Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 7

Having thoroughly urged the Corinthians to avoid any unions with the lies and false teachings of the world Paul begins his next section by once again reminding us of this fact: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). We have the sure promises of God’s Word and therefore we must respect its proclamation by keeping ourselves in its purity. The destructive lies of false teachers corrupt not only our spirit but also our bodies which are God’s temple. False teachings destroy faith which then leads to a sinful living for “me” and no longer for God’s will alone. The Scriptures desire us to be clean throughout our entire lives out of reverence to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. This urging is not one of self-righteousness, but it is the call to a gracious response of obedience to the grace God has given us in the Cross. “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Paul continues by reiterating the fact that in his proclamation he has been nothing but honest, sincere, and truthful, and thereby he wishes the Corinthians to make room for him in their hearts: “Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds” (2 Corinthians 7:2-4). Paul wants the Corinthians to know he is very proud of them despite all the stern admonitions and warnings he has had to give them. All that he has said to them has not been to condemn them but in order to strengthen them in the faith. Because Paul cares for the Corinthians so much he is willing to stick it out for them whether in life or in death. Even though they were sometimes immature in their faith the Corinthians had continued to support and care for Paul when he needed it most, and for this he was forever grateful. “For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever” (2 Corinthians 7:5-7).

As he continues on Paul discusses the harshness of the Law that he has been forced to apply to the Corinthians out of need and love: “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it” (2 Corinthians 7:8). Paul has no regrets about the sorrow he may have caused thru the harsh admonitions of his previous letter. “Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us” (2 Corinthians 7:8-9). At one point Paul was concerned that he may have been too hard on the Corinthians but now he is assured that what he did was essential to God’s will. It is God’s will that each of us be made sorrowful in the Law so that thru it we might be guided and led to repentance, turning away from sin and “me” towards the help and aide of God in Jesus Christ alone. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). There is no doubt that God desires to work repentance, humility, contrition, and brokenness in our lives thru His Law so that we might not be comfortable in our sin. Repentance is an essential part of the Scriptural message. However it is very important for us to realize that God alone grants and works repentance thru His Law so that we might be driven into the arms of the Gospel and find life. “God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). No man can see his sin and turn from it on his own; it takes the work of God thru His Law and His Spirit to bring about full repentance. It is therefore the duty of all ministers of the Word to apply the Law as necessary so that men might be led to turn from their sin toward God. “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). When we teach men the immutable will and Law of God we will find that God will use this to bring men to repentance, turning them away from their evil ways. “I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you” (Psalm 51:13). “When the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin” (Jeremiah 36:3).

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Paul reiterates that godly sorrow (sorrow caused by the hammer of God’s Law) leads men to salvation but also tells us there is another type of sorrow that brings death. This sorrow is not caused by God’s Law but is a sorrow caused by the world when things in life don’t go according to our desires. It is this sorrow that leads many to commit suicide when they feel they have lost control of their life and have nothing to live for. Judas is the prime Biblical example of this worldly sorrow: “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. ‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood’…Then he went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5). Judas’ sorrow was not a result of God’s Law leading him to repentance but was a result of his lost hope in the face of his own failure and loss of control in life. If his sorrow would have been the leading of God’s Law Judas would have been driven to Christ in repentance, however his sorrow only drove him further away from Christ and to his own demise. The distinct difference is that godly sorrow softens the hearts of men before God almighty while worldly sorrow only hardens the hearts of men in their rebellion. In the Scriptures we also have the example of the young rich man whom Christ confronted with the full Law of God: “At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Mark 10:22). This young man’s sorrow was not the godly sorrow of the Law working on his heart but it was a worldly sorrow caused by his attachment to his wealth. If it had been a godly sorrow the young man would have been sorrowed but then he would have turned towards Christ in broken humility, instead he turned away from Christ because of his attachment to his wealth. “The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods” (Psalm 16:4). Worldly sorrow only increases and turns us away from the one true God while godly sorrow is the temporary sorrow that leads us to Christ Jesus. “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11). This godly sorrow that is a result of God’s Law working on our hearts produces a bounty of great things. This repentance is not only a turning away from ourselves but a drive that pushes us towards the Gospel. Look at Paul’s words: eagerness, alarm, longing, concern, readiness. The Law causes us to steadfastly and fiercely cling to the Gospel as we run away from the life we used to live that brought us death. Instead of despairing in our sorrow we look to God for sweet relief and help.

