October 31, 2018

RENEWAL

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Encouraging Words

There was a day when I felt invincible. There was nothing that I could not do if I put my mind to it and pushed through. However, as I am growing older, my body is telling me that this is not so. My outward man is perishing, day by day. We all grow older and encounter the results of aging. Paul, however, reminds us that even though our bodies are deteriorating, our inward man, that which has been renewed by our loving Lord, is constantly being renewed, day by day. He continues to pour himself into us and lead us on our journey to theosis, which is growing in His image. God does not leave us alone but invests Himself in us every moment of our lives. All of this is part of our salvation. My Orthodox Study Bible describes our salvation in Christ as the following:

The Orthodox Faith teaches that salvation in Christ includes: 

1) a passage from death to life, from darkness to light (John 3:1–6; Colossians 1:13, 14), through repentance, faith, and baptism (“I have been saved”); 

2) a process of spiritual growth and maturation (2. Peter 1:2–8) through ongoing repentance, faith, and communion, often called deification (“I am being saved”); and 

3) a promise of eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:9–11; John 14:1–6), calling us to perseverance and righteousness (“I shall be saved”).

It is this second element, the process of our salvation, that Paul describes here, saying that our inner life is being renewed day by day.

How encouraging it is to know that God loves us this much. Glory be to God!