The Thief Views the Cross 3

2 Corinthians 5:21

Most movie stars, especially those in action films, have a stand-in. This is another actor, a person who looks like the star, who will “stand in” for the star during risky scenes, times when the star might be injured. The stand-in will take the hits and suffer the cuts and bruises of the action. The stand-in takes the pain while the star gets all the fame.

The crucifixion was the one event in time where someone served as our stand-in. The summation of our faith and our salvation is presented in this single passage from 2 Corinthians. Theologian Karl Barth explained that God chose not to reject humanity, so instead God rejected Himself in the form of Jesus. God allowed Himself to suffer so that we might not.

As the passage points out, God made Jesus – who had no sin – to become sin for us. Jesus suffered instead of us. And because of this we are all forgiven of our sins and all wrongdoing if we will only accept Christ as our Savior.

The second criminal was right in his statement of Luke 23:41 – “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

The same is true of us. We are deserving of punishment and condemnation for our sins and unholy living. Still, Jesus has done nothing wrong. He is pure and holy, and yet he has taken all of our sins upon himself – standing in for us – taking the pain while we get the fame.

And what does that mean to us? We are to be the righteousness of God. We are to accept this incredible gift of absolution, of having our sins taken away, and then we are to live out the goodness that is God. Because we have been forgiven we should live as holy people, obedient to God’s commands, and acting in mercy and compassion.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be the righteousness of God?

The Woman Views the Cross 4

2 Corinthians 5:16-18

One of my favorite stories is one I heard at a ministry convention about a ruffian who turned his heart over to God. When he first entered the church he wore leather and chains, and had obscenities tattooed on his knuckles. After turning his heart to God he was baptized, but not before having the tattoos removed. When he came up out of the water he declared, “Now the outside is as clean as the inside.”

He had become a new person. He had a new soul, a clean spirit washed by Christ. But he had to remove the external reminders of what he had been.

Unfortunately, some people don’t have tattoos that can be removed so that people can see that they have been made new. Instead, they have invisible tattoos, a reputation or past history that others will not allow them to forget.

Paul gives clear advice on how to think and act like believers in Christ. How are we not to look at people? What happens to those who believe in Jesus? What is our ministry?

Verse 18 is a wonderful verse for all of us to remember. God reconciled us to Him. He took away our sin, wiped it out, so that we might be part of who He is. And because of that we should also have this ministry of reconciliation. It is our calling and duty as Christians to work toward bringing others into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Regardless of the person’s past, regardless of the person’s current behavior, regardless of our personal opinion or our own standards, we are supposed to teach others about God and the salvation they can have through the Savior. We should not be looking at others from a human or worldly view. We should be looking at them as God does, seeing each person as a valued member of the body of Christ.

And when they receive Christ in their hearts then we need to remember that they are new creations. The past is over with and forgotten. You are accepted by Christ. Can you accept others?

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there someone who needs to have their past forgotten by you?

Fan or Follower 3

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

How do we love one another? How do we express love? Is love something that is natural and automatic in people?

The sensation of love is a natural part of who we are. It is an emotion and a drive inside of us that comes with life. But how to go about showing love may require guidance, an example to be followed.

Paul explains in this letter to the church at Corinth that how we should live and love comes from someone else. Who is it that shows us love and how we are to live? Whose love moves our hearts to love also?

It is the love of Jesus that is an example to us. It is the love and sacrifice of Christ that shows us what love is all about. We are all sinners, frail and flawed humans who are not worthy to be in the presence of God. Yet Jesus died, gave himself freely for us so that through his sacrifice we are forgiven of our sins and therefore made worthy to be in the presence of God.

And through the example of Christ’s love we have guidance in how we are to live and love. We are to live and love with a sacrificial love, willing to give of ourselves and our abilities to help others and to honor God. Abraham loved God so much that he was willing to give up the thing he loved most, his son Isaac. Isaac loved his father so much that he was willing to trust his father even to death.

And Jesus loved us and our heavenly Father so much that he also was willing to give up what he loved – his own life – so that we may benefit.

The uncertainty of life is still around us. A struggling economy and an uncertain political climate may make us each desire to focus completely on ourselves, to work to be certain we have our own needs met. But we are called to no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus. We are called to trust and obey our heavenly Father as Jesus did, and as Isaac trusted his earthly father.

In spite of the struggles we face ourselves we must be aware and considerate of others in need. We must remember to be sacrificial and giving in our life and mercy. If we are fans of God, then we believe in His love. If we are followers of God, then we will follow the examples of Christ in how we love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you demonstrate your trust in your heavenly Father?

Transformed 1

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Preparing to sell my mother’s condo, my sister has been sorting through stacks of old photographs. She makes a pile for each family member and then we are invited to take home all the pictures in which we appear. Looking at all the old pictures stirs up many memories – most good, some not so good.

With family and friends, and with old photographs, we are stuck with our past. We must carry with us what we have done all the days of our lives. But it is not so with God.

What happens with the one who is “in Christ?” What has God given us? What does God NOT count against us? What message should we have?

Paul is able to sum up the work and ministry of Christians in just a few sentences. We are to be about and involved in a ministry of reconciliation. Reconciling who to whom? We are to work at restoring or reconciling human beings with God.

Born as mortals into a fallen world we are a people of sin. Our relationship with the Almighty is fractured and broken. To be with God we must have that relationship mended, and we do that by taking on Jesus Christ as our Savior. We must be “in” Christ – that is, we must believe Jesus is the Son of God, that he died to take our sins away, and that we are to act like Jesus did.

In our human relationships we may have a past that we drag along behind us for years (“Remember when you wet the bed?” “Remember when you stuck peas up your nose?”). But with God all the bad things in our past are taken away, forgotten, shed like old skin.

When we accept Jesus as Savior and attempt to live as he did, then we are a new creation. The old is gone and God no longer holds our sins against us. We are transformed, in short. We are new and must live as people who have been given a new life – not taking this gift for granted, but living with deep appreciation for the mercy and forgiveness God gives.

And then, with this new attitude and appreciation, we become part of the ministry to reconcile others to God, to bring other people into a new relationship with their loving Father.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you that you are a new creation in the eyes of God?