envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

2 Corinthians 5: 1-21 Living To Please God

by fol CHURCH on February 21, 2020

We live in a world where there is trouble. Sooner or later we will encounter difficulties, challenges and hardships of one type or another, not least because we are serving Jesus, as the Apostle Paul pointed out in the previous chapter. The Holy Spirit, who lives in us, is a guarantee that we will indeed receive a new life and we accept this by faith, looking forward to the day of our resurrection. Yet Paul emphasises that the main goal of our life of faith is to live to ‘please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body’ (v.9; NLT).

Why should we do that? Paul answers this in the next two verses: because we will be judged by Christ for what we have done while living in our earthly bodies. Judgement is never a popular topic, even among Christians, but we all face judgement at the end of time. Thankfully, Christ is also our Advocate, so we know that we have been acquitted and are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1,33-34)!  It is this ‘fear of the Lord’ that motivates Paul to work hard to persuade others. How about us? Are we urged on by the fear of the Lord and the love of Christ, like Paul was? Does this love control us and compel us to tell others the Good News (including the ‘bad news’, warning them of the judgement to come)? As Paul states: since Christ died for us and we have received this new life, we will no longer live to please ourselves, but ‘live to please Christ’ (v.15, NLT).

How do we do that? By living in this world as a new creation. God has reconciled us to Himself, turning us from enemies into friends, bringing us into a right relationship with Himself. We have become completely new persons! This means we have a new purpose, new priorities and a new plan to live by. God has a new role for us: to be His ambassadors to a lost world, taking the message of reconciliation wherever we go. Whatever our job in society, we are all called to be first and foremost His ambassadors.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for reconciling the world to yourself. Help us to take this message of reconciliation to the people around us, whatever our role in society. Holy Spirit, fill us with boldness, wisdom and courage to proclaim the Good News as your ambassadors. Fill us with the love of Christ for the lost. May we live to please you, Lord Jesus, in every area of our lives. Amen!

return to Through The Bible