Understand That the New Birth Comes With a New Job!

The New Birth Comes With a New Job

2^nd Corinthians 5:17-21

¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Introduction:

Last week we finished on 2^nd Corinthians 5:17… “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Here we see that, though we still possess our old Sin Nature, God no longer defines us by it. The Holy God who deliberately became a Man, died as the full sacrifice for the sins of the human race. Now, still as the Holy God who hates sin, He provides a new birth. Thereby, He provides a new nature. He gives eternal life to all who place their faith in His completed work at the Cross. John 10:27-30.

He also chose to indwell all those who believe in Him, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Further, He chooses to know and relate to those who believe in Him. But He only does so as to those who are His new Creation in Christ. He says Sin has contaminated our old nature. It cannot become agreeable to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:7 says “it is not subject to the Law of God, neither can it be.”

God Himself cannot repair the damage done to our old selves when Adam fell. But, what He did do was even more miraculous. He provided a new Birth. As a believer, you are a New Creation.

So, the last five verses of 2^nd Corinthians 5 tell us the result of that New Creation, and what our new job entails.

What Is The Result Of That New Creation?

¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

That verse sums up our New Life! Everything in our existence as those alive from the dead, and members of the Body of Christ, is here, in brief form.

It is all from God…our existence, our Hope, our sustenance, and our defense against the enemies of our souls.
He has (past tense) reconciled us by Jesus Christ, to Himself.
And, we have a new purpose in life: we are representatives of God, with an eye to the reconciliation of other lost souls. They are to be part of His New Creation.

So, What If We Don’t See Things That Way?

I have jokingly commented in the past that “You’ll notice that, if you try to look out through your nose instead of your eyes, it seriously limits your field of view.” Of course that is just a joke, at the silly notion that we might have more than one choiceas to “how to physically see the world.”

But the truth is that we often look “through the eyes” of our old sin nature, and we see hopeless chaos all around us. That makes sense! There are eight billion souls in the world. And all of us want to go our own way and to express our own individual wills. And Romans 1:18-32 allows us to see the result, from God’s perspective.

As believers, God tells us to see through the eyes of faith. We do not deny the evil in the world, but we can clearly recognize the source. We also see the incredible beauty and order in the creation, despite the ruin and corruption caused by sin.

**God’s Call to See things His Way**

So, God calls us to look beyond the things of the World, and the inclinations of our old nature. He calls us to confess with Him that the things of the New Creation are indeed all new.

2^nd Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

Ephesian 1:18 lists Paul’s prayer, “that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened.”

Philippians 3:20 says “Our citizenship is in Heaven…” (KJV translates the Greek word, politeumo as “conversation”: but it means “citizenship!”)

None of these ideas are even approachable in the flesh. Our old sin nature is not only blind to these concepts, but it angrily denies that they are real at all. This is because of what Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no god!’”

And Romans 1:21-28 confirms it: (“When they knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imagination…Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beast, and creeping things… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” )

So, yes, God says we now have a choice. We can look through the eyes of faith, and see things from God’s perspective. (That is part of reconciliation to God.) Or we can go back to seeing things the way the world sees them, and live outside His direction and care.

Does He Continue to Love us?

Yes, your Heavenly Father still loves you and will stay with you forever. (By the way, this is not just a title: He is your real Father, through the New Birth!)

But you will not be conscious of His Love and Care as clearly as when you were in fellowship with Him and seeing things His way. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” It is a rhetorical question, with the implied answer being, “NO!”

1^st John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”

If you actually belong to Jesus, as a New Creation, through the New Birth, then He will continually work to persuade you to “see things His way.” (And to DO things His way!)

What Is “Reconciliation?”

In terms of finances, and bookkeeping, when there is a discrepancy between two sets of records, it becomes critically important to discover which account is correct, and to “reconcile” the incorrect record to match the correct record. In terms of world view, God’s account is correct! Every other view is in error at one level or another.

God reconciled us to Himself: Not the other way around. I recently read an article wherein the financial records of a particular organization had consistently been at odds with the records of their bank. It turned out that the company bookkeeper had somehow been altering the bank reports to match her records, instead of re-checking her own arithmetic and reconciling her own books to those of the bank. You can imagine what a mess that was making.

God HAS Reconciled Us to Himself!

But God says that He “Has (past tense) reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.”

That is our new position in Christ. God “corrected” us, through the New Birth, so that it is possible for us to agree with God. Our old sin nature can never agree with God. Only our new self: Only the New Creation can be in agreement with God, and so, be qualified to walk with Him. And when we choose to follow our own ideas, we become temporarily “separated” from the mind of God, and we behave (to one degree or another) as though we were never reborn.

Years ago, I knew a woman who declared that it would be “immoral” for her to attempt to share her faith with another person. She claimed she was a believer, but she declared that Jesus’s “marching orders” were wrong…immoral!

That was a very disturbing thing to hear coming from a woman I had known and respected as an older sister in Christ. It left me wondering whether she was even a believer. As far as I know, she never changed that viewpoint. But…who needed to change? Who needed “reconciliation?” Did Jesus need to change His orders? Or did she need to confess that the world had heavily influenced her mind, and that she was wrong?

**What is the Ministry of Reconciliation?**

¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Paul goes on to explain The Ministry (service) of Reconciliation: He says it began with God, acting through Christ (God the Son…Jesus, the Messiah. The word “Christ” is just the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” Both mean the “anointed One.”) He concludes that the immediate result of reconciliation is that God no longer imputes (“credits”) the sins of the reconciled individuals to them, even though they were the guilty parties. He no longer treats us as sinners. He treats us as His offspring…His dear, young children, because, through the New Birth, that is what we are!

God Passed On That Ministry To Us!

Again, it is past tense. He “… has committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation.” That is our new job! The result is clear:

“²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

One might protest that this was only true of the apostles: That the “we,” here, is the apostles, and the “ye,” here, includes the readers. But the Great Commission also included us by implication!

“¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

On the basis of the Full Authority of Jesus, He commanded the Apostles to go and make disciples, and to teach those disciples to do ALL that He had (just) commanded them. So, He included us in that plan! There was a Spiritual Chain reaction begun at the Cross, and we are part of the result.

If we fail to do what He commands, it results in the “shutting down” of that chain reaction. We stop the Divine Flow of redemption and reconciliation and revival. We quench the Holy Spirit, and there are long-range consequences of that choice. Ultimately, people die because of that choice.

A Harsh Reality

We think that sounds harsh, but God explains it in Ezekiel 3:17-19 “¹⁷Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. ¹⁸When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. ¹⁹Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

We realize that this warning was given specifically to Ezekiel, who was sent as a prophet to Israel, during the captivity. But the concept is clear: People are condemned as sinners…it is true of the whole human race, not just Israel! And if they hear the call to repent and receive the gift of eternal life, they have a choice: they can believe, and be saved, or reject it and stay condemned.

Our Choice

But if we choose to ignore the ministry of reconciliation, not only do they stay condemned: we are partially responsible. (Remember James 4:17 “Therefore if a man knoweth to do Good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”)

Our choice, day by day, is whether to do (or not to do)what God has called us to do! Jesus made His choice: He chose to take our place at the Cross, becoming SIN on our behalf. God judged our sins at the Cross, along with those of the whole world, according to 1^st John 2:2.

The result, to all who choose to believe, is a New birth, a New position in Christ, a New Citizenship in Heaven, a New Nature, and a New Job.

We simply have to choose, day by day and moment by moment, how to respond to Our New Relationship with God.

Lord Jesus, Please awaken us to our New Relationship and New responsibility as the Ministers of Reconciliation. Fill us with Your supernatural Love and care for the souls around us. Lead us to Walk with You in the Light of Your Word.

July 24, 2026July 24, 2026

How to Understand the Motivation of Apostles and Ambassadors

Understanding the Motivation of the Apostles and Ambassadors

2^nd Corinthians 5:11-17

¹¹Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. ¹²For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. ¹³For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. ¹⁶Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Introduction:

Last week we studied how to set priorities as believers. Today we will see what motivated the Apostles, and how that motivation should set an example for our own lives.

The Fear of the Lord:

Five Judgments

Last week we ended on verse eleven, “¹¹Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

We saw five of the main judgments that a human can face. And all five are a source of fear for us.

We know that we were born sinners and that we faced God’s eternal judgment.

Next, we know that Jesus offered the only way to escape that judgment. He took the sins of the entire world upon Himself at the Cross. Thereby God judged our sins, at the Cross, instead of us bearing that judgment ourselves. That is God’s Grace: We respond in Faith and He saved us.

God tells us, here in chapter 5, about the Judgment seat of Christ. There we either receive (or fail to receive) reward, based on how we responded to Jesus during our life. And He explains how it works, in 1^st Corinthians 3:11-15.

Also, He tells us about the Judgment of the Living Nations. It will occur right here on planet earth, just after the end of the Tribulation. That judgment will be a terrible, fearsome thing. People either enter the Millennial Kingdom in their natural body after surviving the Great Tribulation, as believers. Or they will enter Hell, having survived the Great Tribulation as an unbeliever and still an enemy of God.

Finally, we saw the final Great White Throne Judgment. There, those who rejected the Lord’s Grace will face God’s irrevocable judgment.

Godly Fear Moved The Apostles

God says that “knowing the terror of the Lord” is part of what motivated the Apostles to serve faithfully. They did not have to fear punishment: God judged their sins at the Cross. But they were fully persuaded that the whole world does face the wages of sin. And they did not wish that judgment upon anyone at all. So, they committed themselves to Being Ambassadors. They lived to persuade their fellow humans to be reconciled to the Holy God whose Judgment they otherwise will face.

Judgment is Already Here, But it is Also Yet To Come

That judgment is already in place, and has been since Genesis chapter three. That is where Adam fell into sin and dragged all of us with him. Jesus said “He who believes is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe.” It does not say, “he will be condemned IF he does not believe.”

I was already under God’s judgment as a rebellious sinner and as an enemy of God. I’m grateful that God had many believers praying for me. I’m grateful that someone finally shared the portion of God’s Word that broke through my defense. God poured out His full Judgment upon Jesus at the Cross.

