But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:7-15)

The Christian faith is simple. There is one God, and the Christian Scripture is the only infallible source of information from him and about him. There it is said that humanity has fallen into a bad state because of transgression, and the only way back is through faith in Jesus Christ, a complete reliance on him who sacrificed himself for his people. God raised him from the dead, and a time is coming when he will also raise us from the dead. Those who have believed on Christ will be raised to enjoy everlasting life, bliss, and fellowship, and those who have failed to believe on Christ, whether because of ignorance or conscious rejection, will be raised to suffer everlasting torture and insanity in hellfire.

Although it is simple, this gospel message wields incalculable power, and power that no non-Christian religion or philosophy can rival or imitate. Its power is seen in our daily lives and relationships. We praise it for its ability to deliver from enslaving powers, from alcoholism to homosexuality. It convinces mothers to spare their own unborn children instead of conspiring with people to murder them. Satan tells them that they have a right to kill their children because they reside in their bodies: “Kill them! Kill them! KILL THEM!” But Jesus Christ tells them that because the children are in their bodies, these mothers have a special obligation to guard and nurture the little ones. Our bodies do not belong to us, but to God. Thus the gospel changes women from murderers to protectors. How can we enumerate its many benefits? It restores marriages broken by selfishness, neglect, and immorality. It ends racial discrimination on the one hand, and on the other it rebukes the victim mentality. It instills a strong work ethic. It admonishes us to appreciate creation as God’s handiwork. It lowers crime rates. It defends justice and integrity. It cares for orphans and widows and the sick. It builds up a nation.

Above all, the gospel saves men and women from the wrath of God, from the lake of fire, and from their own depravity and foolishness. It ushers them into the joys of heaven, where love and true worship shall flourish forever. It introduces the light of Jesus Christ into a heart of darkness, and fills it with mercy and compassion. No other message can accomplish this. Man’s science and philosophy are powerless to better humanity and to save the soul, and non-Christian religions do not know how to talk about all of this. The Christian faith is not just the greatest force, but it is the only force for good in the world. All things that are righteous and excellent come from the Christian faith, and all things that are wicked, shameful, and disgusting come from non-Christian people and non-Christian ideas.

In God’s wisdom, he has entrusted the propagation of the gospel to believing men and women, and he has deposited this treasure in vulnerable vessels, in ordinary containers. As Paul explains, this is “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Genuine Christians and faithful ministers of the gospel often face harsh persecutions, setbacks, and apparent failures. Their deficiencies are obvious and their errors are abundant. They are despised and ridiculed, and their good intentions often come to naught. They bleed when they are hurt, and they tire when they overwork. These do not indicate God’s disapproval, nor does it suggest that God neglects his own enterprise; rather, he has ordained that gospel messengers should not be transformed into heavenly beings, even as the angels of God – that is, not at this time – so that it remains evident that the power of the Christian faith comes from God, and not our natural talents and resources.

Christians must never stumble over the problems and limitations that they face in the ministry, but they are to adopt the apostle’s view of things. He came under dangers and assaults that would have crushed him if not for the faithfulness of God, who delivered him time after time, and sustained him in his troubles. Thus we refuse to be ashamed when we are slandered, persecuted, and brought low; instead, we glory in our weaknesses so that the power of Jesus Christ may become all the more evident. Paul preached the Christian faith not because it made life easy and comfortable for him. He preached it because he believed it, because he knew it to be true and important. Likewise, we also believe, and therefore speak.