Sunday, April 29, 2018

Appearance vs. Heart

2 Corinthians 5:12-15    
12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

The commendation we have is a heart set on God and relying on Christ by His Spirit in us, leaning on all He has done.  Therefore we should imitate these here to be beside ourselves for God and soberingly focused for others.  It is the love of Christ which must motivate us with giving our lives for what He has done, dying for us and rising again with a certain hope so we can live for Him and show that love to others also.  The gospel of God’s reconciling grace should move every fiber of our being to stop living for ourselves, and to instead live for Him who suffered and died for us so we can live again, at peace with God and no longer in enmity.  

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