However, I know that I will face the Lord Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I fear feeling ashamed at His appearance, because I have wasted so much time in my life. I know he has made us each an ambassador for Him. But I feel that I have spent far too much time distracted by the “urgencies” of daily life, instead of realizing the eternal cost of dealing with a slack hand.

What is the Alternative?

Paul said, along with that fear of the coming judgment, He has given us a desire for transparency, so that the Light of Christ can shine through us to the dark World.

Others, those who only wanted to “look good” were deliberately cloaking their motives with false piety and claims of great spiritual gifts. Paul says (v. 12) that was not his motive at all. He had no desire to boast, or make false claims. He wanted to provide the believers with a cause for thanksgiving, as they saw God at work in him, and in their own lives.

The false teachers claimed that they were the “real thing” because they “looked better” than Paul. They were an on-going problem . (And, after continuous hardships, savage beatings, and stonings: No, Paul didn’t look too good!)

Someone once told my wife, that initially, they assumed I could not be a valuable teacher. Why? I failed to dress well enough to impress them. But their heart was open, and within a few classes, they decided that “how I looked” was not a reasonable predictor of the value of the teaching. (Glad to hear it!)

Also, some (Acts 26:24) accused Paul of “going mad,” due to excessive study and learning. His reply was that if he really was “beside himself,” he was accountable to God for whatever excess he demonstrated. (v.13) But, if he was actually “sober” (seeing things clearly: preaching reality: Compare Romans 12:3) then it was for their benefit, and, ultimately, they would be accountable to God for their response.

The Love Of Christ Constrains Us: WHY?

¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

¹⁶Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Paul says everything has changed for him and the other Apostles, (and, in fact, for all believers!)

The Love of Christ Constrains Us… Why?

Because the apostles understood (and were teaching others to understand) that when Jesus died as our representative, we died with Him! God addresses this concept over and over. Romans 6:8 says we are dead with Christ so that we can Live with Him…living inHim, and forHim!

In Galatians 2:19-21, Paul states it as a personal reality for him: “¹⁹For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. ²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

The Law did not constrain Paul’s behavior. The Love of Christ did. He knew the Law had demanded his death. He also knew that Jesus had died as his representative. Therefore, according to God’s Law, he, Paul, was dead to the Law, and the life he now lived was not his own.

He openly confessed that no works of his did anything to qualify him for God’s gift of eternal life: Rather, he boldly stated that if it is possible to gain righteous standing before a holy God on the strength of one’s own works under the Law, then Jesus had died for nothing!

The Conclusion?

Paul and the other Apostles (and the lesson is for us, too!) no longer looked at other humans the way they did before. We must not allow our old flesh…our old sin nature…to control how we see others. We need to see them as precious souls for whom Jesus gave His life.

And even for those who once knew Jesus during his life on earth, (and for those of us who tend to remember him from during that time,) He says, we are not to see Him that way anymore. We now see Him as the Savior, and as the Incarnate Creator, God, and as the Eternal Judge of all the Earth, and as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

We see (at least we should see) Him in His exalted, present state, as our Intercessor and as our Lord and Master, as well as our loving Heavenly Father. Of course, we should be looking to Him as our Great Shepherd, to guide us and to provide for us, and to defend us from all enemies.

And, we should be looking for His return as the Conqueror of all nations, and the King of the Millennial Kingdom. God says for us to no longer see Him only as “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.” That is not what He now is offering to the World, nor, even to the Church!

**We Are New Creations in Christ!**

¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Compare Ephesians 4:24…the new nature is a new creation, created in the likeness of God, in righteousness and true Holiness. We have a difficult time grasping this truth, because we daily experience the reality that we also still have our old Sin nature.

From God’s perspective, the Old Sin Nature is a dead thing, and He makes no effort to correct it or give it life. Romans 8:7 says that it is not subject to the Law of God and it cannot become subject to God’s Law. So, God recognizes only our new nature and desires to bless, teach and encourage our new nature. He addresses the New Creature, and says that everything about it is new!

How Can God Love A Sinner Like Me?

Sometimes we wonder. “How can God Love me, when I continually fail Him?” But that is not how He sees you! He sees you as His precious child. He leads you along through the hard times, and encourages you to learn to walk with Him.

Does He still hate sin? YES! But He has separated you from your sin, “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12) He recognizes that the real culprit is the sin that still dwells in us, according to Romans 7:17. He works to cleanse us and correct us, and to love us into a stable walk with Him. But He will never condemn us again. Jesus said so! (John 5:24)

If any of you have questions about these things, please call me or text me. We can address your questions personally.

Lord Jesus, please work Your Love so deeply into our consciousness that we no longer fear Your Judgment, but rather, we will anxiously desire to please You as Our true Heavenly Father. Bring us to understand that we died with You and that we now liv in You. Teach us the reality of walking with You by faith.

July 18, 2026July 19, 2026

Do You Know How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer?

How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer

2^nd Corinthians 5:8-11

⁸We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. ⁹Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, (whether we live or die) we may be accepted of him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ¹¹Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Introduction:

Last week we talked about what happens to believers when they die: (What happens when we leave these bodies?) We saw that God created us as eternal creatures, created as three-part beings: Body, Soul and Spirit. When our non-physical parts (Soul and Spirit) leave our bodies, we call it “death.” Our Soul and Spirit have separated from our body. And every time scripture addresses “death,” it has to do with some sort of separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body.

In Genesis 2:17, when God warned Adam “…in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die,” He meant it! But there was an instantaneous result, (Genesis 3:7) when Adam ate that fruit. God separated both Adam and Eve from spiritual fellowship with Him. Adam died physically, 930 years later. But he and everyone who proceeded from him (including Eve, and the entire human race) died spiritually at that very moment.

So, How Does God Save Sinners?

God offered a coming Savior, in Genesis 3:15…the “Seed of the Woman.” Adam believed that promise, (Genesis 3:20) and God re-established the relationship (Genesis 3:21) through the first blood-sacrifice, looking forward to the Cross. God offered Grace in the form of a Savior. Adam responded in Faith, and God accepted him on the basis of faith. I hope that sounds familiar to you all. God saved Abraham, in the same manner, though there was less detail about the promise. God offered Grace in the form of a Promise. Abraham believed God, instead of believing his own eyes, his own experience, or the evidence in nature. And (Genesis 15:6) God declared Abraham righteous on the basis of that faith.

That is the only way God has ever saved anyone in the history of the World. As someone famously said, long ago, “God saves us by Grace, through faith, plus nothing!” In fact, I tried to find out the source of that quote, using Google, and it took me straight to Ephesians 2:8, 9! (“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”)

Anyone who confesses he or she is a lost Sinner, and throws himself or herself upon the Mercy of God, provided by Grace, through the Blood of Jesus, is restored to fellowship with God, and permanently joined to Him by the New Birth.

But, What About The Future?

Can I lose that “Fellowship” with God? Well… temporarily, Yes! But not the Relationship.

As believers, though we are eternally saved, we can be separated from fellowship with God, through sin. In that condition, we are behaving as though we were spiritually dead. God offers to restore us to fellowship through a second promise: 1^st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That is the future of believers, in this life: We desire to walk with God in holiness, but we often fail. We admit our failure is sin, and we approach the throne of God with nothing to offer but confession. He then restores the fellowship so that we can go on walking with Him.

But, an unbeliever, who rejects God’s warning and promise, and thereby maintains their original separation from God, has never been born again. They have never become God’s child. If they persist, and physically die, as an unbeliever, they face eternal separation from God, in the Lake of Fire. God calls that Eternal loss the “second death.”

So, As Believers, How Does the Rebirth Change Our Priorities? (v. 8, 9)

2^nd Corinthians 5:8, 9 speaks only to believers. As a believer, I can honestly say that I look forward to being eternally free from the struggles of this life: The constant struggle of trying to walk with God as a saved sinner. That is why verse 8 says, we would rather be with Jesus!

I have two natures: the one is a deadly enemy, and I long to be free of it. The other is the new person, created in the likeness of God in righteousness and true Holiness. (God says so, in Ephesians 4:24.) Do I feel righteous or holy? No! I am keenly aware of my old nature which is still attempting to regain dominance.

But as a believer, yes: I look forward to “going home!” And because I am aware of His presence, and I’m aware that His righteousness is perfect, I am anxious to live in such a way that, whether I live or die, I will not be ashamed, before Him.

What About the Judgment Seat of Christ? (v. 10)

Hebrews 9:27 says “…it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.”

If that were the only teaching on the coming judgment, it would sound as though all people face the same judgment. But there are at least five judgments listed in scripture, that can affect people. Not all apply to everyone.

The General Judgment (condemnation) of the World. (John 3:18, 19; Romans 1:18, etc. This one affected all of us!)
The Judgment of Sin at the Cross. (Colossians 2:14; 1^st John 2:2 Jesus died for all the sins of the entire Human race, though not all respond in faith.)
The Judgment Seat of Christ (2^nd Corinthians 5:10; 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16 This one affects believers only, and it is an awards judgment, giving reward to believers who allowed Jesus to work through them. He rewards us as if “we” were the ones who accomplished the work, when, by necessity, only He could do it!)
The Judgment of Living Nations (Matthew 25:31-46 This one affects the living believers and unbelievers, after the Great Tribulation, when Jesus Returns to Earth.)
The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15 This one affects only theunrighteous dead, and it is final.

All the Judgments are Fearful to Consider:

Original Judgment

As we look back and consider the Judgment in the Garden of Eden, we are sobered and chilled to see the permanent consequences of Adam’s sin. In fact, reading through the rest of Genesis, we see that very often, sin had permanent results. All the sons of Abraham that were produced in the flesh (by his own ability and choices) ended up being bitter enemies of his promised son, Isaac, later on. There are many other such examples. But Romans 5:12 says all the sin and death in the world was ultimately because of that one sin!

Judgment of Sin at the Cross

When we see the suffering of Jesus at the Cross, and His torments leading to the Cross, we are grieved to see the awful results of Sin, as it affected Jesus, our Savior.

