THE DIFFERENCE GRACE MAKES

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”  (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV)

Notice the four gauges Paul used to demonstrate the difference the grace of God made in his life (and will make in yours). Each of these gauges takes some particular measure of the emotional state…

He Was Pressed but Not Crushed.

Paul was saying he felt the pinch, but he wasn’t crushed. The term “pressure” means being pushed into a narrow place. Paul was a man who spent time in some very small prison cells. As you know if you’ve read his prison letters, his joy could not be compacted by lack of space; it only became greater. Grace moved that needle.

He Was Perplexed but Not Despairing.

Church problems left Paul at his wit’s end sometimes. But he never gave up, and he always found the right answer. Grace kept him moving toward the right solution.

He Was Persecuted but Not Abandoned.

The word for “persecuted” derives from the idea of being pursued or chased. Paul knew something about that kind of hunting, and he also knew about being hunted. Even when it seemed that his enemies vastly outnumbered his friends, he never felt deserted because almighty God was always with him with sufficient grace for his every need.

He Was Struck Down but Not Destroyed.

Paul was often knocked down, but he was never knocked out. He was sometimes left for dead, but he did not die. He kept getting back up to preach the gospel of God’s grace. When he was in prison, his work seemed to flourish. To the very end of his life, he was planning on new destinations and new churches. The kind of hope Paul had cannot be suppressed no matter how you pound it. Grace renders it eternal.  

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

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