Kress Biblical Resources :: A Christ-Sufficient Ministry Seeks to Please Christ with a View to the Eternal Reward—Not Earthly Reward (2Co 4:16-18; 2Co 5:1-10)

Detailed Outline of 2 Corinthians

Defending the New Covenant Gospel Ministry of Grace and the Sufficiency of Christ

II. Gospel ministry and the sufficiency of Christ (2Co 1:3-7:16)

B. A Christ-Sufficient ministry explained and defended (2Co 2:12-17; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7)

3. A Christ-Sufficient ministry seeks to please Christ with a view to the eternal reward—not earthly reward (2Co 4:16-18; 2Co 5:1-10)
   1. The reality of eternal glory fortifies in present suffering (2Co 4:16-18)
      1. Faith focused on the coming glory will encourage and spiritually renew us day-by-day (2Co 4:16)
         1. The reason we do not lose heart (2Co 4:16a)
         2. The reality of life in a fallen world (2Co 4:16b)
         3. The renewal and encouragement (2Co 4:16c)
      2. Faith focused on the coming glory will reckon present suffering as temporary and light by comparison (2Co 4:17-18)
         1. Pesent affliction is momentary in light of eternity (2Co 4:17)
         2. Present affliction is light in comparison to the eternal weight of glory (2Co 4:17b)
         3. Present affliction must be seen through eyes of faith (2Co 4:18)
   2. The reality of the resurrection and eternal reward fosters passion to please Christ (2Co 5:1-10)
      1. The truth we know about the resurrection (2Co 5:1)
         1. Our current body is earthly and temporary, like a tent (2Co 5:1a)
         2. Our resurrection body prepared by God is eternal and heavenly (2Co 5:1b)
      2. The triumph we long for while still groaning in this earthly tent (2Co 5:2-4)
         1. The temporal reality we live in—longing for what we don’t currently have (2Co 5:2)
         2. The triumph of the resurrection we long for (2Co 5:3-4)
            • We long to be clothed with our resurrection body (2Co 5:3)
            • We long to conquer death fully in the resurrection (2Co 5:4)
      3. The treasured down payment we have now of future glory (2Co 5:5)
         1. God has sovereignly prepared us for this triumphant future (2Co 5:5a)
         2. God’s Spirit is the pledge/down payment of our triumphant future (2Co 5:5b)
      4. The tenacity that results from the Spirit’s presence and the resurrection promise (2Co 5:6-8)
         1. The courage to face the present realities of life (2Co 5:6)
         2. The conviction to walk by faith not by sight (2Co 5:7)
         3. The conviction that our home is not here, but rather with the Lord (2Co 5:8)
      5. The target we aim for in light of the resurrection and our eternal reward (2Co 5:9-10)
         1. To be pleasing to Christ (2Co 5:9)
            • In life
            • In death
            • In everything
         2. To be positively evaluated by Christ (2Co 5:10)
            • The exhaustive scope of the judgment seat of Christ
            • The examination of the believers works—good and bad