We live in the greatest moment of all of history. God’s mighty spirit is being poured out into all nations stirring a great revival in the world. We live in the time of God’s favor and now the day of salvation! Now is the time to help share the truth with love and urgency. Today is the fourth of July as America celebrates the independence of freedom. However Jesus came to let all the captives free! Which is for the entire world that’s why He died for all humanity. We will all see Christ when we die, whether you believe it or not, we will all see Him as a Judge. Just like if I break the law and put on trial, but I tell them I don’t believe in prison, they will still throw me in jail regardless what I believe because it exist. Even though we don’t physically see God we see the effects of His love in the world. Just like gravity or air, we don’t see it and it’s not tangible but we can’t live without the effects of them. So when we die we will be before Christ on the judgment seat and truly see if we lived in His freedom or shunned it. God has pierced my heart with amazing truth and spoke through my leader to all of our body with this portion of scripture. I will be breaking down 2 Corinthians 5:10-6:2
“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.” Am I living for what truly matters in this life? This life is so frail and the time we have is so precious. It’s like a water drop in all the oceans of the world, or a single flame sparking out of a star within the whole universe. We should live for His glory and allowing to see His will on earth, not our own. Having that trust and certainty will give us a healthy fear to live holy as He is.
“Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try and persuade men. What we are is plain to God and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again but giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.” I am fully persuaded to persuade! I won’t be a different person that you see on Sunday through the week but I will speak in great boldness about the one who changed my life and will judge everyone. For our God is just and we live in the day of salvation, so how critical is it to show that concern to them. I see people trapped in a burning building but they cannot get out, I am fully persuaded to run in and persuade them with the truth that Jesus can save them!
“If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 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.” I am compelled to compel! My soul rests in God’s embrace which holds my heart with an unconditional love. He loves me so much that I will become undignified in the eyes of man to please the Lord. I am out of my mind to live for Him, for He first lived for me. If I am in my right mind it is for others, to save the lost and knowing how to run in that building on fire with love. Also in my right mind to teach others about God’s truth because I am compelled by His love. That He alone is the way, truth, and life! I no longer live for myself but beyond myself through His love.
“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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come!” It is human nature to think the worst about situations and people. However as a follower of Christ we should only think the best of people. Also, having a relationship with Jesus changes our status in being lost to being found. As a new creation we have everything He promises and everlasting life in heaven. The living God gave us so much!
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” I am reconciled to reconcile! That word reconciliation in verse 19 means exchange. That He exchanged our place of being guilty in our sin and took our sin from us who believe. It wasn’t the cross and brutal death that was the worst for Jesus, it was wearing our sin. He wore so much sin that His Father had to look away, that’s why Jesus says “Father, why have you forsaken me?” It wasn’t the nails that kept Him on the cross, for He is God and could have came down any second and wiped out the world. It was the depth of His love for you that kept Him there. We should be telling people about who God really is and what extremes He went through to redeem humanity to set them free into salvation.
“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor. Now is the day of salvation.” People can receive God’s grace in vain!? If there is no change in someone’s life then they probably didn’t receive God’s salvation. I would act differently by accepting this truth with my heart. It comes down to dying to myself and living for Him. It also speaks about how now is the day of favor with salvation, I am urged to urge! We should be out spreading the truth shinning as Christ ambassadors with joy and love. We do not know the hour or the time when the tribulation starts. However it will be horrendous, wickedness will flourish out like a disease to infect nations. I don’t want my loved ones, my family, friends, neighbors, strangers to experience that type of torment.
