Verse of the Day 6/22

Through the Bible - Esther 7-9, Acts 6:8 - 7:22

 

Good morning,

Last week while driving in the Chicago area, I listened to some of the old "rock and roll" stations that I used to listen to as well as some of the "oldies" that I had recorded on my blackberry.  One of the songs was "Stairway to Heaven".

I was actually struck by a couple of lines "yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on."

 

Yesterday I referenced John 3:16-17 that God so loved the world, and that Jesus didn't come to condemn but to save, to put people on a different road.  Our stairway to heaven doesn't "lie on the whispering wind" as the song stated, it rests on our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, living and abiding in Him.

 

For today's verse I'd like to go to 2 Corinthians 5.

2 Corinthians 5:15-21 (Amplified Bible) And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.

¹⁶Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].

You've probably heard a pastor tell you that we are all eternal beings.  Everyone we see and know will spend an eternity somewhere.  Our desire is that they may spend it with Jesus Christ.  If we are to reach others with the gospel, part of it will be realizing that we cannot regard "anyone from a purely human point of view".  People are heading down one path or the other.  But as the song said "there's still time to change the road you're on."

 

John MacArthur in writing about verse 15 states, "Paul wanted them (the Corinthians) to know that his old self centered life was finished and that he had an all out desire to live righteously.  For all genuine believers, their death to Christ is not only death to sin, but a new life of righteousness."  Part of that new life is how we look at and relate to others. 

 

See how Paul describes this in verses 20-21.

2 Cor 5: 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  NLT

Do you realize, do you (and I) act like one of Christ's ambassador's?  May we today encourage someone to "come back to God", there's still time to change the road they're on.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
2 Cor 5:11-6:1

 

We Are God's Ambassadors

 

11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

 

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  NLT