THE WORD 4 ev 1

2 Corinthians 5:16-17; 20b - So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! … We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Wow! Can you imagine no longer looking at people “from a worldly point of view”? The guy who blares his horn at you while driving or the person who is impatient or rude with you—what about them? Just imagine for a moment not responding to them with equal rudeness, repaying evil with evil. Kind of tough to imagine, isn’t it?

How is this accomplished? It’s not by our willpower, that’s for sure, but through Jesus who has reconciled us to God. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, God responded to our sin in a way that is the opposite of how the world would respond. Instead of punishing us for our sin, God sent His Son to provide us with the free gift of forgiveness.

Now, in Christ, God has made us a new creation, enabling us by the power of the Holy Spirit to react to others in a new—and Christ-like—way.

Is there someone who has wronged you, someone with whom you are angry? By worldly standards they may deserve your anger, perhaps even punishment, just as we deserve punishment for our sins. How is God calling you to respond in a new way, a way different from the worldly way of doing things?

THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the forgiveness that is ours through Jesus our Savior. Through our own reconciliation to You, enable us to be reconciled to one another. Amen.