2^nd Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus literally “Became Sin” for us, so that God could pour all His wrath upon Jesus at the Cross, thus allowing us to become the righteousness of God in Him.

But it also explains why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?” Yes, He was quoting Psalm 22, which is a prophetic Psalm, clearly predicting the Cross. But it was also a fact that God turned His face away from the monstrosity of our sin, completely personified in Jesus at that moment!

Judgement Seat of Christ (Judgment of Believers’ Works.)

The Judgement Seat of Christ is an awards ceremony of sorts. But we feel anxiety about it, knowing that everything I do (or fail to do) in this life will be considered and judged in that day. All the time I have wasted. The many wrong notions I have entertained, contrary to God’s Word. All of them will be exposed for what they are. How?

1^st Corinthians 3:11-15 tells us that the things we have built into our lives, as believers, are either of eternal value, or are eternally non-valuable. And it says that the determination will be made “by fire.” The things that I found attractive, but were eternally worthless, will go up in a cloud of smoke. The things that originated in Jesus, and which He did, using me as a tool, will survive that test, and will be the cause for eternal reward.

Abraham’s nephew, Lot, stands as an example of one who lost everything because of his life choices, but who still was saved. We can’t see it very clearly, but God says he was saved. It’s possible for a believer to be just like him. They have gone their own way their whole life, and done things that felt religious and pious, but have not submitted themselves to Jesus as a tool in His hand.

1^st Corinthians 3:15 tells us that we can lose our rewards through self-will and sin. We do not lose our position in Christ, but we escape God’s judgment as one escaping through the flames. I fear the results of this judgment. I know I am not a very consistent servant of Christ.

Judgement of the Living Nations

At the end of the Great Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return (Revelation 19) and will set up His throne in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14, among others.) But His first order of business, before the promised Kingdom Age can begin, is to sort out the survivors of the Great Tribulation. (Remember: According to Revelation 6:8 and 9:18, more than half of the world’s population will have died during that terrible seven years!)

The Lord Jesus will sort the survivors, according to Matthew 25:31-46, by how the people demonstrated faith in the way they cared for God’s people (or failed to do so.) It is a fearful thing to consider the judgment happening right there for everyone to see. Yes, if you are born again today, you will be absent during the Tribulation. But you will be present to see the Judgment of the Living Nations! How do I know? Jesus said that where He is, there we will be also! And Ephesians 2:6 says God has already seated us in the throne with Jesus.) I am not looking forward to witnessing these final two judgments!

The Great White Throne Judgment

In Revelation 20:11-15 we see the final judgment of Sin and sinners. All the unrighteous dead of all time will stand before that Throne for final Judgment. Who is the Judge? It is Jesus, again. John 5:22 says, “the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”

But, we will be there, sitting in the throne with Jesus! I really am not looking forward to this experience. All the unsaved folks I knew will be there! It will include those to whom I had the chance to share the Gospel, but who never received His forgiveness. It also includes the ones with whom I failed to share. And I will watch their judgment, and it will be too late to intervene!

**Therefore, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, We Persuade Men**

This is one of our motives for Evangelism! All of the Judgments mentioned in scripture are worthy of our dread! Yes, Jesus took away our sins, at the Cross! But even if we no longer have to fear God’s eternal judgment, others still face that judgment!

We are made manifest unto God; and also made manifest in your consciences.

We also seek to be transparent to one another. Paul said he was “made manifest” to God, and sought to be “also made manifest” in the minds of the believers in Corinth.

Ephesians 5:13 says, “whatsoever maketh manifest is light.” God’s light is shining in our lives. We want to be “transparent,” so His light can shine through us to one another, and to the people in the world around us.

God does not want us “putting on a show” of piety or religiosity. We are sinners saved by Grace, and we offer that Grace to one another, and to the people all around us. That is why we enthusiastically support missions, and we look for opportunities to share with those nearby.

Lord Jesus, please cause Your Words to soak into our consciences and to soften our hearts toward those around us who still face the Judgment of God. Give us Your tender Heart of Compassion toward all around us, in Jesus’ Name.

July 9, 2026July 12, 2026

How to Know Where a Deceased Loved-One Has Gone

How to Know Where a Loved-One Has Gone

2^nd Corinthians 5:1-9

¹For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: ³If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

⁵Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷(For we walk by faith, not by sight🙂 ⁸We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

⁹Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Introduction:

We have touched upon this passage repeatedly, over the years. Why? Because it is a universal concern and a frequent question, regarding a loved-one who has died. “Where is (name)?”

When people who have been believers for many years still have to ask this question, I am sad. They are fearful for their husband, wife, or other person they have lost. God wants us to know this truth, and to comfort one another with this knowledge.

So, How CAN we Know?

We read the twin passages with which we opened. We see that our confidence in the eternal life God has given is not based upon supposition or human reasoning. God gave it to us “By the Word of the Lord!”

Also, we immediately see that God commands us to comfort one another with these words. Why? Because it is something He wants us to KNOW. As individual believers, we begin by learning how we were saved. Then we try to understand why, and how permanent that positional change truly is. We are now His literal offspring, through the new birth, and we cannot become UN-Born-again!

Personal Assurance: What Should YOU Know?

If we read 1^st John 5:11-16, we gain a personal assurance of our own eternal life. God clearly says He wants us to KNOW that we have eternal life.

1^st John 5:11-13 says, “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Our initial, timid faith can grow strong as we consider the evidence binding us to The Eternal Savior, Jesus, the Messiah…the Christ.

The Beginning

Jesus promised in John 5:24, “He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life, and shall not come unto condemnation, but has passed from death unto life.”

If you have heard the Good News that Jesus died in your place at the Cross, and have placed your trust in Him, trusting His finished work at the Cross for your salvation, God says it’s a done deal!

You have eternal life! (Present tense! You do NOT have to wait until you die to find out!)
God will never again Condemn You!. (Future tense…it will never happen!)
You have permanently crossed over from death into Life! (Past perfect tense! It is a “done deal,” and you can’t go back to being lost!)

That specific promise of Jesus is the basis for our confidence before Him. We lay claim to that Promise by Faith. When we share that mutual confidence with one another, we gain confidence about others as well. Can I actually see inside someone else’s heart, and know for sure about their faith? No: But Their responses to God and to other believers, and to the ordinary trials and stresses of life can pretty well tell me where their heart really is.

Collective Assurance: What should “WE” Know?

In 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18, we read what is coming for all believers, living and dead. We see that Jesus will return to the Air, and collect all the church-age believer’s bodies.

How do we know the bodies are in view and not the souls…the Spirits…the non-physical portions of our three-part humanity? Because 2^nd Corinthians 5:8 states that when we leave these bodies, we will instantly be present with the Lord. And 2^nd Corinthians 5:2-4 states that we will simultaneously be “clothed upon” with an immortal body of some sort. It evidently is not our own physical body resurrected, but something temporary.

1^st Corinthians 15:50-54 says that we will all get our own resurrected bodies at the same time.

⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible (body) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) must put on immortality.

⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

So, we seem to have found a paradox!

**Is There Truly A Paradox?**

One passage says we get an immortal body the moment we leave these mortal bodies. The other says “…we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.”

Let’s go back and read the 1^st Thessalonians 4:14 passage again: It says that Jesus will bring the dead in Christ “with Him.” Yes, we could read it as merely saying that they will “follow Him in resurrection.” But the point of this passage, when combined with 1^st Corinthians 15, is that all the dead bodies of dead believers will be resurrected immortal. That means regardless of where they are, or what has happened to them during the centuries in which they have undergone decay, or have been digested by scavengers, or even burned to ashes, and scattered who-knows-where.

And then (in the next moment, according to both 1^st Thessalonians 4 and 1^st Corinthians 15,) the living bodies of those who are still alive at that time will be transformed into the eternal, immortal state “in the twinkling of an eye!”

But, When?

It is also important to read 1^st Thessalonians 5, understanding that originally, there were no chapter divisions. Chapter five developed directly out of chapter four. If chapter four describes the rapture of the church, then we see that the tribulation begins at that moment!

The “Rapture of the Church” is the portion of the “Day of the Lord” that “Comes as a thief in the night.” It is the only portion of all the grief that is to come and the joy and peace that follows, that can (and will) come as a “surprise.”

All the rest of it is literally “laid out” just as tightly “choreographed” as a play! The Book of the Revelation of Jesus gives us the script, and the world will see those events unfold exactly as written. And all of it follows the removal of the Church, simply because we are not a part of the Coming Judgment on Earth and Israel. (If you have questions about that, read Daniel 9:23-27.)

Nor are we part of the Millennial Kingdom, in the strictest sense: We will all have resurrected, glorified bodies, whereas the Tribulation Saints will enter the Kingdom in their mortal bodies, marrying, bearing children, and living for the full age of the Kingdom in most cases.

So, Where IS Grandma? (Grandpa? Dad? Mom? Wife? Husband?)

It ultimately depends on one thing. Jesus died for their sins, because He died for the Sins of the Whole World. (1^st John 2:2 states it undeniably! “And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”)

But…did they believe His promise, and so receive Him as their Savior?

Each of us has the choice: we can choose the way of life or the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8 says, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”

Hebrews 9:27 says, “…it is given unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Two Possible Destinations

To an unbeliever, that judgment is the “Great White Throne Judgment” in Revelation 20:11-15.

To a believer, that Judgment is the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” in 2^nd Corinthians 5:9-13, but explained in 1^st Corinthians 3:11-15.

If your loved-one was a believer, having placed his or her trust in Jesus’s shed blood as their only hope for salvation from the final judgment of Sin, then I can say with full assurance, that they are with Jesus right now. (And they are looking at Him, by the way, not watching over you!)

If they died still rejecting His offer of eternal life, then, sadly, all I can say is what Jesus said. “They died in their sins.” Can I know whether they, in fact, rejected Him to the end? No! But I can say that Jesus said most of the human race will do just that, and be lost forever!

In Matthew 7:13, 14 Jesus says, “¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

That is just Reality. Hard truth, but honest.

