April 29, 2010 (Hebrews 1-13)

I'm not going to go back and blog each day separately - I'll combine all into this one day and comment on the two main ideas, mostly from today's reading - those being 'faith' and us being 'foreigners'. The writer has this verse as the segway into the 'faith' description:

^10:35 Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! ³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

³⁷ “For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
³⁸ And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

³⁹ But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

And then he goes about to tell us what faith is and describe all those who lived their lives by faith. He said that faith 'is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.' And then he gives us the following verse:

^11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

And then I was struck by the fact that all these 'faithful' ones lived as they did because they had their eyes on heaven and not on this earth. That seemed to be one of the main themes from these last books. If and when my life ever slows down, I want to go back and do a study on this aspect. But here are the verses from Hebrews 11-13 dealing with this:

¹⁰ Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

¹³ All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. ¹⁴ And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. ¹⁵ If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. ¹⁶ But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.

²⁴ It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward God would give him.

^12:25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! ²⁶ When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” ²⁷ This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.

²⁸ Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a devouring fire.

^13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.

¹⁵ With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. ¹⁶ Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God.

Then going back to the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of Chapter 12 the writer reminds us that those that went before us are waiting for us to finish the race. How are we running? Are we focused on the finish line, or are we looking around at the scenery as we pass and taking 'rabbit trails of diversion'?

^11:39 All these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. ⁴⁰ For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.

^12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. ⁴ After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

¹² So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. ¹³ Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.

And then his closing verses:

²⁰ Now may the God of peace—who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

April 26, 2010 (I Peter 1-5)

I Peter is one of my favorite books. In it, he exhorts us to remember we are foreigners down here. He reminds us how to live because we are new creatures in Christ. He reminds us that the end is coming soon. And even though the end didn't come in Peter's time, it was to motivate the way he lived. I think of it as in school, when the assignment is that a paper is due in three weeks. Because our natural tendancy is to procrasitnate, we won't work on that paper until it's a week out if we're really good, or a couple of days out if we're mediocre, or the night before if we love waiting until the last minute. I think that's why in Scripture, over and over, we're told that "our redemption draws nigh". We're told that Jesus will come back like a thief in the night when no one is watching. And that is why Jesus told us there would be a special reward for those that were anxiously watching and waiting for His return - living life every minute for Him and anticipating that He could come back today. That is why Scripture is so important. The writers say "I'm writing to remind you of this, even though you know it". We need to continually be in God's word to be continally reminded of the way He wants us to live.

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

⁸ You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. ⁹ The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

¹³ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. ¹⁴ So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. ¹⁵ But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

¹⁷ And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” ¹⁸ For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. ¹⁹ It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ²⁰ God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say,

“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

^2:1 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. ¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

^3:22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

^4:7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ⁸ Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ¹¹ Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

^5:2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³ Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. ⁴ And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

⁵ In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for

“God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”

⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

¹⁰ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹ All power to him forever! Amen.

April 25, 2010 (I Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3)

Paul is writing to Timothy, a young man he led to Christ. And here he tells us the purpose of his instruction:

^1:5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Do we want to be filled with love? It comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. Later in the first chapter he tells Timothy to cling tightly to his faith in Christ, and always keep his conscience clear. He points that some have violated their consciences and as a result their faith has been shipwrecked.

Do you want to know what pleases God?

^2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. ⁵ For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

It's kind of hard for me to be thankful for some of the leaders that we have, but that is what we are instructed to do.

I've heard the following verse often, but was struck by the fact that the second sentence gives credence to the first.

¹² Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Then he exhorts Timothy to work hard. Maybe even back then, before the internet and video games, it was hard for youth to focus:

¹³ Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

And then, Paul's final encouragment:

¹¹ But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. ¹³ And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ¹⁵ For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. ¹⁶ He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

¹⁷ Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. ¹⁹ By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

²⁰ Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. ²¹ Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.

May God’s grace be with you all.

