4Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.G1223G5124G2192G5026G1248G2531G1653G1573G37562We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.G235G550G2927G152G3361G4043G1722G3834G3366G1389G3056G2316G1389G235G5321G225G4921G1438G4314G3956G444G4893G1799G23163If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.G1161G1499G2257G2098G2076G2572G2076G2572G1722G6224Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.G1722G3739G2316G5127G165G5186G3540G571G1519G3361G5462G1391G2098G5547G3739G2076G1504G2316G826G8465You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.G1063G2784G3756G1438G235G5547G2424G2962G1161G1438G5216G1401G1223G2424G12236For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.G3754G2316G3588G2036G5457G2989G1537G4655G3739G2989G1722G2257G2588G4314G5462G1108G1391G2316G1722G4383G2424G55477We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.G1161G2192G5126G2344G1722G3749G4632G2443G5236G1411G5600G2316G2532G3361G1537G22578We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.G2346G1722G3956G235G3756G4729G639G235G3756G18209We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.G1377G235G3756G1459G2598G235G3756G62210Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.G3842G4064G1722G4983G3500G2962G2424G2443G2222G2532G2424G5319G1722G2257G498311Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.G2249G3588G2198G3860G104G1063G3860G1519G2288G1223G2424G1223G2443G2222G2532G2424G5319G1722G2257G2349G456112So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.G5620G3303G2288G1754G1722G2254G1161G2222G1722G521313But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”G1161G2192G846G4151G4102G2596G1125G4100G1352G2980G2249G2532G4100G2532G1352G298014We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.G1492G3754G1453G2962G2424G1453G2248G2532G1223G2424G2532G3936G4862G521315All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.G1063G3956G1223G5209G1223G2443G4121G5485G4052G1223G2169G4119G4052G1519G1391G231616That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.G1352G1573G3756G235G1499G2257G1854G444G1311G235G2081G341G2250G2532G225017For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!G1063G2257G1645G2347G3588G3910G2716G2254G2596G5236G1519G5236G166G922G139118So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.G4648G2257G4648G3361G4648G991G235G991G3361G991G1063G991G4340G1161G991G3361G991G166
, we never give up.G1223
