January 12

WHEN THE OUTWARD PERISHES
by Ray Prinzing

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day."                                                                       2 Corinthians 4:16).

There are times when it seems that all the outward is falling apart, gripped by the tyranny of change and decay, nothing is sable or enduring, for "The creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope." (Romans 8:20). The word "perish" used here is from a Greek word that means "to utterly corrupt." Such is the way of the things of this world.

But the promise remains, "The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:21). For God hath ordained there shall come the time of "regeneration" (Matthew 19:28), when there shall begin a universal change, and the process of degeneration shall be reversed, and new creation life be manifested.  Praise God for this glorious hope.

Yet now, in the midst of all this death and decay, in contra-distinction to its ravaging of the outward, the inward man can be renewed day by day.  Made new again by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increased strength. - They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as the eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:29,31).

They shall "renew" their strength.  Significant that in the Hebrew text this word "renew" is actually CHANGED - as we wait upon the Lord we change our strength, from the weakness of the flesh, into the might of His Spirit.  Until we are able to say with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  (Philippians 4:13).  Thus we shall "go from strength to strength" until at last we appear before God in Zion.