2 Corinthians 5 (5)

Pray Psalm 8.3, 4.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?

Sing Psalm 8.3, 4.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
When I regard the heavens, the work of Your own hand,
the moon and stars which all in their courses You command,
then what am I, O Savior, that You take thought of me,
or I should know Your favor and thus delivered be?

Read 2 Corinthians 5.1-19; meditate on verses 16-19.

Preparation
1. How did Paul not regard others?

2. What ministry has God given to us?

Meditation
“Who are you? Who, who, who, who?” So asked a popular song from a few years back. Each of us needs to answer that question every day. We as Christians must follow Paul’s lead so that we will regard ourselves as we should.

What does this entail?

First, forget about looks, wealth, social standing, and all other outward manifestations. Paul did not look at people as they were in flesh (v. 16). Neither should we, beginning with ourselves. After all, Paul explained, we don’t see Jesus in the flesh but we look to Him and look on Him anyway, as He is reported to us in the Scriptures—exalted in glory, worshiped by departed saints, attended by myriads of angels, radiant in beauty, upholding the cosmos by His powerful Word, putting all His enemies under His feet, more beautiful than all the most beautiful people in the world, and preparing an eternal dwelling of glory for us who know Him.

We look at Jesus as He is now, in His fully glorified body. We must look on ourselves and one another this way as well. We stand in good stead before the God of all creation. We are new creations in Christ Jesus, forgiven and clothed with Jesus. We are ministers in the Kingdom of God. This is how God sees us, and it explains why He has appointed us to carry out His reconciling and restoring work to all the world (v. 19; cf. Ps. 8).

So you—you new creation, you vessel of grace, you ambassador of glory, you reconciler of the world, you chosen and forgiven and eternally saved child of God: Here’s lookin’ at you.

See yourself as God does and you will be more likely to live as pleases Him.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
It might be true, at least for most of us, that at one time in our lives we knew about Jesus.

We might have known that He is the Son of God, or that He came to earth and lived and died, and we might even have casually believed that He rose from the dead. At the very least, we had heard His Name mentioned, and we might have even been able to answer a Jeopardy question or two about Him. But we only knew of Him.

Then. Suddenly, the veil that kept us as casual observers was torn from our eyes, and we saw Him. And now we know Him, personally and intimately. We daily long to know more of Him, and we studiously apply ourselves to deepen our understanding and knowledge of what pleases Him (2 Tim. 2.15). And we embrace fully the job we have been given to do—as reconciled believers—to reconcile the world to Him. To tell the world that: God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (Jn. 3.16) and now, not imputing anyone’s sins to themselves (2 Cor. 5.19).

And through this new understanding and personal relationship we have become “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5.17).

We absolutely do not have to stumble over the old things that once tripped us up.
We do not have to be the sinful people that we were.
We can live victoriously.
We can be overcomers.
We are clean, brand-new creations; fashioned by God, for His Kingdom work.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps. 32.1, 2).

“You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin” (Ps. 85.2).

“Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man” (1 Sam. 10.6).

“I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart” (Ps. 119.32).

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2.20).

“Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5.17)!

Here's lookin’ at you.

For reflection
1. What new thing has God been doing in your life lately?

2. Knowing how God looks at us, how should we look upon our fellow believers?

3. Whom will you encourage today in their walk with and work for the Lord?

The renewed man acts upon new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company. The believer is created anew; his heart is not merely set right, but a new heart is given him. He is the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5.16-21

Pray Psalm 8.1, 2, 5-9.
Give thanks and praise to God for making you, saving you, keeping you, and calling you to be a Kingdom steward in His world. Pray for wisdom and counsel for doing all things as His new creation in Jesus Christ.

Sing Psalm 8.1, 2, 5-9.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
O LORD our Lord how great is Your Name in all the earth!
The heav’ns display Your glory, and tell Your wondrous worth!
From babes and nursing infants, LORD, let Your strength increase,
‘til all Your foes surrender, and all their boasting cease.

Yet we in Your own image with glory have been crowned,
to worship and to serve You throughout creation ‘round.
These works that sing Your glory in our poor hands are placed,
that we may rule before You to magnify Your grace.

Let every beast and creature, in sky or sea or field,
in our hands bring You glory as we Your favor wield.
Let all things sing Your praises, let all declare Your worth!
O LORD our Lord how great is Your Name in all the earth!

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth was in need of revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today is in need of revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.