As he concludes Paul reassures the Corinthians that he wrote such harsh admonitions to them in order to strengthen their faith and encourage their walk. “So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged” (2 Corinthians 7:12-13). Paul’s main goal thru his letter was not just to chastise one individual but to strengthen the entire congregation. Paul desired to use the example of the sin of some in order to reach all of them with God’s Word, breaking down their pride and building up their reliance on God. Ultimately this would encourage not only the Corinthians and Paul but also Titus. “In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you” (2 Corinthians 7:13-16). Thru the humble reception of Paul’s chastising and admonitions the Corinthians showed their true colors. Instead of being frustrated and defensive towards Paul and Titus they humbly realized their error and responded with heartfelt obedience. Let us pray that we also have this spirit of meekness that will allow us to receive the chastisement of God’s Law with humility and modesty, seeing that we desperately need its guidance to keep us from the trap of our sins and clinging to the grace of Jesus Christ crucified on our behalf. “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall” (Ezekiel 18:30). “My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28).

Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 6

Having proclaimed the pure sweetness of the Gospel Paul continues on to express the urgency of this message: “As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Paul urges the Corinthians to see that this message of salvation in Jesus Christ is here for them right now. Today (not yesterday, not tomorrow, today!), is the day of salvation! We must never, ever think we can put off the message of Christ until tomorrow or until “later.” To receive the grace of God in vain is to think that we will listen to its call some other time, to remain as we are in our sin, unmoved, unchanged, and unaffected. In regards to man’s postponement of grace Luther said, “How quickly ‘later’ turns into ‘never.’” Jesus Christ works on His timetable, not ours: “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-60). To say “later” or “hold on” when Christ calls us is to simply reject Him, it is us plainly saying “no” right to His face. “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Luke 12:40). These words of Christ about being ready for the last day apply not only to Judgment Day but also to our daily lives. When Christ’s Gospel message calls to us we must not think that we can toss it aside and come back to it later in life, we need to be ready today. His Word works as it wills and there may be no “second chance.” It is outright rejection, abuse of grace, and spitting in Christ’s face to think that we will wait for another time to hear this call. The time is now, the message is here today; Christ has died to save you from yourself so that you can immediately leave everything to follow Him in a life of discipleship. We must not ignore this call; we must not toss aside this grace that has been miraculously made known to us today. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Understanding this urgency Paul elaborates on what he is willing to undergo for this message of Jesus Christ crucified. Thru these words of his we have an example for all-time of the state of the true Christian ministry; this description and these qualities distinguish the ministers who truly fight for God’s Word and preach Jesus Christ versus those who fight for and preach themselves. “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger” (2 Corinthians 6:3-5). In this first section Paul proclaims that the first objective as a minister of God’s Word is to avoid putting any obstacles in the path of our proclamation of Jesus Christ. We do not want to cause anyone to stumble over our lack of patience, understanding, love, or clarity. In addition as servants of God we must be willing to undergo all the troubles that this life may ever throw at us. Though these troubles may slow us, no physical discomfort or emotional distress can ultimately hold back the servant of God’s Word. Moving on Paul speaks of the essential qualities of the proclamation of the true disciples of Christ: “In purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” (2 Corinthians 6:6-7). It is in purity, sincerity, truth, and in the power of God’s Word that the follower of Christ proclaims the Gospel. As we have seen before, to distort, alter, change, or pervert the truth of God’s Word in any way is to destroy it and tear it asunder. The true servant of the Word must bow at all times before the authority of the Word itself. Next Paul discusses the dual nature and situations which mark the Christian life: “Through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:8-10). The Christian life is one of a hidden nature. To the world we may look one way (beaten, unknown, false, sorrowful, poor, etc.) yet in the reality of the Cross we are quite the opposite (alive and well, known, sincere, joyful, rich, etc.). Outwardly to the world and to our own flesh we look to be withering, but in Jesus Christ we are renewed and strengthened daily unto life everlasting.

