5:2 - Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, - When was the last time you groaned waiting for heaven? It is so easy to get so caught up in this life that heaven is a nice thought, but not a longing. I pray that we can get to the place where we long for heaven like we long for food when we are hungry or a drink when we are thirsty. If we could live content with what God has given us and discontent (in a good way) until we reach heaven it would change our hearts and the outcome of our lives.
5:5 - Now the one who has fashioned is for this very purpose is God, - I love verses that remind us that God has personally and intimately created us for His very purposes. The word fashion reminds me of someone intricately working a piece of wood. God intricately designed you for His specific purposes.
5:7 - We live by faith, not by sight. - The unfortunate truth of our lives is we live by sight when we should live by faith. We live by what we see and understand and know. God has called us to live in faith. The picture I have always gotten is that while our eye sight only allows us to see a few feet ahead, we walk confidently and steadily trusting that God sees far ahead.
5:10 - Everyone will face a judgment based on what they have done and how they have lived. The Bible says that those without Jesus will be judged for rejecting Him and they will have to deal with the penalty for their own sin and those who walk in Christ will be saved, but will be judged based on how they lived that saved life. I fear there are many Christians who will have a hard time as the enter Heaven because they did not take the responsibility of this Christian life seriously.
5:11 - Because we fear/revere God we try to persuade people to walk with Jesus. If we are not trying to persuade people it may be that we do not revere God at the proper level.
5:14 - for Christ's love compels us... - If we aren't compelled to share Christ than are we really living in and exercising Christ's love?
5:15 - And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. - I am amazed at how deeply selfish living has its hooks in some of us. I think we think selfishness is a problem for the weak or immature. In reality, selfishness is so deeply ingrained in most of us that we don't even realize how selfish we are. We sit back thinking we serve and give and love all the time when in reality we have hearts that see ourselves first and get mad at every inconvenience.
5:16 - So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. - Are you here yet?
5:18 - God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. It is a privilege and a responsibility that every Christian has. We are called, invited and expected to be those who work hard to reconcile people to God. notice it doesn't just say to get them baptized or to say a prayer. We are called to help them reconcile people to God. This takes a lot more time and effort, but God is looking for disciples and not just decisions.
5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin (the sin offering) for us, SO THAT we might become the righteousness of God. - Beautiful verse.
6:1 - We have to be careful not to receive God's grace in vain.
6:11 - ...opened wide our hearts to you. - Those of us who lead need to open wide our hearts to our people. We can't see it as us and them. We need to open our hearts wide!!!!
6:14 - do not be yoked together with unbelievers. - Don't be tied to someone who isn't tied to Jesus. Watch your relationships so that you don't let one grow that is going to draw you away from your faith in the long run.
6:17 - Come out from them and be separate... - We have to live separate. Our culture says to make our faith, our lives and our churches as much like the world as possible. But what does this verse say about that? There is a balance between reaching the world and mingling with the world.
Love, Michael
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