God's Power in Our Clay Vessels

Our passage today from 2 Corinthians gives us a powerful image: we are "clay vessels" holding an immense "treasure." What is this treasure? It is the glorious gospel and the "exceeding greatness of the power" of God. The Apostle Paul makes it very clear where this power comes from: it is "of God, and not from ourselves." This means the immense power we see at work in the lives of believers, and through the church, does not originate from our own strength, wisdom, or anything we do to earn it. It is entirely God’s doing, placed within our ordinary, often fragile, human lives.

Paul then illustrates this truth with his own experiences of hardship. He describes being "pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed." These are struggles familiar to many of us in Uganda – times of difficulty, uncertainty, or opposition. Yet, even when we feel overwhelmed, we are not destroyed. This perseverance is not a result of our own great resilience, but a testament to God’s sustaining power working through our very weaknesses. It is in our brokenness and vulnerability that His strength truly shines, proving that He is the one holding us up.

This understanding is crucial for us, especially when we consider some ideas that might suggest otherwise. If God’s all-surpassing power comes only "of God, and not from ourselves," then we must be careful about any teaching that implies we can activate or increase God's power through specific actions or transactions. The idea that we must purchase special blessed items to receive a miracle, or perform certain rituals to make God act, goes against the truth that His power is freely given and freely operates through His grace. Such teachings suggest that God's power is something we can buy, manipulate, or earn, rather than a gift freely given through Christ's finished work on the cross.

Instead, our passage calls us to a different posture: "always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." This means we embrace our identity in Christ, even in our weaknesses and sufferings, trusting that His resurrection life will be made manifest through us. We don't need to strive to generate power or buy blessings. We simply trust in Jesus' sufficient sacrifice and allow His divine life to be displayed through our ordinary lives, for His glory alone.