**Now: Do I Like That Judgment?**

No! But I see the justice in it: God hates sin, and He judges sin! He has offered one escape from the destruction that His Judgment is bringing. We can either accept it or reject it, but the Judgment is already in place.

I spent my first eighteen years on God’s “Death Row.” Had I died during that time I would be in hell today. But Jesus stepped in and died in my place, just as he did in your place and in the place of the entire human race. But it took me over eighteen years to realize and to confess that I was a lost sinner, and that I needed a Savior.

That was in 1973. Since that time, the Lord has worked to teach me to walk with Him, and to believe His Word. I certainly have not “arrived.” I am increasingly aware of the fact that I can literally do nothing without Him. I’m sure that the majority of the people here would fervently agree with that conclusion.

But we want our lives to count for eternity. Some friends we have watched pass out of this life and we were sad, because we don’t know for sure where they are. But when those died, whose lives had been transformed by His Grace and His Power, we knew that they had simply “graduated early.” So, we comfort one another in our losses and in our hard times, and we support one another in our striving to walk with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, teach us to love Your Word, and desire Your constant presence and oversight in our lives. Let us rejoice to press on to the mark of that high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

Please Join Us In “A Walk through Galatians, Part 2.”

A Walk Through Galatians, Part 2

© 2026 Lee Tankersley

(Part 2: Galatians 1:11-24)

Introduction:

In the beginning of this epistle, Paul’s introduction gave us a bold stance on where it was going. He combated the false teachers who were speaking against Paul. They were causing confusion with the churches in Galatia and turning believers from faith to legalism. Obviously, legalism is still a relevant issue today. Many groups would try to have us earn God’s favor or even salvation by following rituals and obeying certain rules.

As Christians, God has not boxed us in but has set us free. To uphold our freedom we must stay close to Christ. We stand firm against anyone who promotes subtle or obvious, blatant lies: Ways for us to earn our salvation. Jesus saved us from God’s judgment and the penalty for sin by God’s gift of grace to us. We cannot earn it. (See Ephesians 2:8-9.)

How Does God Save Sinners?

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

We obtain salvation by Grace, through faith (trusting in him) and not by anything else. Being a Christian is in no part based on our own initiative, wise choices, or good character.

Now we will see a little of Paul’s background and how he came to Christ. We don’t know every detail, but he gives us some insight. So if you want to grab your bible we can open up to the book of Galatians 1:11-24. I am reading from the NLT. You can follow along with the translation of your choice. I want to give my sources credit. The NLT Life Application Study Bible, A Layman’s Look at the Epistle to the Galatian Churches, and the BibleRef app.. Thank you.

(Read Galatians 1: 11-24)

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

How the Epistle Began

At the beginning of Paul’s letter, he spoke harshly to the churches of Galatia. They were in serious danger. He did not apologize for his direct words. He knew he could not serve Christ faithfully if he allowed them to stay on the wrong track.

Now he explains his own background to provide insight on his coming to faith.

First Argument

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.

Paul begins this section to the Galatians by proving that he is a real apostle. Some of the Judaizers of that time were spreading rumors that he was not. Paul knew people needed to trust his authority as a genuine apostle, one sent out by Christ himself. So, Paul presented his evidence. Humans never dreamed up the gospel he preached: It’s not “man’s gospel.” Paul is not just passing along some religious teaching he picked up from other people.

We Need Humility to Seek God’s Wisdom

Not relying on our own understanding or reasoning seems to be a foreign idea to us. We actually think too highly of our own ability and think we actually know how everything works. Then we try to push this thought process onto the gospel. Coming to the good news takes humility. It means the willingness to humble oneself and to say, “I don’t have it all figured out: I need help.”

Now I can look at myself and truthfully say I don’t understand my own motivations or desires. I certainly don’t understand yours, much less those of the world we live in. So I take these motivations and desires to the Cross. And I thank God that he has provided a permanent solution. God’s solution does not rely on me. It only requires faith in what Jesus has done on the Cross, and not on myself. (I can be honest: I would have no chance, if it did.)

Now God has given us a new nature, one that looks, understands, loves, and hopes differently. We can have confidence that he will continue this good work in us through a promise, in Philippians 1:6. “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.”

According to Philippians 2:13, we can know God is working in us! “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

Paul Explains the Source of His Information

¹² I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

The message Paul preaches along with the other apostles comes from Jesus himself. We see that Jesus revealed himself to Paul in Acts 9: 3-6. Jesus revealed his true identity that confirmed the gospel message that Paul was looking to destroy. God provided the revelation to Paul. It was not the apostles, nor the believers whom Paul was tracking down and persecuting at that time.

¹³ You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

Paul reminds the Galatians that he was not a friend of the apostles or the good news. He had been on a path to try to destroy it at all cost. In Acts 7:54-8:3 we see that Paul, (then known as Saul,) fully approved of the stoning and death of Stephen. Paul frequently talks about the zeal he had for the law. Also, that he had surpassed his peers in religious knowledge and practice. He was far more zealous than the Judiazers were, for the law.

The Gospel Is For the World

Many Jews had a hard time understanding that God gave his message of salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. But God has always planned to offer salvation to all people. He had revealed this plan clearly and repeatedly through the Old Testament prophets and had fulfilled it through Jesus Christ. Now He announced it through Paul.

Jesus fulfilled somewhere around 300+ prophecies of the Old Testament. God gave many of these prophecies hundreds of years before the birth of Christ: They cover various aspects of his life including his birth at Bethlehem, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Mathematician Peter W. Stoner calculated that the probability of one person fulfilling just eight of these prophecies is 1 in 10¹⁷. That’s 1 in one hundred quadrillion, that’s 17 zeros… The chances of that are like taking a silver dollar and marking it in some way, then filling Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, and having a blindfolded person pick out that single marked coin on the first try.

Paul’s Calling

¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.

Paul continues to defend his authority by telling of his extraordinary conversion to show that his message came directly from God. God commissioned Paul to preach the good news to the Gentiles when (See Acts 9: 3-6) he revealed Jesus to him on the road to Damascus.

When Did God Choose Paul?

Paul says, “even before I was born, God chose me” Now I’m not going to pretend that I fully comprehend this, because I don’t. It really baffles me, but we see proof of it happening before, in the Old Testament, when God was talking to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

And in Ephesians 1:4, Paul says the same truth is for us also: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”

God chose us to make the point that salvation depends totally on God. He saved us, not because we deserve it, but because God graciously and freely gives us salvation. Our wisdom or good behavior does not have any impact on God’s decision, in his Mercy he has saved us according to his plan and has set us apart.

I guess that is the reality of having a God who is omniscient and is outside of our space and time. He knows the end before the start. He is the only being able to know all things because he has created all things.

Paul’s Response to Conversion

¹⁷ Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

So Paul didn’t “rush out” to go find Peter, John, or any of the other twelve, or head over to Jerusalem to consult with them or with anyone who was a believer before he was: He went away! What was he doing?

I don’t have all the answers for you: My time in my studies and just talking to people about Jesus or trying to share the good news has taught me that I’m not an apologist.

But I will ask, if you had an enemy who was hunting you down, and he “disappeared,” and then showed back up on your team (as we will see in the next verse) how would you respond?

(Compare Acts 9:22-26) We should remind ourselves that The book of Acts is a historical document with a continuous narrative that spans roughly 30 years. Jesus commissioned Paul in Acts 9:15-16. That leads me to the conclusion that during that three years, he also was trained by Jesus as the other apostles were, through whatever means God chose to use.

Paul’s encounter with Jesus showed that he believed who Jesus said He was. If we look at the bible “with blinders on” we can easily be deceived and fooled by our own understanding or “human wisdom.”

Paul Gives Credit to God

Paul speaks on these things, saying in 1 Corinthians 1:19-22, “¹⁹As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” ²⁰ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹ Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. ²² It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.”

Some Demand Signs and Miracles

Trying to share the good news, I have encountered people who say things like “Where are all the miracles?” or “I would believe it if I saw a miracle because they happen all the time in the Bible”, and I think that’s a scary place to want to be. Having to try and explain that the bible timeline is compressed, and was written roughly over 1,500-1,600 years spanning roughly about 6,000 years of history, with many things still to come, and God’s preferred method of working is through people, he seldom does what the world describes as miracles.

Trying to explain this to someone and have them view the Bible with a wider lens is disheartening, and I have come to understand that if someone is seeking a miracle or is only interested in worldly wisdom, it won’t matter what is put in front of them, they will reject it. But we need to continue as Chet has taught us through and from the Bible, that we are to stand, shine a light, and sound an alarm.

This is Not a New Problem

(Remember Proverbs 3:5 “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.)

¹⁸ Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

We can see this in Acts 9: 26-30, when he arrived he was met with fear from the believers there: They remembered who he was and the reputation he had. But after Barnabas found him, he became a bridge to the apostles. Barnabas came alongside Paul, putting behind himself the fear and reputation he had known him for: Barnabas saw Paul’s change.

Can God Change You and Me?

Some people claim to be Christian but don’t intend to allow Jesus to produce any change in their life, heart, and mind. That is something to think about as James, (the one Paul meets in verse 19,) says, in James 2:14-16 ¹⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

If Paul had not allowed Jesus to change his heart, then Barnabas may have never seen the light that allowed the barrier of fear to be broken down.

We know we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone: Then and only then are we made holy: We are set apart to do the good things he planned for us long ago. Paul finally returned from his three years away: Barnabas brought him to Peter, and James, who at the time was serving as a leader of the church of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was and still is where the first church is. People gathered in house churches for worship, prayer, and fellowship.

Paul spent the two weeks not in training or commissioning with Peter for he already had received that from the Lord, but preaching boldly with them before a few of the Jews there tried to kill him, he was then sent away to Tarsus which was his hometown.

²¹ After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.

Why Did Paul Leave?

