2 Corinthians 5:12-21
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.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Be reconciled to God! That is the plea from the Lord through the apostle in this epistle to all who have ears to hear. This is the call in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul boasted in Christ alone and not in himself as some do according to their outward appearance and not the heart as they tout their own accomplishments instead of Christ’s on the cross. Whether we appear to have lost our minds to some or are seen as sober minded in the explanation and truth of the scriptures to the world who hears us, we who know Him are driven to understand and proclaim the atoning death of Jesus on that cross of the curse on our behalf that we un we are crucified with Him. We died with Christ in order that we might be resurrected in our souls with Him now in this life and in our new undying and incorruptible bodies to match in the life to follow death (Romans 6:5-6). We died to sin in Him and have a new spirit of eternal life now and will likewise rise from the grave and join Him in heaven with a new body in the final resurrection of life (John 5:29)! We are born again as new creations in Christ as the old has gone from our souls and a new life has begun which will come to full maturity in the afterlife in His presence where we will be like Him at last in both body and soul. This is our absolute hope and no mere wish or unwarranted desire. We will be raised with Him to this state because He has already reconciled us to the Father by His suffering and death on the cross, restoring us in the relationship intended in our original creation at the beginning of the world in Adam and Eve where all was made and declared good until sin separated us from Him and the tree of life. We are restored in relationship and fellowship with our Father through His Son as testified by His Spirit living now within we who are His! He has forgiven our sins and imputed the righteousness of Christ in Him to us as if we are also righteous now, counting it as ours because of His work. God pleads with all who hear the gospel to be likewise reconciled to God in Jesus Christ for His behalf and by His sacrifice to buy us at such a price. We who have been reconciled now are ambassadoring this message of life from death to all He calls and opens the eyes and ears of their hearts to join us in becoming the righteousness of God as designed in Him. Please listen and read these words of scripture to be reconciled in Christ to the Father through repentance and faith, turning from sin to Him and joining the fellow citizens (Ephesians 2:19) of Heaven in a certain hope and future as we were made to be! You will be sealed by His Spirit to prove the transformation and have your eyes opened to unimaginably wondrous things.
No comments:
Post a Comment