“⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 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.

¹¹ For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

¹² So then death works in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

In our flesh, this earthen vessel of which we exist, there is a death that works in the born again Believer.  A death of which we were baptized into at Salvation, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“³ Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-6

Looking unto Jesus, our faith is authored.  Precept upon precept and line upon line, the Holy Spirit delivers us once again unto death; Jesus’ death…the death of which brings life, the Cross of Christ.  Perplexed, we may not now know the solution but we know in Whom we have believed and have accounted Jesus Christ and Him crucified sufficient to supply all of our needs.

This death is not self abasement or humiliation of one’s self but the death of Jesus Christ working in us a new creature through faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Daily our self will and self efforts are denied.  Perplexed, our intellect is denied.  Despaired, our efforts are denied.  We pick up everything the Lord provided for us there, at the Cross of Christ…and we follow Him.  The power of God is then made manifest of God and not of us.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14

-Donna Clark Warren