Paul must not have planned to stay there long: Even though he already had people who were looking to kill him, he shares with us this understanding in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Paul didn’t shrink or shy away from his call and the attempts on his life: He realized his life did not belong to him, Paul expresses this in one of my favorite verses and one beloved by many: Galatians 2:20 “²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

We will dive deeper into this verse another time. His new reputation was seen by both sides. When we have put our trust in Christ we are no longer who we were and Paul shares this understanding also in Philippians 3:13 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”

(So, no matter who you were, you don’t have to be like that person now.)

God Calls us to Change

²² And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. ²³ All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” ²⁴ And they praised God because of me.”

The churches of Galatia knew Paul and believed the good news he shared, only to turn and doubt him, the Judean churches only knew what people were saying about him: They knew his change could have only come from God, and so instead of doubting Paul’s credibility the Judean churches believed and glorified God.

Now, you and I may or may not have had as dramatic a change as Paul had, but our lives should still change in ways to honor God. When people look at me, do they recognize that change? If not, what might be getting in the way of the Holy Spirit’s work in my life? What are ways that I could better show others the work God is doing in my new life? These are some questions we should ask ourselves.

Jesus is the One Who Changes Us

I was reading the gospel of Mark recently and something stuck out that I want to share. Jesus said in Mark 2:17 “When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Realizing that I am in need, that I don’t have it all figured out, and knowing that Jesus isn’t afraid of all my failures and brokenness, or whatever I think about myself or what I may have done; I take all my passions and desires to the Cross and allow Him to change me: To change the way I see and think about things.

Whether it be fast or slow, I know He will not fail me or abandon me, and it is all for His glory. The biggest step is to allow Him to mold me into the person He created me to be.

Amen.

June 27, 2026June 28, 2026

How to See Why Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death

**Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death**

Philippians 1:29

“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”

2^nd Corinthians 4:7-18

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

¹³We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; ¹⁴Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. ¹⁶For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; ¹⁸While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Introduction:

It is easy for us to get caught up in the pronouns “we, us, and you.” In so doing, we can miss the point of this passage. The pronouns are important. They make it clear “who” was suffering at that time, and “who” was being encouraged by those who suffered.

Philippians 1:29 says suffering is a God-given part of the Christian life, as a whole. (Yes, that includes us!) And, in 2^nd Corinthians 1:3-11, we saw some of the reasons for suffering as believers.

But, here, we see the apostles’ perspective regarding their own suffering, as it related to their progeny in Christ. We see how it affected those whom they taught and encouraged. Paul knew that how he responded to suffering would have a direct impact on the lives of the other disciples. His example, and that of the other apostles, would give those who came after them (including present-day believers…us!) a template upon which to model their own lives and deaths.

So, we see that “we,” here. includes Paul and his associates, but we also see that it may apply directly to us. Some may not suffer much, by comparison. Others are under constant attack, or under threat of persecution or death.

But all believers have this as part of our heritage in Christ. (…unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ…) Notice it is “given”…not dumped on us as the act of a capricious deity, but as the gift of a sovereign God who encourages us to respond well to hard times.

Earthen Vessels

The apostles did not see themselves as something special. Notice, in 1^st Corinthians 3:5-9, that Paul made the disclaimer that neither he nor Apollos were anything. He reminded the readers that it is God who causes growth, and who quickens people’s hearts to hear the Gospel.

⁵Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

⁷So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

⁹For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

Jesus said, in John 15:5, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing.” And, He meant exactly that!

Why Earthen Vessels?

As we taught last week, it is the treasure inside the earthen vessels that makes them priceless before God.

We are not “shiny objects,” attractive to the world. We only reflect God’s light, which simultaneously exposes sin in the world and offers life to all who receive it. (Birds, squirrels and other critters frequently grab shiny objects, just because they are shiny. They get no practical use out of your earring, or car key. It was just shiny, so they grabbed it and took it away to their nest.

The world does not see God’s light as something glittering and attractive. Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

So, when people of the world see a common clay pot, glowing with something “out of the ordinary,” they may reject the light they see leaking out of the common clay vessel. But some may be drawn to the light, seeing that the person they are observing is nobody special, but whatever it is they appear to have, is special!

Neither Paul nor Apollos claimed to be anything special: They just allowed God to freely use them as tools in His hand.

Trouble on Every Side!

The apostles did not have easy lives. They did not get treated like royalty, but rather were frequently derided or attacked by those who despised the message. Paul said,

“ ⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. ¹¹For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

The reason God allowed the apostles to suffer, was to demonstrate His own sufficiency. It did not take a “super-saint” to live the Christian life. It took men and women with the humility and courage to present themselves as saved sinners, with nothing of value to offer, except the Person of Christ: Paul said “We preach Christ Crucified!” He went on to point out that to the Jews, (and other religious individuals who think they are too good to need a Savior) it is an offensive message. To Gentiles (or to anyone who thinks they are too smart to need a God,) it is a foolish message. They laugh at it as a story for the ignorant masses.

God’s Chosen Example

But the example God has chosen to use is the persecuted church. Historically, under persecution, the church grows strong and vital. It becomes a more vibrant, joyous organism. It attracts people who see the reality of the risen Christ in those who endure suffering, persecution, and general hardship, and who respond well to the test. They are drawn to them, because they recognize that it is a supernatural relationship, bearing supernatural fruit in a normal, common, human being.

Some of the apostles were imprisoned before the end of the book of Acts. At least one (James) was executed, quite early. The others, one by one, were all eventually slaughtered for their faith, according to extra-biblical traditions and history. John may be the sole counterexample. But some historians claim that he, too, eventually was taken from exile and killed.

¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Death was demonstrated in the apostles, for the benefit of the church which saw their example of faith and followed that example, pursuing a similar lifestyle. The deaths of the apostles drew others to live for Jesus, as they saw the reality of the life of Christ lived out in the apostles.

The Spirit of Faith

That Spirit of Faith is what keeps us going in the face of distress. He motivates us to speak when it is uncomfortable to speak.

Two Examples

When Pat James told the young fellow that the only One with the authority to declare where his dad was, after Death, was God. And therefore, it simply did not matter what Pat thought. What mattered was what God said! Was that a “pleasant thing” to have to tell a neighbor? No. it truly was not! But Pat was faithful to go ahead and tell the truth. Why? Because he believed it! He spoke and it was not very well received. But it was the truth, and Pat was faithful to speak.

On another occasion, a person who once attended church here, and who had always acted completely cheerful and friendly, met Pat on the street, here in Forest Grove. The man was confined to a motorized wheelchair, but he always seemed completely sunny and cheerful.

However, when they met on the street, that day, it was the morning after a particular president had been elected. Pat, along with most conservatives, was feeling pretty glum. The man in the wheelchair joyfully asked, “Aren’t you happy about the election results?”

Pat quietly replied, “No, not really.” The man then demanded, “Don’t you want [that candidate] for president??” Pat again answered, quietly, “No, not really!” And the man was instantly furious; incensed, cursing at Pat, and threatening to get out of his wheelchair and attack him!

Pat backed out of his reach, saying, “No, I am not going to be in the news tomorrow, as ‘the pastor who attacked a crippled guy’!” Then he simply walked away. And, unsurprisingly, the man never came back to church.

Is it Easy?

Was that exchange happy for Pat? No, it was sad and shocking, and depressing. Did he tell the truth? Yes! Did he say anything wrong? No. He gave a simple direct answer to an aggressively direct question, without adding any explanation or political posturing. And he was reviled, rejected, and threatened with bodily harm.

Under the circumstances, Pat set the best example he could have: He had already spoken the truth of the Gospel in church, in his attacker’s hearing. He had no reason to expect that kind of abuse. But the man demonstrated the “bad news” of sin and hatred, in the face of someone who had consistently demonstrated the Good News of Grace and Forgiveness.

Pat knew that he was serving Jesus, and he knew that his words and actions would have a long-tern effect. I can look back and realize that many of Pat’s experiences were ultimately for our benefit. He was not discouraged to the point of collapse. He just pressed on to do the will of His Master. And, as Paul said, his inner man was renewed day by day!

Conclusion: Our “Light Affliction…”

Our light affliction works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. The way for us to see life from that perspective is laid out right here in verse 18: We are not to focus on visible, temporal things, but to remember and rejoice in the invisible, eternal things God has in store for us.

We struggle with that, because we have a lifetime of experience, focusing on the visible and temporal. It takes effort and practice, to learn to consistently focus on the things of God.

And that is what we are advocating here at church. We are not entertaining one another: we are encouraging one another to turn our eyes upon Jesus and to learn to walk with Him.

Lord Jesus, we ask that You would do just that: Encourage our hearts, and lead us to faithfully serve and consistently walk with you.

June 20, 2026June 20, 2026

How to Understand Why The Gospel is Not of Us, but of God

The Gospel: Not of Us, but of God; Not Pride but Humility.

2^nd Corinthians 4:5-7

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

As we attempt to share our faith with others, we are plagued with the sense that it’s not “Normal” to talk to people about Jesus. We shrink from doing so, because it is socially unacceptable, and potentially offensive. We fear the rejection of our fellow humans.

There are several ways to address that fear:

First, We All Evangelize About Everything Else!

We tell people about a great restaurant we really like: “Great food, great portions, great prices, friendly staff, etc. ….” And no one is offended! They are glad to know about that place.

We tell people about the great recipe we tried recently, and we offer to send it to the other person: They are glad to receive it, even if they never actually use it. Or we tell them about a great book we just read…or where we got our shoes, or the effectiveness of the new medication for (whatever the ailment)…and no one is offended.

But if we tell them about the Great God, the Creator: If we tell them of the Savior…Then we are seen as transgressors, and proselyters. They see us as zealots at best, and false witnesses at worst. Many people take offence at such talk: And we fear their disapproval.

We can observe, then, that evangelism is not the problem. The Person and Message of the Gospel is the Problem.

**Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God**

Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

Because the Human Race does not want to think of God, and does not want to see Him for who He is, (The Creator, the Lawgiver, the Judge, and the Savior,) God has allowed them to follow their natural trajectory away from Him and to reap the inevitable results of their rebellion.

From a Biblical perspective, the reaction people have to the Gospel is completely predictable.

