Verse of the Day 7/15

Through the Bible -Psalms 13-15, Acts 11

 

Yesterday in Psalm 90 the prayer to God was to "teach us to number our days", changing our perspective on life, realizing how precious life is and to live each day with this in mind.

For today's verse we'll go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 where in verse 16 Paul encourages people then and us now to have a new perspective.  Not to focus on externals, worldly or human standards.  He tells us that if we are "in Christ", things have changed.

 

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,   NKJV

We are to not only have a different view on life but a different view of each person.  Each person should be thought of as an eternal being with an eternal destiny.  As Christ followers, as Christians, we have the ministry of reconciliation, bringing others the good news about Christ, about His love, about forgiveness, and hope.  This is done through ministry, serving others with eternity in mind realizing that each life, each person has value, eternal value..

 

It doesn't matter where you've come from, where you've been, what matters is where you are going.  As we go along we are to realize that : "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."  2 Cor 5:20-21

Read the passage below from "The Message".  As we look at and interact with people today let's not focus on externals, try looking inside.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at 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 5:16-6:1

 

Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.

 

How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.   The Message