April 24, 2010 (Philippians 1-4)

In this first section, I thought about 'battle buddies' - about a certain comradry you gain when you are 'in the trenches' with others, fighting a common enemy. I think there is probably a bond there that is hard to break. And I also think that is the kind of bond we as Christians are to have, fighting a common enemy.

³ Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ⁴ I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy ⁵ because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. ⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

⁷ So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News. ⁸ God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. ²⁸ Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. ²⁹ For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. ³⁰ We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Now I'll give short snippets with commentary. If only I could put into practice this one verse:

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

And then a reminder of what really matters:

²⁰ I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. ²¹ All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

And now for a passage I have taped to my bathroom mirror. I need to read it every morning. It's not doing me any good just being taped up there. It's amazing how we can so easily ignore the things that we put in place to motivate us:

^3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I keep working for that day wehn I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not al I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

And now, a great admonishment to me as I deal with a computer that is not working:

^4:4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

April 24, 2010 (Ephesians 1-6)

I'm only doing one days reading lately. Too much good stuff in here to do more. Ephesians is just as good as Colossians. Here's another section of Paul's great prayer for others:

I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called—I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. ¹⁹ I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. ²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. ²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

I watched the movie 'Precious" last night. As I looked at my highlighted verses for this blog that it what I thought of:

^2:12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

She was definitely living without God and without hope. And the sad thing is, there are so many like her out there. Abused and alone.

And now another prayer from Paul:

^3:8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. ⁹ I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

¹⁰ God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹² Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

¹⁴ When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. ²¹ May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

And now for the working out of all that God works in us. Now he gets into the difference that should make in our lives:

^4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

¹⁷ With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸ Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹ They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

²⁰ But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. ²¹ Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

²⁸ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. ²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

5:¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then the passage of the armor of God.

^6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

April 22, 2010 (Colossians 1-4)

I was supposed to read Colossians and Ephesians today...too much in Colossians to do that. In the study notes at the front of this book it says, "Paul's purpose is to show that Christ is preeminent-first and foremost in everything-and the Christian's life should reflect that priority. Because believers are rooted in him, alive in him, hidden in him, and complete in him, it is utterly inconsistent for them to live life without him. Clothed in his love, with his peace ruling in their hearts, they are equipped to make Christ first in every area of life."

There is so much in this book. This blog will be quite long, because I want to come back and reference the 'cliff notes'. So not sure if anyone out there is reading this, but this one is for me!

This first section - again I saw that they acted the way they did because they were looking forward to the joys of heaven. Their life was not lived with an 'earthly' perspective, but a 'heavenly' one. They were truly changed from the moment of their salvation, and that is the power of God - to change lives. We just need to be faithful to proclaim it. And then, if I want to know what to pray for myself and others, there it is:

^1:4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, ⁵ which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

⁶ This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

⁷ You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. ⁸ He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

¹¹ We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from one one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. ¹⁴ God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.

Again, everything comes back to Jesus. There is great comfort in this next section, knowing Jesus created everything and He holds it all together:

^1:15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,^e]">[e]
¹⁶ for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.

I love this next section. We were once far away from God, but now He has brought us back as friends. Look at verses 21-23 especially. What absolutely wonderful truth is contained in those few verses. But we have to truly believe the truth of His word:

¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰ and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

²¹ This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

²³ But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

And now, no more commentary, just verses. I'm out of time!!!

²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

²⁸ So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. ²⁹ I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

^2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. ³ In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

⁶ And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ⁷ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

⁹ For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. ¹⁰ So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

¹¹ When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. ¹² For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

^3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. ⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

^4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

⁵ Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

April 21, 2010 (Acts 27-28, Philemon 1)

The time came for Paul and some other prisoners to be sent to Rome. It was fall, and sea travel had become dangerous. Paul warned them that if they went on this journey, trouble was ahead. But one day a favorable light wind blew in from the south, so they went against his counsel and set sail. But not long after they left a 'northeaster' came upon them with gale force winds that ruined their little 'sailing excursion'. Here is how Paul addressed them:

^{Acts 27:21} No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. ²² But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. ²³ For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, ²⁴ and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ ²⁵ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. ²⁶ But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Good old Paul..."I told you so". Maybe that originated from this story! :) But I love his other comment - "The God to whom I belong and whom I serve". That reminded me of Daniel. Both men knew who they belonged to and what their lives were for, and because of that they had extreme boldness and were used mightily by God. And Paul believed what God said. Again, he lived by faith.

