16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Trust. It is difficult to build, but easy to destroy. It is also the foundation of all good relationships, from families to friends to coworkers. Any betrayal of trust, no matter how small, damages the relationship. Suppose you found out that your best friend borrowed your car without asking and then wrecked it. Even if they repent and you forgive them, your relationship is still not the same as it once was. The bitter aftertaste of guilt and betrayal remains. It takes a great deal of time to rebuild the trust and truly reconcile the friendship again.
When God first created us, the relationship was pure, pristine, and happy. We trusted God, and he trusted us. When we sin, we betray God’s trust. In order to restore the relationship, a high price had to be paid. Jesus shed his blood to erase the stains of guilt and betrayal and to reconcile us to God. Through him, the relationship is restored to the joy of all who experience it.
Unfortunately, too few know the joy of reconciliation that could be theirs. They do not know that all the stains of their past deeds can be cleansed, that the mistakes can be erased, that the old can go and the new can come. That is where we come in. Verse 20 says that we are Christ’s ambassadors, carrying his message of the promise of reconciliation to the whole world. Do you know someone in need of this message of God’s promise? Fulfill your duty as an ambassador: tell them.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2 Corinthians 5.6–10
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
When Carrie Underwood sang “Jesus, take the wheel,” I’m not certain that she knew the extent of what she was asking. I know that the sentiment is nice and that most Christians would agree that “giving control to Jesus” is a way of life worth aspiring to. But what if saying “Jesus, take the wheel,” is simply and excuse to jump out of the car?
As Christians, we run the risk of misusing Jesus’s promise of a heavenly future as a motive for checking out of our “mundane” daily lives. Even though Paul’s desire is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord,” he was not about to let that desire detract from his calling to form the love of Christ more perfectly in himself and his churches. Paul’s goal in life was to please Christ, no matter what the circumstance.
Paul did not want the Corinthians driving blindly through the world without a thought to anything but their future in heaven. He wanted their eyes so wide open and focused on the finish line that they couldn’t help but see the desperate need of the world around them. Because even though Paul lived “by faith,” this did not exempt him from the inevitable judgment of Christ.
Are you driving with blind faith through the world, or does your faith in Jesus and what he accomplished inform every action you take?
When Carrie Underwood sang “Jesus, take the wheel,” I’m not certain that she knew the extent of what she was asking. I know that the sentiment is nice and that most Christians would agree that “giving control to Jesus” is a way of life worth aspiring to. But what if saying “Jesus, take the wheel,” is simply and excuse to jump out of the car?
As Christians, we run the risk of misusing Jesus’s promise of a heavenly future as a motive for checking out of our “mundane” daily lives. Even though Paul’s desire is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord,” he was not about to let that desire detract from his calling to form the love of Christ more perfectly in himself and his churches. Paul’s goal in life was to please Christ, no matter what the circumstance.
Paul did not want the Corinthians driving blindly through the world without a thought to anything but their future in heaven. He wanted their eyes so wide open and focused on the finish line that they couldn’t help but see the desperate need of the world around them. Because even though Paul lived “by faith,” this did not exempt him from the inevitable judgment of Christ.
Are you driving with blind faith through the world, or does your faith in Jesus and what he accomplished inform every action you take?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
2 Corinthians 5.1–5
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Have you ever gone camping? When I read this passage it reminds me of the times that I spent "camping out" as a child. While I was only 50 feet from the house, I was still scared that something would come and destroy my tent, rendering me alone and helpless in the night. A tent made from mere cloth and poles was certainly not as satisfying as a shelter as a brick house would be. Why then, do we confuse this mere tent we call Earth as our home and shelter?
This passage encourages us to remember that the world is not our home and that God has a much better home for us in Heaven. We get so caught up in worldly events and physical possessions that we forget that they are made by human hands and are nothing compared to what God gives us. Take a moment today to say a prayer for those who don't know about the majestic home God has for them in Heaven.
Have you ever gone camping? When I read this passage it reminds me of the times that I spent "camping out" as a child. While I was only 50 feet from the house, I was still scared that something would come and destroy my tent, rendering me alone and helpless in the night. A tent made from mere cloth and poles was certainly not as satisfying as a shelter as a brick house would be. Why then, do we confuse this mere tent we call Earth as our home and shelter?
This passage encourages us to remember that the world is not our home and that God has a much better home for us in Heaven. We get so caught up in worldly events and physical possessions that we forget that they are made by human hands and are nothing compared to what God gives us. Take a moment today to say a prayer for those who don't know about the majestic home God has for them in Heaven.
Monday, February 9, 2009
2 Corinthians 4.16–18
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
How do we fix our eyes on what is unseen?
Over the Christmas holiday, I’ve found a new toy to use to entertain my puppy – a laser-pointer. Now, he’s a smart puppy, catching on quick that the dot on the floor and the object in my hand are somehow related. As soon as I grab the laser-pointer, he knows its time to play; he even anticipates the dot before I’ve hit the button!
My dog’s particular breed has a nickname, the Velcro dog – known as such for the attachments they make with their owners. Training is quite easy for this breed, and they have a reputation of being some of best hunting dogs. This Velcro effect can be attributed to one characteristic…trust. They trust their owners, and I believe – and have seen – that they also trust their own instincts. This, if it can be put into one word, is what it means to fix our eyes on what is unseen. Trust.
How do we fix our eyes on what is unseen?
Over the Christmas holiday, I’ve found a new toy to use to entertain my puppy – a laser-pointer. Now, he’s a smart puppy, catching on quick that the dot on the floor and the object in my hand are somehow related. As soon as I grab the laser-pointer, he knows its time to play; he even anticipates the dot before I’ve hit the button!
My dog’s particular breed has a nickname, the Velcro dog – known as such for the attachments they make with their owners. Training is quite easy for this breed, and they have a reputation of being some of best hunting dogs. This Velcro effect can be attributed to one characteristic…trust. They trust their owners, and I believe – and have seen – that they also trust their own instincts. This, if it can be put into one word, is what it means to fix our eyes on what is unseen. Trust.
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