This morning's text is found in 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

2 Corinthians 4.

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

We have renounced disgraceful underhanded ways.

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth,

we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the

sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.

In their case, the God of this world has blinded their minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light

of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the lightness of God.

For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as

your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said let light shine out of darkness

who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this

treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and

not to us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed.

Perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted but not forsaken,

struck down, but not destroyed,

always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake,

so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I believed and so I spoke, we

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