“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! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. “
2 Corinthians 5:16-19

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Because Christ died and rose to new life for all, all people are those for whom Christ died and rose again. This is the filter through which we view our relationships with others from now on. No longer are we to separate by tribes, political parties, or any other “us vs them.” Rather, we view all people as those for whom Christ willingly laid down His life. All people are loved by God exactly the same as we ourselves are loved. The same purposeful joy in living that is ours with sins forgiven and hope of heaven is also freely available to everyone else.

Our confident hope in the faithfulness of God is anchored in the belief that God took on a physical body that ate and drank and spoke to and loved the people of His day. Jesus was God incarnate. This is the basis for faith in Jesus.

Faith in Jesus ushers in a new existence. Sin has been defeated when we died with Him. There are new possibilities that could never be realized heretofore. Desires are changed. Darkness is dispelled. Values are altered radically. Genuine humility becomes possible. Love becomes manifest. Such things as servanthood, generosity, respect, understanding, patience, and thoughtfulness are goals now worth pursuing. A person in Christ is transformed into someone who can go beyond themselves to live with hope and Christ as Master.

All this is a gift from God through Christ, and those who have received this gift have the privilege and joy of sharing this gift with others. We are called to make disciples. In a sense we are making disciples all the time through the influence of our lives upon others. Disciple-making occurs through relationships, so our work, play, friendships, parenting, grandparenting, etc. Always we are impacting the lives of the people around us; may we be discipling ourselves and others towards Jesus, and not away from Jesus.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • How do you regard the people in your life: from a worldly point of view or as those dearly loved by God, so much that Christ died and rose again?
  • Reflect upon the old that is gone and the new that has come as a result of now being in Christ. For whom in your life could you be praying, and with whom you could have a gospel conversation?

Church Reading Plan: Song of Solomon 7; Hebrews 7