When Paul finally got to Rome, the people were very curious to hear Paul's message. So it says "He began lecturing in the morning and went on into the evening. Some believed and some didn't." That's the way it is. Some will believe and some won't. That part is up to God. Our part is to be faithful to tell others about Jesus. The people left with this final word from Paul:

^{Acts 28:25} And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,

²⁶ ‘Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
²⁷ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’

²⁸ So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”

³⁰ For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, ³¹ boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

April 20, 2010 ( Acts 20-26)

God told Paul that jail and suffering awaited him. And here was Paul's response:

^{Acts 20:24} But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Let me say plainly that I have been faithful. No one's damnation can be blamed on me, ²⁷ for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants for you.

Paul's statement "No one's damnation can be blamed on me" - pretty powerful statement. In order for him to say that, he must have talked about Jesus to everyone he came into contact with. That's the only way he could say that. How times have changed! We hear the enemy whisper to us "Don't tell them about Jesus until you know them better." "You don't want to offend them." etc., etc. I know there are people that God has crossed my path with that I have not truly shared the change that Jesus has made in me. God forgive me, and grant the grace to be bold in my faith.

And then, I loved this next sentence:

³² “And now I entrust you to God and word of his grace - his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

That's it - we must all entrust each other to God and the word of his grace and love. God, we are yours. Help us to walk wisely in this world. Protect us from the lies of the enemy. By your Spirit let us love others as you love us.

April 19, 2010 (Romans 11-16)

Here is another section. Again, I'll let Paul's words speak for me. As we see in Romans 12:2 God needs to change the way we think. And the only way for Him to change the way we think is for Him to talk to us. And the only way we hear what He is saying is by reading His word.

^{Romans 11:33} Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

³⁴ For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
³⁵ And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?

³⁶ For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

^{Romans 12:1} And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

⁹ Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. ¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ¹³ When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. ¹⁵ Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

²⁰ Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”

²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Again, what powerful words. Do we want to know how God wants us to live? I think that's it 'in a nutshell'!

April 18, 2010 (Romans 4-10)

Well, I really need to blog as soon as I read. It's hard going back and trying to remember what I felt as I read. This section especially is so full of truths that I will just have to skim the surface. It's all about living in the flesh or living in the Spirit. And it's all about our choices. And even though Paul talks about the reality of our sinful selves being crucified with Christ so that sin would lose it's power in our lives, in the next breath he talks about wanting to do what is right, but instead doing the very thing he hates. And here is the message in a nutshell. This nutshell is full of truth:

^7:21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²² I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³ But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

^8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. ³ The law of Moses could not save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴ He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

⁵ Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. ⁶ If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. ⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

⁹ But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) ¹⁰ Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. ¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

¹² Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

So there is the nutshell. Quite a large nutshell. But it was important. And here is another nutshell of God's love for us. Not quite as big a nutshell!

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If we knew nothing else, knowing this last section of how much God loves us should be enough to make us sing His praises!!! He has given us everything through Jesus. And again, no wonder that was Paul's mission - to know Christ.

April 17, 2010 (2 Corinthians 10-13, Romans 1-3)

I think we forget this point that Paul brings out in 2 Corinthians chapter 10:

³ We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. ⁴ We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. ⁵ We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

We too often forget that although we are in the physical world, we are in a spiritual fight. I won't get ahead of myself, because Paul addresses this more specifically in his other books, but we must keep this thought at the forefront of our minds.

