PART 1 | 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21 NIV
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.
Today we start to go over this beautiful and hope loaded section of scripture by highlighting verse 16 where the apostle Paul call us to “from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view”; so can we really do that? Can we look at the mean teller at the bank and see in him or her a child of God? Can we think of a criminal in today’s news as our brother or sister in Christ?
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.
Today we start to go over this beautiful and hope loaded section of scripture by highlighting verse 16 where the apostle Paul call us to “from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view”; so can we really do that? Can we look at the mean teller at the bank and see in him or her a child of God? Can we think of a criminal in today’s news as our brother or sister in Christ?
On our own flesh most likely we can’t do these things, however verse 14 and 15 tell us how can we accomplish this impossible mandate: “14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” In other words we are to die to ourselves and live in Christ as a living sacrifice that brings Him glory, for only in Him we find the ability not only to get eternal life but to have an eternal perspective in this fallen world, then and only then can we regard everybody else from an eternal point. To me this represents to think of my fellow Colombians in Cartagena: victims, perpetrators and those that are just indifferent to the needs and horrors that their own people are suffering as “Children of God” who are in need of Christ’s love so that they can die to themselves and live for Him. Only through the miracle of Jesus’ sacrifice can we bring change to a community like Cartagena.
How about you? Who are the people on your life that you have to start regarding from an eternal perspective?
If you are doing this already with everybody around you how about you give us a hand bringing change to Cartagena, Colombia? Just let me know you are in and I can give you ideas to get involved.
God bless you all and be looking for part two of this message tomorrow.
Santiago
How about you? Who are the people on your life that you have to start regarding from an eternal perspective?
If you are doing this already with everybody around you how about you give us a hand bringing change to Cartagena, Colombia? Just let me know you are in and I can give you ideas to get involved.
God bless you all and be looking for part two of this message tomorrow.
Santiago
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