Consider The Following:

I have read, many times, that when a horse barn catches fire, the panicked horses will fight against any attempt to lead them out of the barn. The barn is their “safe place.” The fact that the barn is now burning around them does not translate in their minds to “GET OUT of the Barn!” Without intervention, they will stay there and burn.

The only way to calm them, so that you can lead them out of the fire, is to cover their eyes with something: A cloth, or a gunny sack, or some other covering, so that the only thing they can now trust is the hand on their bridle. Then you can lead them to safety. They no longer see the Terror around them.

So, Where Are We Hiding, as Humans?

Our “safe place” as humans, has been our ordinary life, among ordinary people, neighbors, friends, and co-workers: It includes our usual experiences, and our usual, habitual responses to those experiences. We have been taught by our societies (all of them) that we, as humans, are sufficient in ourselves. But Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” And the universal result of that folly, according to the following verses, is that we turn away from God, preferring virtually anything else.

It may involve literal idolatry: The worship of false Gods and bowing to their images. Or it may be the humanistic idolatry of believing that, somehow, WE have all the answers, or at least we will soon find them. But the literal idols have never replied to the prayers of their worshippers. And humanism can’t even cure the common cold. We are not nearly so “self-sufficient” as we want to believe.

So, God offers to take our eyes off of the surrounding devastation, and to turn our eyes to Him as our only hope. We are not “brute beasts,” like the horses, but we do have some of the same tendencies. We focus so completely on the insurmountable dangers and tragedies of our fallen world, that we fail to see the sovereign hand of God. He offers us eternal safety and peace in the Person of Christ. Because we fail to see Him, we are still trapped in the destruction of this world.

We Must Understand Where the People of the World are Living

Remember that the people of the world are not “just waiting for you” to tell them how to have eternal life. They have been trained to see themselves as having no need for help from God. They see themselves as being “just as good as anyone else,” (which doesn’t particularly help.) Or perhaps they see themselves as “beyond help.” I have had people tell me that they are too much of a sinner for God to save them.

This is where it is critical that we see what Paul says in verse 5. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

We don’t have the answers, any more than they do! Jesus is the only answer. He alone is God’s solution for the lostness of the Human Race. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” So, we have nothing to offer except Him!

**Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him**

Verse 6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The same God who originally spoke the physical light into existence is the One who has commanded us to shine in the Darkness of this World. And, He has shined in us, enabling us to shine for others. In Matthew 5:15-16, Jesus commanded us to shine for the Glory of God. In Philippians 2:15-16, He says we are doing it!

And right here in 2^nd Corinthians 4, He says how that is even possible: He first shined in us, so that we could shine for Him in this dark World!

If God’s light has taken root in your life, it not only ordains you as a holder of that light, but it also commissions you to shine as a reflection of His Glory: He commands us to Supernaturally Shine, in three specific ways:

The Supernatural Agape love, abounding in our lives. (John 13:34, 35)
The Supernatural Unity of the Spirit, demonstrated among us. (John 17:21)
The Supernatural lifestyle of Spirit-driven Good Works, evidencing God’s Presence. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Remember Where You Came From!

Sometimes we forget that we are just “saved sinners,” and we begin to evidence our unregenerate ego, our old sin-nature. We become proud and self-righteous, rather than humble and only Righteous in Christ. Paul warns us against that trap:

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We may be tempted to think that “we are Fine China, of the best raw materials available!” There are two answers to that idea:

God says we are “earthen pots.” We are cheap clay vessels, available in any marketplace. The treasure inside these “cheap clay vessels” is what is important!
Suppose you do have some sort of “evidence” that you are “a cut above:” You are convinced that you are different, that you are “Fine China!” You should bear in mind that (ironically) toilets are made of fine china, too! Whatever “special stuff” you think you are made of is not necessarily an indicator of your superior status with God.

We have a few “fine china” plates at home that are made to hang on a wall, as decorations. Some of them actually have holes cut in them as part of the design. You can’t use such a plate for much of anything practical. They are just ornaments!

My Choice?

I’d rather be a plain vessel, consecrated to God’s use, and willing to actually do the job He has ordained for us, as opposed to a “classy-looking, but useless” ornament. I want to actually be useful to Him, not just “look good.”

When we do what He tells us to do, we are being practical. When we pray for the lost souls around us (and for one another,) we are being practical. And, when we share with someone else the good news that they can have Eternal Life today, we are being practical, too!

The people with whom you share may or may not respond well to your offer. But if you continue to love them, regardless of their response, that is a further evidence of practicality. Let’s try to take a practical, active stance, regarding the Word of Christ and the Work of the Gospel.

Lord Jesus, please clear our minds of the baggage and debris of human opinion, and the fear of human rejection, and allow us the privilege of sharing Your Love with the lost souls around us.

June 13, 2026June 14, 2026

How to Understand What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry

What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry?

1^st Corinthians 4:2

Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.

2^nd Corinthians 4:1-7

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; ²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

Recently, we saw, in 2^nd Corinthians 3:6, that we are “ministers of the New Testament.” The idea is that we serve the New Covenant. We deal in the Good News of the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But we are Not promoting a list of rules by which one may try (and fail) to please a Holy God.

We preach the Gospel of Christ, which God says is His power to save all those who believe it. He receives all those who come to Him by faith.

So, we ought to consider, “God has made me an Ambassador of Christ, and a minister of the New Testament. How does He want me to act upon that responsibility?

The word “minister” simply means “servant.” In western culture, we have elevated that word to mean a high office. Minister of the interior, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, etc. But it literally means a servant.

Each of us has been given a stewardship of some sort: There are people within your sphere of influence or even just social contacts, to whom you may be the only source of God’s light in their world. The question then becomes, how are you shining that light for them?

We talked last week about how Moses’s face glowed when he “had been with Jesus.” Also, we saw that the disciples’ lives and speech radiated the fact that they “had been with Jesus.” We talked about the New Testament “shine” that is our task in the world. And, a long time ago, we remembered how God gave Gideon’s Army three tasks:

Stand
Shine a light
Sound an alarm…sound the warning.

We see that God has given us the same three tasks. We have a stewardship to fulfil.

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

1^st Corinthians 4:2

“Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

What is Faithfulness?

In some contexts, the word “faithful” just means the believers: it is describing those who have placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior. But, in the context of behavior, it means “reliability:” It means that you can be counted on to actually do what your job entails. It means that you do not just “talk a good fight.”

If the job assigned to a steward is to “walk through a factory and count all their inventory,” then, regardless of how boring and pointless it may seem, an accurate, complete count of everything on the list is absolutely essential to faithfulness. Estimates are not acceptable. (How many gallons of what color of paint? How many cases of toilet paper? Etc.)

If the job to which we are assigned is to “walk worthy of the calling to which you are called,” it means day-by-day walking with Jesus, and responding to the people around you with the Love of Christ. It means fulfilling whatever physical responsibilities you have accepted or have been assigned. We can read about that part of the assignment in Ephesians 4:1-3.

But, if the job is the Great Commission, (and it is) then we need to think about how we can further that task. I may or may not be able to do certain jobs. I will never be a bush pilot, so I will not be taking missionaries into jungle airstrips. However, I can support those missionaries, though, and look for ways to further the job of the Great Commission. Also, I can encourage those around me and help them to focus on the job, too. That is all part of faithfulness.

So, Then, What IS Faithful Ministry?

Paul introduced the idea in 2^nd Corinthians 4:1-2

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Notice that the first thing Paul says, is that because we have received this ministry (and we have) then, as we have also received the mercy of God that goes along with the job, we do not “faint.” We do not succumb to discouragement.

Yes, we experience discouragement; from the World, from our own sin nature (the Flesh) and from our immortal enemy, the Devil. But we press on, regardless. That is the first element of what we call faithfulness: Don’t quit! Choose to keep on doing what God has assigned to you!

But Look At What Else God Says: (verse 2)

Renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty
Not walking in Craftiness
Not handling the Word of God deceitfully
Manifesting (“making known”) the Truth

The result is that we (as faithful ministers of the Grace of God) find ourselves commended unto the conscience of other people, and before God.

We seek to handle God’s Word faithfully, not feeling that we have to make everything easily understandable in natural terms: We are dealing specifically with the Supernatural, by definition. Time, space, and physical “laws” do not limit God. He is the Author of all things. He can “change the Game” when He chooses to do so. And, only the limits of His own perfect character bind Him in any way.

We are required to say, “I don’t know,” when we don’t know, rather than struggle to come up with an acceptable, palatable explanation. Any other behavior is dishonest. If we try to show that we know it all, and are conscious that we are deliberately giving an answer contrary to the Spirit of God, it is Craftiness, as the actions of Satan are described. None of us wants to be guilty of that! We devote ourselves to Not handling the Word of God deceitfully, by using “out-of-context proof-texts.” We allow God’s Word to comment on itself, as the most accurate commentary.

In all things, we strive to make known the Truth. (Manifesting the Truth) Not only the general truths of what God’s Word actually says, but also the TRUTH. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” Are we seeking to make Him known? That is the central issue in faithfulness as His servants, His Stewards, His Ambassadors.

What is the Result, and Why?

There will be those for whom the Gospel remains hidden, even when we attempt to explain it to them. All the world is lost, but some are more open to the truth of God. Some, by choice, are not. They reject all accountability to a Sovereign, Holy God. They insist that they, themselves, are the standard of truth and righteousness. Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” As a result, they have allowed themselves to be blinded to the truth of God’s Word.

Not Just Israel

God specifically addressed the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25) as having become blind to His truth, and says that the day will come when the few who are left will universally see Him as their Savior and Messiah.

But the principle applies to Gentiles, as well: If I had continued to reject the Gospel, there would have come a time when I was blind to it and could no longer make a reasonable decision. I have encountered more than one person who clearly stated that, even if they could absolutely prove that all of the Bible was true, they still would reject it. They do not want to know the God of the Bible, and resent the implication that they need a Savior.

Verse 4 makes it clear that “the god of this world (implying Satan) has blinded their eyes.” And that his underlying purpose is that they will not receive the “light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan’s goal is to prevent the light of the Gospel fromshining for them.