“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also” (2 Corinthians 6:11-13). Thru his entire letter Paul has been urging the Corinthians to lend their ears and hearts to his proclamation. He has given everything possible to try and bring them the truth and raise them in Jesus Christ and yet they have been hesitant and reluctant. Paul simply desires them to treat those who are bringing them the truth with the love and affection that they have been shown themselves. In light of urging them to be united with him in affection, love, and respect Paul continues on to once again warn them against the false teachings and lies of those who do not adhere to God’s Word: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Even if the Corinthians continue to hold Paul at arms length he wants them to realize that they must not yoke themselves with unbelievers. But what is meant by yoke here? What is Paul forbidding? Is he forbidding hanging around “sinners”? By yoked together Paul means being joined securely together in union with another. Marriage is the most common example of a natural yoking between people, however in this context Paul is speaking of a spiritual yoking. In regard to this spiritual yoking Paul is clearly not forbidding association with the “sinners” of this world (for our Lord was notorious for dining and associating with the dregs and shunned of society) but is referring to spiritual unions of the faith. When Paul says “unbelievers” he is “not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world” (1 Corinthians 5:10), but he instead is referring to joining in spiritual fellowship and communion with those who adhere to false gods, teachings, and doctrines. Paul is warning against the yeast and leaven of the lies of Satan which pollutes the truth of Jesus Christ. To spiritually yoke oneself with an unbeliever is very dangerous for our faith and the purity of God’s Word in Jesus Christ; we must not in any situation compromise Jesus Christ in even the least bit. “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). In a barrage of rhetorical questions Paul adamantly asks us to reflect on why we might ever consider being yoked with an unbeliever who proclaims false doctrine. How can the false teachings have anything to do with the pure Word of God? What does the truth have to do with lies? What does the Christ of Scripture have to do with the perverted and various Jesus’ of the world’s devising? The Apostle John (who was so adamant about Christ’s call to love our fellow man) was very specific about how walking in the darkness of false teachings is nothing but the lie of Satan. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth” (1 John 1:6). It is this same John who then echoed Paul’s warnings by insisting that we remain steadfast in the truth and not yoke ourselves with those who proclaim false teachings. “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work” (2 John 1:8-11). Because our bodies, minds, and souls are the temple of the living God we must fight to keep the sin and lies of false teachers from polluting His work within us. “For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Thru the work of Jesus Christ, God has come to dwell within us thru His Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, so why would we ever think to mingle His truth and work with Satan’s destructive lies?

In conclusion and to hammer home his point Paul quotes God’s Word on the subject three times: “As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (2 Corinthians 6:16). God came down to us in Jesus Christ. He lived with us, walked in our midst, and was our brother; He is our God right in our very midst. By this action God has pulled us from our slavery to sin and the lies of Satan. “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17). In response to God’s love for us in Jesus Christ the Scriptures call us to separate ourselves from the lies and sin of the world. We can no longer mingle with the darkness of untruth and wickedness; we need to abide in the truth and love of Jesus Christ while we go out and minister to the world. God calls us to come out and be separate from all the untruth since He has renewed us in Christ. “Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). Thru the cleansing action of God in our lives we have become the very children of God and so our focus must always remain on Him and His truth. Let us pray that we daily appreciate this calling we have been graciously given in the Cross of Jesus Christ to live for God’s will as His redeemed children of grace. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 5

Having discussed the danger, peril, and death that the disciple of Christ is subjected to Paul continues on to reassure us that our bodies are taken care of in the Lord because of the resurrection of the dead. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Paul starts by comparing our current bodies to flimsy tents that get blown about by every trouble of this life. The prayer of Hezekiah illustrates the fragility of our bodies now but also the hope that we have in God’s mercy: “Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me…Lord, you restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:12, 16-17). Even if this body of ours is destroyed we know that because Jesus Christ rose from the dead we have a guarantee of a new permanent building (body) in the life to come. This body is not one built by human hands or natural processes, but is one built by the hand of God Himself.

