2 CORINTHIANS 5

Heart Issues
This chapter is one of my favorite chapters. It pairs together so well our eternal perspective and our call as ambassadors. When I am focusing on the eternal perspective I automatically begin thinking about how I can draw others to Christ. I am so grateful that God has entrusted me with the ministry of reconciliation. I get to share with others the amazing story of what changed my life and how Christ can change theirs. When I begin to think about heaven and my eternal home I am so motivated to take others with me. When I am focused on the here and now I don’t find myself sharing as much. I am grateful for this chapter for it has renewed in me a longing and desire to share with everyone I meet for I am blessed to be called an ambassador. I am also so thankful today that Jesus became sin for us and that we were given His righteousness. That isn’t fair, but I am so grateful for God’s amazing grace.

Notes
-Earthly tent – what an awesome description of how we should view our bodies. It is only a temporary structure, but God wants to give us the eternal home/building. We focus so much on the mortal man and our outward appearance, but this is just the tent that is fading.
-God has guaranteed us this is true by placing His spirit within us. He is the deposit in our lives that begins to reveal now what the eternal life is going to be like.
-Paul deals with the dilemma of desiring to be away from the body and at home with the Lord, but is still present in the body. Since he still lives in the body He wants to serve God with all that he can for we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be judged on our deeds. We will receive our due according to our deeds.
-Because we understand the gospel, we must try to persuade men. God has called us to be out of our minds for Him, but to be in our right minds to persuade others to follow as well. It is not our duty or something we have to do, but something that we are compelled to do by the love of Christ. We have been so loved it would be so wrong to hold onto that love for ourselves.
-We do not view people from worldly points of view, but we regard them as either in Christ or not in Christ. If we are in Christ we are a new creation and God has recreated us and made us His children.
-Reconciliation & Ambassadors – These concepts are so vital when thinking through our Christian lives. We have been reconciled to God through Christ and we are now called as Christ’s ambassadors to go and lead others to that same reconciliation. We represent Christ in all that we do, but it is not forced upon us to do it, but our privilege. The gospel is stated so well in verse 21 that God made Christ who had no sin become sin for us that we may receive His righteousness.