I have to say that these final four chapters of 2 Corinthians sound more like Paul ranting and raving. As we know from email, sometimes it's hard to know what a person was really saying because we don't hear the tone or emphasis on words, but I get the feeling he was being really sarcastic a lot of the time. Kind of sounded to me like he was having a bad day! :) But here are a few of the good snippets:

12:¹⁹ Perhaps you think we’re saying all this just to defend ourselves. That isn't it at all. We tell you this as Christ’s servants, and we know that God is listening. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you.

^13:3 I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is a mighty power among you. ⁴ Although he died on the cross in weakness, he now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in him and have God's power - the power we use in dealing with you. ⁵ Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

That is a good thought. We are truly only powerful when we realize our weakness and depend upon Him and His power. Again, in our flesh is no good thing.

And then, Paul's closing. I always love the closing of his letters. Seems as if he is trying to wrap everything up in just a few words:

^13:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Now we move on to Romans. One of the best books as far as having the way of salvation being spelled out. Lots of good stuff in Romans, so the trick will be to just pull out 'nuggets'. The very first verse caught my attention:

¹ This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

Jesus Christ's slave....here's the definition of slave..

a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant.

In his other books I know Paul also referred to himself as "a bond servant'. Paul knew who he belonged to and who he was subject to. I think that is why God was able to use him as He was. How about me? Do I consider myself Jesus Christ's slave? I don't think so. But now I have something else to think about....

Here's another convicting passage for me:

^1:9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by telling others the Good News about his Son.

I think that is why God is dealing with me about my spare time. About vegging with TV, etc. I think He is calling His children to greater purity in these last days. Asking if there is anyone willing to give up 'the pleasures' of this world to be used by Him. It's a constant battle for me.

Paul again goes back to the basics. Faith in Christ:

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-Jews first and also Gentiles. ¹⁷ This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

And here's the beginning of the "Romans Road" - Paul first points out the sinful nature of us all:

^3:10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—
not even one.
¹¹ No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
¹² All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

In verses 17 & 18 he said "They do not know what true peace is. They have no fear of God to restrain them." I think that is our main problem. We've really lost sight of the holiness and majesty of God. We have been deluded to believing a lie about Him. That "He is full of love", and "how could a God that is so filled with love be so evil as to banish people to hell"? So we 'do what is right in our own eyes' and don't think of the aspect of His holiness. All of us deserve hell and eternal punishment because we cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God. But that is the beauty of Christ - He was perfect Holiness and also perfect humanity, thereby bridging the gap between us and a holy God. That's why Paul continues to go back to saying "I determined to know nothing else except Jesus Christ" - it all comes back to Jesus, and it all comes back to faith:

²⁷ Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. ²⁸ So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

April 16, 2010 (2 Corinthians 1-9)

As I told Cooper this morning, "This is going to be a long one...so much good stuff in here today".

I don't know that I can truly relate with this first verse that caught my eye, but I would imagine at some point I will be able to. I feel very blessed in relation to what some are going through:

^1-8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. ⁹ In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. ¹⁰ And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. ¹¹ He will rescue us because you are helping us by praying for us. As a result, many people will give thanks to God because so many people's prayer for our safety have been answered.

¹² We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

When going through extreme difficulties, I hope I will be able to remember the above.

I'm not going to offer commentary on the verses below. They speak for themselves. But they are all so good that I had to include them all. I know this day's posting is one I will come back to when I need to be encouraged. Everything we do is because of God's calling on our lives and because He has reconciled us to Himself through Christ. He has given us a ministry of reconciliation. That is what we are here for. That is why He has left us on this earth. To be His ambassadors. I'm reading a book by a gentleman that spoke at our church this past Sunday and that is the what he stresses in the beginning. I'll come back to this post later and add the part about us being ambassadors.

^3:4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

^4:5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

¹¹ Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ¹² So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

¹³ But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” ¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. ¹⁵ All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

^5:6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
¹¹ Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. ¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. ¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

^6:1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.