Do others see Jesus Christ living in us? Do we reflect Jesus in our lives? Does what we say and profess about our faith agree and correlate with how we live our lives? The apostle Paul told the Corinthian Christians in II Corinthians 3:2-3 that they were to be living letters or examples to those who do not know Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Paul said in II Corinthians 3:2-3, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
We also by the example of our lives are living letters "known and read by everybody." We must be God's "letter from Christ" to the world around us. We can be that kind of living letter or example to the world around us, because we have been transformed by the blood of Jesus. As redeemed children of God we also have the Holy Spirit now living in us. Hence, we must reflect Christ in our lives. We must be a living letter "written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God." Since many people never read a Bible, we must be Christ's living and walking "letter from Christ." The people of the world are watching us closely. Do they perceive and recognize Christ in our lives?
Many people today have a veil over their hearts. They refuse to acknowledge the Lord Jesus. The veil over their hearts according to II Corinthians 3:14b "has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away." The Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts as believers and has removed that veil of unbelief, and II Corinthians 3:17b goes on to remind us that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Because we have experienced that awesome freedom, joy, and forgiveness found only in Christ; we can and must reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives. II Corinthians 3:18 says, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into His likeness." As a mirror is a reflection of us, so we in and through our lives must be a reflection of the Lord Jesus. We must reflect the Lord Jesus in our attitudes, thoughts, actions, and in our character. We must reflect the Lord's glory to those around us, We must become "transformed into His likeness."
In order to be able to reflect the Lord Jesus' glory in our lives we ourselves must truly contemplate and behold the Lord Jesus in all of His glory. We can begin to contemplate and behold the Lord's glory by reading and immersing ourselves in God's Holy Word. As we focus on the Lord Jesus and get to know Him better through His Holy Word, we cannot help but begin to trust and love Him more and more. Hence, we are much more likely to then follow the Lord's paths and will for our lives, and in the process we will bring increasing glory to the Lord's name. As we behold and contemplate Christ in His Holy Word, we become more like the Lord Jesus. In this way we bring glory to His name.
Also as we read and immerse ourselves in God's Holy Word, we more and more see God's holiness and our own sinfulness. This leads to repentance and a turning away from sin in our lives. Hence, as we are beholding and contemplating Christ in all His holiness; we are becoming more like Jesus Christ and becoming a better reflection of Him to the world around us. As we truly behold Jesus in all of His glory and holiness, we become better living letters for Christ to the world around us. We then like II Corinthians 3:18b says "are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." May it be our passion to grow in our love for the Lord Jesus! May it be our passion to grow in our perception of the glory of our Lord and Savior. May it be our passion to better reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
II Corinthians 1
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." II Corinthians 1:3-4
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." II Corinthians 1:20-22
Have you ever wondered why life does not always go according to our best laid plans and wishes? Have you ever wondered why God sometimes allows difficult circumstances in our lives? The main reason there are problems in the world and in our lives is because of sin. Sin has disrupted God's world and is the ultimate source behind all the problems we experience in this world. God, however, often uses difficult circumstances in our lives for our good and for His glory.
The first chapter of II Corinthians gives us some clues as to the benefits and reasons for difficult circumstances in our lives as Christians, Verse three and four of II Corinthians chapter one tells us that God is a compassionate God and that He is our source of comfort. The Lord is our comfort in difficult times so that we in turn can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from God. Difficult times in our own lives makes us more sensitive to the needs of others. If we never experienced any difficulties in our lives, we would not be able to comfort others.
Another reason that God allows difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:9b. When speaking of trials that Paul had experienced in his own life Paul said, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." When all is going smoothly in our lives we have a tendency to become smug and complacent. We begin to think that we are self-sufficient. Difficult times makes us realize that we must depend on the Lord's strength alone. God's grace and strength is all-sufficient, and our weakness is the perfect opportunity for His power to be displayed. Difficult times causes us to "set our hope" on the Lord for our strength and deliverance II Corinthians 1:10b). The Lord must become our only source of confidence.
Yet another reason for difficult times is our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:11. Difficult times causes us to seek the Lord in prayer in a deeper way. Difficult times cause us to come to the Lord in prayer for our needs and the needs of others. This in turn results in us seeing God's awesome answers to prayer in our lives and in the lives of others.
No matter what circumstances come our way we can count on God's precious promises to always be with us. II Corinthians 1:20-22 tells us, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
We can be sure of God's promises to always be with us! We belong to the Lord for time and for eternity! His Holy Spirit is in our hearts guaranteeing us an eternal presence with the Lord! Because of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can "stand firm" in our faith no matter what the circumstances in our lives. We can do this, because we know we serve a faithful and all-wise God!
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." II Corinthians 1:20-22
Have you ever wondered why life does not always go according to our best laid plans and wishes? Have you ever wondered why God sometimes allows difficult circumstances in our lives? The main reason there are problems in the world and in our lives is because of sin. Sin has disrupted God's world and is the ultimate source behind all the problems we experience in this world. God, however, often uses difficult circumstances in our lives for our good and for His glory.
The first chapter of II Corinthians gives us some clues as to the benefits and reasons for difficult circumstances in our lives as Christians, Verse three and four of II Corinthians chapter one tells us that God is a compassionate God and that He is our source of comfort. The Lord is our comfort in difficult times so that we in turn can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from God. Difficult times in our own lives makes us more sensitive to the needs of others. If we never experienced any difficulties in our lives, we would not be able to comfort others.
Another reason that God allows difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:9b. When speaking of trials that Paul had experienced in his own life Paul said, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." When all is going smoothly in our lives we have a tendency to become smug and complacent. We begin to think that we are self-sufficient. Difficult times makes us realize that we must depend on the Lord's strength alone. God's grace and strength is all-sufficient, and our weakness is the perfect opportunity for His power to be displayed. Difficult times causes us to "set our hope" on the Lord for our strength and deliverance II Corinthians 1:10b). The Lord must become our only source of confidence.
Yet another reason for difficult times is our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:11. Difficult times causes us to seek the Lord in prayer in a deeper way. Difficult times cause us to come to the Lord in prayer for our needs and the needs of others. This in turn results in us seeing God's awesome answers to prayer in our lives and in the lives of others.
No matter what circumstances come our way we can count on God's precious promises to always be with us. II Corinthians 1:20-22 tells us, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
We can be sure of God's promises to always be with us! We belong to the Lord for time and for eternity! His Holy Spirit is in our hearts guaranteeing us an eternal presence with the Lord! Because of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can "stand firm" in our faith no matter what the circumstances in our lives. We can do this, because we know we serve a faithful and all-wise God!
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