While we are trapped in these current sinful bodies we eagerly await this redemption to come for those in Christ Jesus: “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked” (2 Corinthians 5:2-3). In these words Paul references a very important Biblical concept: the concept of nakedness and clothing. Before the fall of mankind into sin Adam and Eve were physically naked yet they were clothed spiritually with God Himself. However when they fell into sin they immediately found themselves to be truly naked. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7). This nakedness was a spiritual nakedness because they had torn themselves away from the covering of God along with the communion and unity they had with Him. Instead of being in complete harmony and union with God, Adam and Eve became enemies of God: “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (Genesis 3:10). Therefore when Paul uses the term “naked”, he is referring to the chasm and separation that exists between us sinners and God Almighty; the complete inability of man to ever come face to face with God because of our sin and wickedness. In our sinfulness we try and cover this nakedness with idols and the empty things of this world (family, sports, jobs, TV, movies, food, drugs, etc.) so that we think that we have some sort of power, control, and goodness, when in reality we are nothing but wretched, pitiful, blind, naked, and to-the-core sinful beings. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). In the depths of our depravity our soul is no longer clothed with God but with our selfish iniquity: “clothed with terror” (Ezekiel 7:18), “clothed with despair” (Ezekiel 7:27), “clothed with disgrace” (Psalm 109:29), “clothed with shame” (Psalm 35:26). It is for this reason that God has given us His Law: to bring our nakedness and depravity to light before His goodness and justice, stripping us of these futile coverings “so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19). “Through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20). “Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered” (Isaiah 47:3). “Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness” (Lamentations 1:8). Therefore the Law removes all the fake coverings and filthy rags of our self-righteousness, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), showing us our true spiritual nakedness that hides beneath the lies and coverings of our sinful flesh and wicked pride.

If we were to be left unclothed and naked as we are in ourselves (as the Law has shown us to be) then we would be hopelessly lost and under the deserved and eternal wrath of God directed towards our sin. However after giving us the Law God has not left us abandoned in our mortality and sin; He has given us the promise of heavenly clothing in the Cross. “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4). In the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified we are told that we will not be found naked, but rather clothed, “I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness” (Ezekiel 16:8), clothed in the perfection and cleanliness of Jesus Christ: “clothed with salvation” (2 Chronicles 6:41), “clothed with righteousness” (Psalm 132:9), “clothed with strength and dignity” (Proverbs 31:25), “you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11). “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). It is with Jesus Christ Himself that we are and must be clothed. Nothing of ourselves is good enough; we must be completely covered with Christ so that when God looks upon us He will no longer see the sin that we are but will instead see the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has embraced us in the Cross. But how do we know we are clothed in Christ? How can we ever be sure? We can be 100% sure and without doubt because through God’s miracle of Baptism He has promised that we are clothed with Jesus Christ: “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Continuing on Paul tells us that God made us for the very purpose of clothing us in this eternal clothing of Christ Jesus: “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:5). God made us with the very intention of clothing us in His Son and giving us an eternal home with Him in heaven. “I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began” (Proverbs 8:23). “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:9). “The hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2). It is an incomparably reassuring thing to know that God willed and chose this to happen even before the creation of the world and time itself. “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6). This body of ours must never become our “home” and the source of our security. Our bodies which we have now are only a temporary dwelling while we await our final union with the Lord in heaven. “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Our life is not one that is founded on the crude materials of this life, but it is one that rests secure in the immutable promises of God’s Word and grace in Jesus Christ. Therefore we would much prefer to be at our true home in heaven with the Lord. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). This body is like a prison to us, holding us for the time being in our sinful flesh as we expectantly and patiently wait to be called home and have our bodies redeemed. “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). It is a common lie (even amongst Christians!) to ignore the teaching of Scripture that each man will be judged at the last day. Our sinful flesh eagerly desires to skip and overlook this truth because it fears the depths of what that truly means. “Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won't call me to account’?” (Psalm 10:13). Despite the lies we try and tell ourselves, at Judgment Day each one of us will in fact appear before God’s throne (this cannot be avoided in any way!) and give account of everything we have done in this life; the good, the bad, and the ugly, all of it will come to light before the entire world and we will be judged for it. “I Yahweh search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:10). “I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). “[God] repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves” (Job 34:11). “God will call the past to account” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). This piercing truth will bring even the most self-assured man to desperately cry out: “What will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account?” (Job 31:14). Thru the Law we know full well that we stand condemned in our sin which permeates our hearts, minds, bodies, and lives. We have done nothing but reject and despise God with our thoughts, words, and deeds, down to the very depths of our hearts. Once again the questions cannot help but burst forth: “How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?” (Job 25:4). “Who may ascend the hill of Yahweh? Who may stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). “If you, O Yahweh, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). “Who can stand before you when you are angry?” (Psalm 76:7). “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). The answer of the Law comes back: man cannot stand before God; man is helplessly lost in his sin; you (yes, you!) stand condemned before the justice and wrath of God Almighty. “The day of Yahweh is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of Yahweh is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:6-11). But from across the great divide and the despair that plagues us the gentle voice of the Gospel of Jesus Christ swoops in: “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). “Your sins have been forgiven on account of his name” (1 John 2:12). On account of Jesus Christ we have been forgiven. On the Cross Jesus Christ took upon Himself our punishment and the full wrath of God so that we might be spared. On Judgment Day when we are called to account we can stand firm and confident because we know we are fully clothed in Jesus Christ and His grace. God will not judge us according to the sinfulness that once plagued us, but He will graciously judge us according to Jesus Christ who has carried all of our sin. In response to this amazing Good News our soul rejoices and proclaims with immeasurable joy: “I delight greatly in Yahweh; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

