‘We Have This Treasure’

‘We Have This Treasure’

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

II Corinthians 4:7

The Apostle Paul had a clear and correct view of where and how he fit into the larger scheme of things, especially regarding the ministry. For the next little while, we want to look at this perspective, to glean from it what will be useful to help us, as we seek to make much of Christ. As Paul is describing himself and his companions in ministry he says, ‘…we have this treasure.’ We want to dwell upon that thought for a few minutes today, to see how it applies to us. What was the ‘treasure’ which Paul, and his companions had? Two verses before this text he said, ‘For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord…’  Therein lies the Treasure. We have Christ, and He is the Message. The preaching of Christ is the high ground of New Testament evangelism and ministry. The more we proclaim Christ, the more we adhere to the original assignment Christ gave to His disciples in Acts 1:8, when He said, ‘you shall be witnesses to me.’   This is the treasure which we have, just as certainly as the Apostles had it. It transcends denominations, systematic theologies, performance agendas, and popular trends. We have this ‘treasure,’ and it is what everyone with whom we come in contact desperately needs. It is what we ourselves most consistently need. The spreading abroad of this Treasure will make everyone who receives it immeasurably rich.

Our Gracious and Loving Savior,
we rejoice that You are our Greatest Treasure,
and that to proclaim You is our highest privilege.
Give us greater opportunities today, to make much of Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning