In 2
Corinthians 5, Paul reminds his readers that this world is our not our home and
that our real citizenship is in heaven.
He goes on, then, to outline some of the changes that should be obvious
in us because of that truth.
First he states
that “We live by faith, not by sight” (verse 7). In other words, we believe that there is more
going on than what we see or understand.
Without a belief in the supernatural, there is no chance that anything
spiritual will grow in us. This attitude
is the basis for, and the launching pad of, everything else.
Next he
says that “Since we know what it is to fear God, we try to persuade men” (verse
11). If we really believe what we
believe, if we think it is truly valuable and necessary, we have to share it
with others. Salvation is not just about
me. Rather, the gospel is about God
saving the world. We must be part of
that bigger story.
He then
shares his motivation for all of this when states that “Christ’s love compels
us” (verse 14). We can be motivated by
all kind of other things (guilt, duty, obligation, etc.), but love is the only
thing that will produce the proper result.
We can serve God out of other motives, but it will not feel the same in
the end.
“So from
now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (verse 16). Love, as it always does, made him see people
differently. It is easy to label people
when you do not know them. The challenge
is to love people long enough that you start to see them through new and better
eyes.
Lastly, Paul
says that we ought to see ourselves differently too: “We are therefore Christ’s
ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (verse 20). Paul understood that he was not here for
himself. He was here to share God’s
blessings with others.
Now, let me
be clear that none of these changes in Paul’s thoughts or actions were done to
earn anything. In fact, he ends this
whole passage by reminding them that, “God made him who had no sin to be sin
for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (verse
21). The gift of God’s grace is provided
from the start. The changes that Paul
talks about are all in response to what we have already been given in Christ.
In summary,
Paul says that people with a heavenly home live differently here. They believe, love, give, help, encourage,
sacrifice and hope.
Who would
not want to be part of something like that?
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