Having discussed the hope we have in the redemption of our bodies because we are clothed with Christ Paul continues on to further elaborate on this message of reconciliation that drives his whole ministry. “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Because Paul fully understood the depths of the Law which stands against every man, revealing our sinfulness and calling us to judgment, he urgently proclaimed the Gospel message in the hope that God would bring men into the light and comfort of Christ. It is only when we fully feel the heaviness of God’s wrath that deserves to be upon our sin (because we of our own fault have rejected God and want nothing to do with Him in our heart) will we recognize the exigency of the Gospel proclamation. This fear of the Lord is first a true terror and dread of God’s wrath that stands against us in the Law, but in the Gospel this fear becomes an awe and reverence for the majesty, justice, holiness, gloriousness, righteousness, mercy, grace, and sovereignty of God Almighty. “We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you” (2 Corinthians 5:12-13). This sureness and confidence with which Paul speaks is not based on his own abilities or powers but solely on the authority of God’s Word. Paul can boast and be seemingly arrogant because he is not doing it in himself but in the Rock that is God, the Creator of the universe. Paul wants the Corinthians to see the sureness with which they can glory in the message of Christ. What is faith if we aren’t absolutely convinced and assured of the doctrines of the Scriptures to which we hold? What is faith if we can’t be 100% sure of God’s Word in the face of all the false teachings and doubts of this world? Those who doubt the Word of God will often say it is arrogant to be absolutely sure in God’s Word, but Paul on the other hand urges us to be bold, certain, uncompromising, convinced, secure, and headstrong when it comes to the faith and Gospel which we hold to in the Cross.

