Tuesday after Cantate Sunday
Posted on May 9, 2023 by under
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (NKJV)
5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Devotion
Being reconciled to God through Christ means that we Christians are no longer regarded according to the sins of our flesh—those have all been atoned for by the death of Jesus. We are regarded as the spiritual children of our heavenly Father. Christ took upon Himself our sins, and through faith in Him He imputes to us His righteousness. This is an entirely different relationship than the one we had before: our debt has been erased, our past record is expunged, and our new life has begun through the merit of our Lord and Savior. Seeing, then, that we owe everything to Him and His work of Redemption, our new lives are to be demonstrations of gratitude and faithful obedience to Him who died for us and rose again.
When we consider the significance of our reconciliation with God, we should also consider the Ministry through which He has brought this about—the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Through His called and ordained servants Christ calls out to sinners, pleading them to be reconciled with God. The work of atonement is done and accomplished. But the distribution of the forgiveness of sins continues to this day, going out into the world to reconcile sinners with God by repentance and faith.
Prayer: O God, Who makest the minds of the faithful to be of one will: Grant unto Thy people that they may love what Thou commandest, and desire what Thou dost promise; that, among the manifold changes of this world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
