2 Corinthians 5:15-17 

¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Tulip

What’s your favorite flowers? Did you ever like tulips? Tulips appear to be dead in winter but they sprout and bloom again in the next spring. September to November are the best months to plant tulip bulbs. In spring, tulips sprout and bloom. Tulip foliage or leaves turn brown and wither in fall.

In Canada, leaves and foliage of trees fall in autumn but like tulips, perennial plants sprout in spring. Perennial plants are dead in winter and return to life in spring. It practically illustrates how our old sinful life died and reborn is into new creation in Jesus Christ. By faith in him, the Lord gave us new life. Seriously now, let’s reflect on what it declares in John 1:12-13.

¹²To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

By faith in Christ, we receive the right to become children of God. We also become citizens of heaven and have firm confidence to live with God forever. Spiritually, we are reborn into new creation in Christ. And the Lord sent his Holy Spirit into our hearts to teach and guide how we behave in godly manner. As citizens of heaven, we now behave like children of God.

By human effort, we cannot behave like children of God. Instinctively, we behave in worldly manner naturally. We can spontaneously behave only as children of God when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Believers who are still infants spiritually would need to be regularly reminded.

When we were young children, parents regularly remind us of house chores. But when we matured into adults, we initiate doing house chores on our own. Similarly, as we grow mature spiritually, we realize that we no longer live for our selfish goals. We now live for the glory of Christ. Even if we die before Christ returns, we hope that he raises us up into heaven.

1.  Raise

        ⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Christ died and raised again for our sake. His death on the cross was the grand design of God for our salvation from the penalty of sin. When sin infiltrated the world, all mankind are inclined to follow sinful desires. Christ was raised and resurrected from the dead to practically prove that he is the chosen Messiah who will raise us up into heaven when he returns.

Temptation for sinful deed and behavior can happen anytime. Let us reflect on what Jesus Christ warned when he found that his disciples were sleeping in Mark 14:37-38, ³⁷He said to Peter, “Simon,” are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

It happened on the night before Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Watch, be sober, be alert. Pray.” Then, he went little farther to pray. Later, he actually found the disciples sleeping. It was night time, and they just had eaten supper, and so, they were tempted to fall asleep.

What’s wrong with sleeping. Nothing wrong about sleeping. But Christ instructed his disciples to keep watch while he prayed. They disobeyed his command to watch and pray. They fall into temptation of sleep. Christ used that situation to warn us that temptation could happen anyone, anywhere.

We may desire to obey the Lord, but we can be easily tempted also.

Temptation comes in different facades. Prosperity, popularity, power, immorality are wild agents of temptation. Who is not tempted by money? Who is not tempted by popularity? Who is not tempted by power? Who is not attracted of beautiful ladies or handsome men? Nobody! We’re warned.

Christ advised that we must be alert and pray to avoid temptation.

Daniel

Prophet Daniel was so distinguished, and King Darius planned to make him Prime Minister of the whole kingdom. That should be great news but other officials were envious, and they schemed against Daniel. It stated in Daniel 6:7-11, ⁷The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ⁹So King Darius put the decree in writing.

          ¹⁰Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

As the highest official next to King Darius, Daniel had great privileges.

And Daniel could follow the decree issued by King Darius to avoid charges.

But he was not tempted to hold onto his political position and privileges. He decided to pray. He asked God for help. God helped him as he expected.

God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions after Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. That miracle served as practical proof that despite evil scheme of oppositions, Daniel’s faith in God was not shaken. And what happened? King Darius issued a decree as it narrated in Daniel 6:26-28.

²⁶“In every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. ²⁷He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” ²⁸So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Life is unpredictable. Temptation is not to be taken for granted. Some people scheme to distort the truth. They may plan to damage reputations. We have to be watchful and prayerful always and trust that God will use all circumstances to accomplish his purposes favorable to us who love him.

The sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is more than enough proof of his care for us. Christ resurrected and raised from the dead as proof that he will resurrect us into heaven with him. How can we practically prove that Christ will raise us up into heaven? We live our lives for heavenly purposes.

We let Christ takes control of our life. We reject worldly behavior. We have new life in Christ, and we regard our old worldly lifestyle as dead.

2.  Regard

       ¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

How can anyone regard Christ from a worldly point of view? A worldly point of view is self-centered, self-regard and always look for self-interest. Self-interest says, “What can punctuality benefit me? I attend church in my convenient time. I give the tithes of God, if I have some extra money.”

Basically, when goal is limited to self-indulgence, it has no difference from pagans who do not believe in God. Of course, we live as any ordinary person do but we behave according to God’s stipulations for godly children.

Jesus Christ died for us and saved us from eternal punishment. By faith in him, we no longer live for self-regard. We now live for Christ’s glory.

Together, let’s seriously reflect on what it declared in Romans 14:7-9.

⁷None of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

When you trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, did you surrender all your life, dreams, plans, priorities and future to him? In short, we belong to the Lord. The life we live, we live for Christ. How can live for Christ?

Armor-bearer

Together let’s learn for what it narrated in 1 Samuel 31:3-5. ³The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. ⁴Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

The life purpose of the armor-bearer was to carry the armor, shield, and weapon of King Saul. His life and loyalty belongs to his master. When his master died, he lost his purpose for living. He died with his master Saul.

He lived his life for the sake of his master who cannot save him. It’s futile.

But we completely give our loyalty to Christ for our everlasting favor.

We should practice living our life as citizens of heaven. May we be able to internalize what Apostle Paul testified in Philippians 1:20-21, ²⁰I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This is our ultimate purpose as Christian. But we can only do so when we reach the level of spirituality of Apostle Paul. We can memorize it but it is by the grace of God we can completely surrender everything in our life. Submission to Christ practically proves that we have been reborn into new creation. You were born spiritually, if you have been reborn in Christ.

3.  Reborn

      ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

To be in Christ is total surrender. Everything we have belongs to him.

Do you trust that God designed the best for you? If so, then, you let him totally control all things that belong to you: life, career, desire, priorities, plans, possessions, even problems. You let God use them all for his glory.

Think about your most precious practical possessions: Your career, degree, hobbies, business, car, jewelry, electronic gadget. If the Lord wants to use them for his godly purposes, will you agree without any hesitation?

Expensive Perfume

Let’s learn from the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus in Matthew 26:7-13, ⁷A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹“This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Indeed, what the woman did for Christ is told wherever the gospel is preached not just in Jerusalem but throughout the world. Accordingly, her perfume was worth a year’s minimum wage. That is about CDN$35,000.00 in this generation. That amount could have bought her a brand new car.

Someone may think that the woman must be rich, and she can afford an expensive perfume and poured on Jesus. The disciples suggested the expensive perfume to be sold and given to the poor. Surely, Christ does not neglect the poor. But he prefers to use our possessions for his glorious purpose, like what the woman did. Truly, we can help the poor anytime.

Ordinary minds consider helping the poor as humanitarian kindness. And many vloggers are publishing videos while they offer help to the poor. They publish their goodness to the poor and they also earn profits.

Actually, helping is practical strategy to connect with the poor. But as Christians, our mission purposes is to help and lead them to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We should testify about being reborn in Christ.

I suppose, after giving some practical help to the needy and we take time to share the gospel, the Lord will bless us even more practically. Pray and ask the Lord to discern his divine appointment when and where to talk, share, and testify about life adventure as new creation in Christ. Amen!

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