How Do We Pursue the Good Result of the Gospel?

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake

The first point Paul makes is that the Gospel is “not about us:” We do not advance our cause, or our message, but rather the cause and message and Person of Christ… Jesus… The Lord!

We do not present ourselves as anything special: Only as servants…both to the Lord Himself and to the people to whom we are reaching with His message. Paul says, “we are your servants for Jesus’s sake.”

Why Do We Present Ourselves In That Way?

Because the light of God has already shined in our own hearts, and it compels us to reach to others with that same offer.

⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

His light begins our living relationship with Jesus. It opens our hearts to the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus.

We are living in a world full of deceit, and trickery, and broken promises. But, we offer a God of truth, and honesty: The One Who keeps His Promises to Eternity.

We have to allow Him to live in us in such a way that others see His character in us, and begin to hope that they, too, can know that God. Our lives are supposed to be a living example of His Love and Faithfulness.

Finally, What kind of People qualify as Servants?

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are just ordinary people: Clay pots, not fine china. But the key is our focus on the task, and our faithfulness toward completing that task.

The earthen vessels serve to accentuate the Holiness of the God who indwells us. The Excellence we want people to see is not our own, but that of Jesus, Himself.

Who qualifies? Those who have placed their faith in Jesus, and who choose to allow Him to live through them. Jesus said, “Apart from me ye can do nothing.” So, if I keep trying to please Him in my own strength, I am just spinning my wheels, and I am probably getting in the way of what He wants to accomplish.

The humility required to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” is the backbone of Faithfulness. Embrace the Cross, and the Humility of servanthood. God will bless faithfulness and provide opportunities for service.

Lord Jesus, help Your Servants to focus on Your priorities, and to leave behind our old, selfish lives. Develop faithfulness in each of us, and draw us to follow as Your Disciples.

June 6, 2026June 6, 2026

Here’s a Good Question: Why Did Moses’s Skin Glow?

Why Did Moses’s Skin Glow?

Exodus 34:29-35 (Read it!) Compare 2^nd Corinthians 3:7-18

“⁷But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his ⁸How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

⁹For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

¹⁰For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ¹¹For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

¹²Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: ¹³And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

¹⁴But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless when it (their heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

¹⁷Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

¹⁸But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Introduction:

There are some strange things in the Bible…mysterious at first glance, and sometimes still mysterious, no matter how we study, trying to understand.

For instance, it is difficult when we try to understand the triune nature of God. The Bible teaches that He eternally exists in three separate persons. Each of the three is individually (and co-equally with the other two), God. And yet, together, they are literally One God…not three. We hear Jesus say that the Father is greater than all. 1^st Corinthians 15:24-28 says , after the Great White Throne Judgment, Jesus will hand over to His Father the Eternal Kingdom. But…Isaiah 9:6 says that one of the Son‘s names is “the Everlasting Father!“

Sorry! That one remains mysterious!

Others turn out to be pretty simple. We easily discovered the reason David took precisely five stones from the brook when he went to face Goliath. The Giant had four brothers! That is still mind-boggling! To David, (if God is on your side) in order to fight five Giants, you only need five rocks!

**But, Why did Moses’s Face Glow, or Shine?**

So, why did Moses’s face shine or glow, when he returned from talking with God in Person? Is this an exaggeration? We sometimes say that certain people seem to “glow with good health, or with happiness.” That is not the same.

Moses was shining in a way that terrified the people, so that they were afraid to be near him. So, was he radioactive, or, in some way exuding dangerous radiation? If that were it, then veiling his face would not diminish the danger, but only mask it. All we know is that Moses was physically glowing and he did not know it. And, once he knew the problem, he understood why the people feared his presence. He hung a cloth over his face to hide the glow.

What was the source of the Light? Did he develop some sort of bioluminescence? Like a glow-worm, or a firefly? No! It was not a natural phenomenon at all! The simple and mysterious truth? He had been with Jesus.

The Apostles Glowed in a Different Way

In Acts 4:13, 14, we see a hint of how that works today. “¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

Philippians 2:15, 16 says that we are to shine as lights in a dark world, and offer the Word of Life. That is what the Apostles were doing. They were shining, and offering the Word of Life!

They had “been with Jesus” before the Holy Spirit came. Exactly the same amount of time as in Acts chapter 4. But they had not been shining…they were hiding! If we are not walking with Jesus: If we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to shine through us, then we are not shining, either.

We look like pretty dim bulbs, because we are afraid to cheerfully shine the Glory of God in our lives and words. Or, perhaps we have become discouraged, and don’t feel that we can shine.

But Jesus commanded us to allow our light to shine in such a way that other people see the change in our lives, and can glorify God because of what they see.

Matthew 5:14-16

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In John 8:12, speaking of Himself, He said, “I am the light of the World: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” Why did Jesus say that we are the light of the world?

I hope you are starting to see a possible answer.

Where Does the Light Originate?

If we go all the way back to Genesis 1:3, we see that God Himself was the original source of light. John 1:4 tells a similar story, saying “In Him (the Word…Jesus) was life and the life was the light of Men.”

If we see God as the ultimate source of light in the world (all light, physical and spiritual: moral and intellectual) then the whole question begins to become clear.

Moses had been in the immediate physical presence of the ultimate source of light. God had temporarily “charged” Moses with, or filled him with, that light. He continued to radiate it after he had left the immediate presence of God.

The Apostles had been in the physical and relational presence of the Living Word, Jesus, the True Light of the World, for more than three years. The moral and intellectual light of His Person shone through them. It astonished the adversaries, and shut their mouths. All they could do is recognize that the Apostles “had been with Jesus.”

What is the Result of the Light?

Jesus told His disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount, that they were the light of the world. Like a city set upon a hill, they were not to be a hidden value. The light should be visible. And the light that came from God through them would be a witness to the world around them: It would shine and bring glory to God, regardless of people’s individual responses to the Light.

Remember the story about the lantern in the barn: J. Vernon McGee told how as a child, he carried a lantern into the dark barn, as he went to feed the livestock. When he entered the door, two things happened: The rats, scavenging for food on the barn floor, scattered, hiding from the light. The birds, roosting in the rafters mistook the light for sunrise and they began to sing. The same light brought two utterly different responses. Both responses testify to the light!

What About Israel?

Paul says they saw the light and they hid from it. Moses had to put on a veil, so that they would not see the glory of God, even though it was fading. And Paul goes on to say that the same veil is there today, when they read the Old Testament. They are judicially blind to the light of God. Remember that the veil in the temple was torn in two and it opens the way for us all. They have not taken advantage of that open door, as a nation and as a people. Romans 11:25 confirms this, saying that blindness has come upon Israel in part, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.

2^nd Corinthians 3:14-17 says, ¹⁴But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless when it (their heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

So, when the nation of Israel turns its collective heart back to God, the veil will be taken away, and they will be free at last.

What About Us?

How do we fit into this picture? To begin with, we also seek to be the disciples of Jesus. So, his teaching regarding how the disciples were to live would be applicable to us as well. Philippians 2:15, 16 confirms that connection. (Not everything directed to the original disciples is directed to us…Passages like Philippians help us to see which ones are directed to us, and not just to the original disciples.)

He definitely calls us to shine in the World. And we can see that the source of the light has to be Jesus, the Living Word of God. We can also see that the people in the Bible whom everyone saw as “having been with Jesus” were those who had “been with Jesus.”

Moses had been with Jesus! The Apostles had been with Jesus. Stephen, being stoned to death, was shining, and everyone could see it: He not only had been walking with Jesus and speaking for Jesus…He could see Jesus standing to receive him! And they killed him!

**But, What about Us?**

If we are not deliberately seeking the Presence of the Living God in the Person of the Risen Christ, and meditating on the Written Word as we seek to know the Living Word, then we cannot expect to see His Light Permeating our lives.

Years ago, we talked about how, in the wintertime, the headlamps on our vehicles often become spattered with road grime until their light is very dim. We have a difficult time seeing the road. Others may find it difficult to clearly see us, at night. Why is this happening? The electric “fire” inside those lamps has not failed. But, through neglect, or by simple rough use, and severe conditions, the lenses have become so muddy that the light cannot shine through.

Why might we fail to shine?

Our lives are similar in some respects. We need to consistently be watchful, and aware of when we fail to follow, and fail to shine. God calls us to confess our sins, so that He can cleanse us and we can once again shine for Jesus.

The Holy Spirit; God indwelling us, has not changed. His Holiness and Love and Light are still shining, eternally unchanged. But we have allowed the World and our own fleshly fears and follies to dirty, darken, discourage, and dim us until that light is hard to see. We can hardly see it ourselves, let alone others seeing Him in us.

So, here is our hope: 1^st John 3:2

“²Beloved, now are we the sons (“Children:” Greek word is “tekna,” meaning “offspring”) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Folks…I truly want to be like Jesus, but until I see Him face to face, it isn’t going to fully happen. All I can do in this life is to keep focused on the little that I do see of Him, shining through His Word, and in the lives of Godly people around me. The more consistently I seek His face, the more consistently others will have to conclude, “He has been with Jesus!”

Lord Jesus, please grip our hearts with the urgency of Your call to Discipleship. Help us to daily seek Your Face, and be transformed into Your likeness, Shining with Your Light.

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026

In What Way are We Servants of the New Testament?

We are Servants of the New Testament

2nd Corinthians 2:14-3:6

¹⁴Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

¹⁵For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: ¹⁶To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Introduction:

We have often seen Paul presenting himself as a servant of the gospel. Romans 1:1 says “I am consecrated unto the Gospel of God.” Now, we might interpret this passage also, as Paul explaining the life of the apostles.

However, if we consider the parallel passages, where he also says we are Ambassadors of Christ (2^nd Corinthians 5:20.) In the Great Commission itself, Jesus commanded the apostles to make disciples in all nations. Furthermore, it said, teach those disciples to do everything Jesus assigned to the Apostles. Then we have to slow down and consider, “How much of this applies to me directly?”

