Sunday, September 7, 2008

2 Corinthians 5:16-19

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. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that 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.(NIV)



Now, looking at this passage, we can see that the Apostle Paul is speaking TO Believers, telling them that they are no longer what they were before they learned of their salvation in Christ, accepted it, and allowed that to become a part of them. They are technically new creatures, and he is telling them that the are new creations -- a real change has taken place.

What he is NOT saying here is that the people who have NOT changed are unreconciled and are going to burn in Hell for eternity, because look where he goes next: he says that He gave US the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling THE WORLD TO HIMSELF in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

He then explains how God has committed to US (Christians) the sharing of this message. A message of hope, of joy, one that says they are already reconciled to Him in Christ, and that all sins are no longer being counted against them. That includes the sin of NOT BELIEVING.

We, the living in Christ, are charged with sharing this GOOD NEWS with all humanity. No BAD NEWS about it.

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