Paul continues on to proclaim the sure and unmovable foundation of all this confidence and boasting: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14). What makes us confident? What makes us certain? What drives us onward in life? What makes us willing to die a thousand deaths? The love of Christ Jesus crucified. The truth that Jesus Christ died as a substitute for all men so that in Him we too may die to sin, death, and the Law, is the heart and center of the Gospel message. Under the Law we are declared guilty and we thereby deserve death; in the Cross of Christ we have died this death, we have been punished in Jesus Christ. But how can Christ die as a substitute for us when God’s Word clearly proclaims: “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him—the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough” (Psalm 49:7-8). Though Jesus Christ is true man, thru and thru, He is not just any “ordinary” man; He is the Son of the Living God, He is in very nature God Himself, and He is the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in bodily form. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). “Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God” (Philippians 2:6). “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). Therefore God Himself took it upon Himself to pay the immeasurable ransom to redeem us from our sins. “He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him” (Isaiah 59:16). Because we were helpless God humbled Himself and became man, He was incarnated in our human flesh so that He might pay the ransom for our sins that no other man was capable of paying. “[Christ Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7). “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (1 John 4:2). “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“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” (2 Corinthians 5:15). But why did Christ die for us? Did He die so that we might be able to live selfishly for “me”? Did He die so that might continue to sin? Did He die to justify sin? No! Christ died to save and justify sinners, not sin! Christ died so that we might be freed from sin and selfishness, living no longer for “me” but solely for Jesus Christ. Those who truly share in the Cross of Christ will be aroused thru grace to cease their selfish living and devote their lives completely to the service of God’s will in discipleship to Jesus Christ. “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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). We must not allow ourselves to be bogged down in apathetic complacence but we must instead regard ourselves and our fellow believers as new creations in Christ. We need to hold ourselves to the high standard of being freed from sin and completely devoted to the Lord in every single area and aspect of our lives. If we have been forgiven in the Cross then we should act like we have. Those who do not truly know the forgiveness of the Cross will not love and serve God’s will with their lives. If we have been forgiven little, we will love little; if we have been forgiven greatly, we will love greatly. “He who has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47). “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that 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. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). The whole purpose and point of Paul’s Apostleship is the final and culminating proclamation of the ministry of reconciliation: In the Cross of Jesus Christ God was not counting men’s sins against them. But does that mean that God is just letting His justice slide and letting all the sins of the world go unpunished? No, if we look closer at the ministry of reconciliation we will find the truth. The ministry of reconciliation is a message of just that: reconciliation. But what does it mean to reconcile? It means to resolve or make peace in a relationship. However the Greek word that is translated as “reconciliation” in this case has much more to tell us: katallagh truly means “exchange,” an exchange of equivalences. Therefore Paul is telling us that the Cross is the point of the “great exchange.” But the great exchange of what? The great exchange of Jesus Christ for you and me. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God gave up His only Son so that He might save us; God made Christ Jesus to be our sin, so that we might be made Christ’s righteousness. God exchanged His Son for you and me; the perfect, blameless, and holy Lamb of God was given into death and was made sin (our sin!) so that the justice and wrath of God towards sin might be carried out. Christ was punished and castigated for our sin and guilt, for what we have done and left undone: He was broken for our idolatries and lack of faith and love towards God, He was beaten for our idle words of blasphemy and false teaching, He was pierced for our disregard for God’s Word, He was insulted for our lack of obedience towards those in authority above us, He was trampled for our hatred of our fellow man, He was crushed for our relentless sexual lusts, He was whipped for our greed, He was disgraced for our lying and deceptive words, He was scourged for our covetousness and jealousy. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). In order that God’s perfect justice towards sin could be upheld God punished Christ in our stead, for all our wretchedness and wickedness. He temporarily left the sin of the world unpunished so that in the Cross He could punish all the sins of the world once and for all. “The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright” (Proverbs 21:18). “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Through the punishment and suffering of the Cross and His love and faithfulness, Jesus Christ atoned for sin and washed away all our evil, depravity, corruption, wantonness, and sin so that we could stand blameless before God the Father. “Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being” (Proverbs 20:30). “Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for” (Proverbs 16:6). Therefore Paul is urging and imploring all those who have ears to hear, to behold the work of reconciliation that Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross. Let us pray that we daily have our ears opened to this message of Great News: For your sins you deserved complete and total eternal damnation, yet Jesus Christ carried those sins of yours to the Cross so that He might be punished and destroyed on your behalf, bringing you peace, forgiveness, salvation, new life, and reconciliation with God the Father thru His resurrection. “Christ suffered for you…He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:21, 24).