**Does God Cause Us to Triumph in Christ?**

Against Satan:

Where is the battle? Who is the enemy? Against whom do we put on the whole armor of God, so as to withstand the attacks of the Enemy? Satan is a defeated enemy, but he still attacks us: and God gives us victory.

Against the World:

When God calls us to “overcome the World,” what does He mean? Where do we find the answer to that question? 1^st John 5:4, 5 says it means you have placed your faith in Jesus, as the Son of God. If you have trusted in His blood as full payment for your sins, then YOU have overcome the World!

Against the Flesh:

Is there more? Yes, of course there is! He calls us to walk with Him and to allow Him to increase our faith. He wants to increase our strength and stability in Him. (We can’t lose! God says nothing in the universe can separate you from His love! Romans 8:38, 39)

As we walk with Him, we find that we are also victorious over our old sin nature. We can’t get rid of it entirely, but God says we can continually set it aside. As believers, we can submit our new nature to the holiness of God. We can’t eradicate our old nature in this life, but we can starve it, and have daily victory. Galatians 5:16 promises that IF we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh.

So, yes! God does cause us to triumph in Christ!

**What Is The Result Of That Spiritual Triumph?**

He says that, due to that triumph, God causes us to “Smell like Jesus,” for better or worse. To those who are responsive to God’s call, we smell like eternal life. To those who habitually reject Him, we smell like judgment, and death.

We do not cause that aroma. God causes the fragrance of Christ as the result of His Grace manifested itself in our lives. Look at 2:14 again: He says God causes us to triumph, and God makes known the savour (aroma, or fragrance) of His knowledge by us in every place.

But, since that is the standard, if we see that we are not “smelling like Jesus” then the lack is in our response to Him. God does not fail, but we frequently fail to cooperate with His Grace. So, to the question, “Who is sufficient for these things?” we reply, “Only God!”

**What Does it Mean, to “Corrupt the Word of God?”**

The word translated as “corrupt” in verse 17 can also be translated as, “peddle,” or “make merchandise of.” When a band sells “merchandise” at a concert, it includes all sorts of “I was there” memorabilia. (Junk, really, but to those who want to advertise a favorite band, it may seem desirable.) And the band frequently makes more from the merchandise sales than they do the ticket sales.

There are preachers who are “in the ministry” for money, and they have an agenda to sell. They use God’s Word as merchandise, and they hope to gain great financial support from people who “like their message.” One problem with that approach is that they tend to modify the content to some degree, in an effort to make their message more popular. In doing so, they are corrupting God’s Word.

We have nothing to sell! We preach the Good News of Salvation through the Cross, but we also preach the bad news: “The necessity of the Cross: Why did Jesus have to die for us?”

Obviously, we cannot afford to “make God’s Word more palatable.” If we were to do so, we would be corrupting the Word, which Paul specifically warns against, here.

We choose to tell people the truth about Jesus: That He is God in the Flesh. That He hates sin just as much as ever, but He chose to become a man and to die in place of the entire Human Race. We teach that He calls us to place our trust in His completed Work, and to abandon our attempts to please Him with our own works. He asks us to allow Him to work through us. And He has given us a job, which He will accomplish through us, as we walk with Him by faith.

2^nd Corinthians Chapter 3

¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

⁴And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: ⁵Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; ⁶Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

**No Self-Commendation, and No Self Condemnation:**

Paul cautions the Corinthian believers to understand that he is not “commending himself:” He says if anyone wants a “letter of recommendation” regarding his work, they should read the lives of the people who have believed the Gospel and who are being set free from sin!

He says that the believers who have benefitted in one way or another by Paul’s teaching are the only letter of recommendation He can ask for. Either God has been working via the Gospel, and the message Paul has preached is sound teaching, or He has not, and Paul’s ministry is flawed.

God’s Word transforms lives! He works from the inside out, to renew our minds and to strengthen our walk with Him. Paul faithfully transmitted the true Gospel of Christ, and everywhere Paul went and shared the message of the Gospel, there was either a riot, a revival, or both! Why? Because he was telling the truth!

The message can be clearly read in the changed hearts and lives of the believers. No one has to go to a temple and read the commandments written in the stone. They can see the living Word of God shining in the changed lives of His saints.

Why is that happening? Because of the triumph we saw in chapter 2. God “has (past tense) made us able ministers (servants) of the New Testament…the New Covenant.”

What Gospel do We Preach?

We do not “preach the Law,” though it is Holy and unchanging: We preach the Righteousness of Christ, which now is available to all. Romans 3:21 says, “But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.”

We no longer condemn ourselves for failing to “keep the Law:” No one but Jesus ever succeeded in keeping the Law. Acts 15:7-11 says that none of the Jews, who were raised up from infancy under the Law were ever able to keep it. It goes on to say that the Gentiles are not responsible to “keep the Law.”

They (and all believers, Jew or Gentile) are offered the Gift of Eternal life through the finished work of Jesus at the Cross. The Law, thereafter, sees the believer as “Dead in Christ!” ( Galatians 2:19-21) And the Law has no effect on “dead people”…it warns the living of the Holiness of God, and the coming judgment. But our judgment was carried out and finished at the Cross.

What did John the Baptist and Jesus preach?

John the Baptist preached the coming Judgment and the promise of God. Jesus pointed out that as natural humans, we are already under the condemnation of God for our sin. But He presented His life as the sacrifice for our sins, and promised that we can have eternal life immediately, if we believe His Word, and trust in His shed blood for our salvation.

We do not have to wait until we die to know that we have eternal life. He gives it immediately when we place our faith in Him, and He says that He wants us to know that we have eternal life. Romans 8:2 says that “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death!”

That is Good News!

So, What is Our Job?

We know that our job is to be ambassadors for Christ. So, we want to learn how to do our job effectively. When I worked as a welder, I wanted to learn to do my job well, with top quality welds and high productivity. I wanted to be effective at my job.

Here at True Hope Christian Fellowship, we are attempting to equip the saints for the work of ministry, as we are told to do in Ephesians 4:11-17. We hope to see all the believers grow to be highly functional as ambassadors of Christ.

That involves thorough, serious teaching of the Written Word, and constant encouragement for all of us to “get out of our comfort zone,” as they say.

But the fact remains, for all of us: We have a job to do! Let’s get on with it!

Lord Jesus, grip our hearts with the honor You have conferred upon us, that we are allowed to go to work with You, every day, and see Your hand changing the world around us, and offering life to the hopeless. Teach us to be devoted to Your service, so that it is no longer a matter of convenience, but of true commitment.

The New Birth Comes With a New Job

2nd Corinthians 5:17-21

Introduction:

What Is The Result Of That New Creation?

So, What If We Don’t See Things That Way?

God’s Call to See things His Way

Does He Continue to Love us?

What Is “Reconciliation?”

God HAS Reconciled Us to Himself!

What is the Ministry of Reconciliation?

God Passed On That Ministry To Us!

A Harsh Reality

Our Choice

Understanding the Motivation of the Apostles and Ambassadors

2nd Corinthians 5:11-17

Introduction:

The Fear of the Lord:

Godly Fear Moved The Apostles

Judgment is Already Here, But it is Also Yet To Come

What is the Alternative?

The Love Of Christ Constrains Us: WHY?

The Love of Christ Constrains Us… Why?

The Conclusion?

We Are New Creations in Christ!

How Can God Love A Sinner Like Me?

How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer

2nd Corinthians 5:8-11

Introduction:

So, How Does God Save Sinners?

But, What About The Future?

So, As Believers, How Does the Rebirth Change Our Priorities? (v. 8, 9)

What About the Judgment Seat of Christ? (v. 10)

All the Judgments are Fearful to Consider:

Original Judgment

Judgment of Sin at the Cross

Judgement Seat of Christ (Judgment of Believers’ Works.)

Judgement of the Living Nations

The Great White Throne Judgment

Therefore, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, We Persuade Men

We are made manifest unto God; and also made manifest in your consciences.

How to Know Where a Loved-One Has Gone

2nd Corinthians 5:1-9

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

Introduction:

So, How CAN we Know?

Personal Assurance: What Should YOU Know?

The Beginning

Is There Truly A Paradox?

But, When?

So, Where IS Grandma? (Grandpa? Dad? Mom? Wife? Husband?)

Two Possible Destinations

Now: Do I Like That Judgment?

A Walk Through Galatians, Part 2

© 2026 Lee Tankersley

(Part 2: Galatians 1:11-24)

Introduction:

How Does God Save Sinners?

(Read Galatians 1: 11-24)

How the Epistle Began

First Argument

We Need Humility to Seek God’s Wisdom

Paul Explains the Source of His Information

The Gospel Is For the World

Paul’s Calling

When Did God Choose Paul?

Paul’s Response to Conversion

Paul Gives Credit to God

Some Demand Signs and Miracles

This is Not a New Problem

Can God Change You and Me?

Why Did Paul Leave?

God Calls us to Change

Jesus is the One Who Changes Us

Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death

Philippians 1:29

2nd Corinthians 4:7-18

Introduction:

Why Earthen Vessels?

Trouble on Every Side!

God’s Chosen Example

2^nd Corinthians 5:17-21

**God’s Call to See things His Way**

**What is the Ministry of Reconciliation?**

2^nd Corinthians 5:11-17

**We Are New Creations in Christ!**

2^nd Corinthians 5:8-11

**Therefore, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, We Persuade Men**

2^nd Corinthians 5:1-9

1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18

**Is There Truly A Paradox?**

**Now: Do I Like That Judgment?**

**Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death**

2^nd Corinthians 4:7-18

2^nd Corinthians 4:5-7

**Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God**

**Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him**

1^st Corinthians 4:2

2^nd Corinthians 4:1-7

1^st Corinthians 4:2

Exodus 34:29-35 (Read it!) Compare 2^nd Corinthians 3:7-18

**But, Why did Moses’s Face Glow, or Shine?**

**But, What about Us?**

**Does God Cause Us to Triumph in Christ?**

**What Is The Result Of That Spiritual Triumph?**

**What Does it Mean, to “Corrupt the Word of God?”**

2^nd Corinthians Chapter 3

**No Self-Commendation, and No Self Condemnation:**