Old Testament Scripture Reading: Hosea 13:14 (KJV)
Hos 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 2Cor 4:7 – 18 (KJV)
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 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.
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Transforming Power Statements:
1) The knowledge of promise of God to deal with the penalty and bondage of sin, which is death, for everyone who believes and trusts in Him for salvation, has been spoken in His Word through the Prophets ( such as Hosea, David, Moses, etc. ) and has empowered true believers to be able to see God’s power and glory in spite of the apparent prevailing reality of death and the grave, which is ever present in this life.
2) The Apostle Paul explains to the Corinthians that the power of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, ( as a result of faith in Christ Jesus and believing that God has raised Him from the dead) is a priceless treasure from God which He has placed within each one who believes, yielding the power of the resurrection to their account, which is available to be applied by choice to executing the sins of the old life, but also puts the believer at odds with the unbelieving world making them an unsuccessful target for persecution by unbelievers.
3) Therefore, the new focus for believers must be based on their view of the promised fulfillment of the rest of the promises of God that are already paid for in full by Jesus finished work and are laid up to be possessed in eternity, making the troubles of this life seem very small by comparison.