Wednesday, April 24, 2024

 

…In honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute.  We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death…  (2 Corinthians 6:8-9)

 

 

The Apostle Paul was talking about living a life of discipleship for Jesus Christ.

 

When we live as a disciples of Jesus, many will look upon us as dishonorable, of ill repute, imposters, etc.

 

While this is what others perceive us to be, the reality is the opposite.

 

Paul prepared the Corinthians, and he prepares us, to allow the slanders of others to dissipate in light of the truth of Christ.

 

Paul’s emphasis was on remaining faithful, even amid false accusations.

 

The next time you find yourself being insulted and dismissed because of your faith, remember the words of Paul.

 

Someday we will all learn that, in Christ, things are not always as they seem.

Blessings, 

Pastor Karl

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

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See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!  We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way…   (2 Corinthians 6:2-4)

 

 

The first rule of medicine is, “Do no harm."

 

This should also our first rule of ministry: “Do no harm.”  “Place no obstacles in the path of those who still need to come to Christ Jesus."

 

One way physicians do no harm is by communicating honestly with their patients.

 

Physicians risk offending patients as they inform them of what needs to happen if they are going to be placed on the pathway toward healing.

 

While the Apostle Paul was careful to avoid needless offense, he was not bashful about communicating honestly the truth of the Gospel message, even if his audience found it offensive.

 

We ought not needlessly offend those to whom we seek to present the Gospel.

 

However, the true Gospel message, the message that we are all sinful and in need of forgiveness and salvation, will be offensive to many.

 

Needless offense is an “obstacle."

 

The truth of Jesus Christ is the “pathway,” the pathway both to healing, and also to life, now and for eternity.

 

Blessings,

Pastor Karl

Monday, April 22, 2024
 

He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

 

Jesus took upon himself the burden of our sins so that we might "become the righteousness of God."

 

The Apostle Paul did NOT say, “...so that we might reflect the righteousness of God."

 

No.

 

He said, “…so that we might become the righteousness of God."

 

How are we to understand this?

 

First, we need to realize that “the righteousness of God” must mean something other than God’s perfect, divine holiness and glory.  We do not take on the “attributes” of God.

 

So what do we take on?

 

We take on the mission and the purposes of God.

 

We might paraphrase the Apostle Paul something like this, “He made him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf , so that we might become “agents of God’s covenant faithfulness."

 

We become the “agents” through whom God continues to be faithful to his covenant of forgiveness, redemption, and salvation.

 

We have a holy calling, and a holy blessing, to continue and extend Jesus’ mission of reconciling sinful human beings to God.

 

Blessings,

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Pastor Karl

Friday, April 19, 2024

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Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

 

 

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross involves a deep mystery that we will never fully plumb.

 

We can, however, see from Scripture what this mystery does NOT involve.

 

Jesus death on the cross was NOT a sacrifice that turned God from hating us, to loving us.

 

The Apostle Paul proclaimed that, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.”

 

In Romans 5:8 Paul declared that, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

God’s love is displayed in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  God’s love is NOT somehow released by Jesus’ sacrifice.  Jesus’ death on the cross is a demonstration of God’s love for us.

 

We, not God, are the ones who need to be reconciled, that is, changed so we will return to God.

 

God’s love for us is constant, no matter how far we stray.

 

Out of HIs love for us, God has provided, in Jesus, the pathway for us to return to Him.

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Blessings,

Pastor Karl

Thursday, April 18, 2024

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So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.  (2 Corinthians 5:13)

 

 

I heard of a creative seamstress who takes the materials from old shirts and turn them into beautiful pillows.  Out of an old item, comes a “new creation."

 

While this is an imperfect example, it is suggestive of how Christ can take the “materials” of our lives, as old and worn as they might be, and fashion them into something new.

 

Of course, with Jesus the transformation is much more dramatic and profound.

 

When we are “in Christ,” He will work miracles in our lives beyond anything we can imagine.

 

Still, it’s good to imagine.  It’s good to imagine, to ponder, what Jesus might do with your life and mine.

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Blessings,

Pastor Karl