what am I doing down here?