Plain to God
2 Corinthians 5:11-14
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
Devotion to the Lord
Who would be puzzled when you were so devoted to the Lord? You attend church Sunday after Sunday. And you refuse to work overtime just to worship with fellow believers on Sundays. You prioritize the Lord instead of accumulating more wealth for your future retirement indulgences. Why?
Why are you so faithful to the Lord? It’s God’s transformational work for us to gather and worship him. Seriously, how do you personalize what the Lord told Moses in Exodus 3:12, 12God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Moses had doubted his ability, but God assured him of his presence. In Egypt, God performed miracles through Moses, and he divided of the Red Sea. But at Mount Sinai when as a nation, the Israelites worshipped God orderly, it was not simply random event. It’s confirmation. Worship of God was the sign that he sent Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. How’s it?
When Israel worshipped God at Mt. Sinai, Moses actually confirmed that the Lord sent him to lead Israel out of Egypt. At Mt Sinai, everything related to worship of God was launched: The Tabernacle, regulations of sacrifice offering and duties of priests. Worship of God was his design.
Indeed, the Lord designed and initiated everything we do in relation to our practice of faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit of Christ empowers us to prioritize him in everything we do. How strong do you accept that reality?
To attend church or not, anyone has valid reason. To gather together to worship and praise God, we the church don’t wait to be persuaded by others. When inspired by the Holy Spirit, we sense glorious gladness.
Pray that the Holy Spirit inspires us, and we gladly worship God. We attend church punctually because reverent fear of the Lord convince us.
1. Convince
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
For love of God convince us to persuade loved ones to prepare for the impending judgment. On judgment day, we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. While we live on earth, anything we accomplished, whether good or bad, will have eternal consequence. It’s a warning for everybody.
Everything we do is plain to God. How do we prioritize ourselves or our family? How do you prioritize our career, hobby, studies or sports? We spend sufficient time with them, right? Many behave like Christians but the Lord searches our heart. If we truly prioritize God, we spend time with him.
Are you convinced that anything we do has eternal consequences? Will God prevent us from pursuing our dreams? It’s useful to dream and plan for brighter future. But how could dreams relate to practice of faith in Christ our Lord? Anything we plan or decide should have eternal relevance.
Together, let’s reflect on Titus 2:11-14. 11For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
When God’s grace is active in our life, we prefer upright and godly activities. The Holy Spirit warns us to avoid activities that cannot please the Lord. He empowers us to choose activities that are significant to our eternal life. Someone may want to excel in sports. You may want to be famous reel creator. Or you just prefer to be simply ordinary employee all your life.
Famous or simply ordinary, our choice could bring glory to the Lord.
Social Media
Parents: Aren’t you very happy to inform others about your children? In social media, parents publish pictures of their children. Do you know how many children would gladly tell the world about their parents? Children who publish pictures of their parents on regular basis are not very secretive.
Remarkably, most people who’re active on social media publish their own interest or accomplishment. Somehow, everyone desires recognition. Social media publishers will be elated or encouraged if you click the thumb up emoji for approval of their exposure. This is very true, not just hearsay.
Things promoted on social media may reflect priorities. We’re warned in Galatians 1:9-10, 9If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
The term “gospel” is properly interpreted as good news, good tidings.
What good news or good tidings do you promote on social media? Do you expect to get more thumb up emojis for approval or appreciation?
Have you promoted the gospel of Christ? The gospel of Christ is the good news of redemption from penalty of sin. Christ saved us from eternal torture and gave us eternal life. After we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we become citizens of heaven. We expect to enter heaven when Christ returns. And now, we prioritize and prepare for our eternal residency.
Our faith in Jesus Christ prompts us to share the gospel of salvation. Have you ever explained to children what it declares in Hebrews 11:1-2?
1Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
How is your faith now? Do you sense stronger relationship with the Lord? Don’t waste time on argumentative ideas. Instead, listen attentively to messages that challenges us to prioritize the Lord. Personally practice lessons that can help us build up our relationship with the Lord. Read and study the Scripture and practice behaviors that the Lord commends.
2. Commend
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
Surely, if we live by faith, not by sight, God commends us. We don’t commend ourselves for preference to please the Lord. We are advised to answer and clarify if listeners want to know about doctrines and beliefs, but we don’t engage in argument about ideas that cannot help us live by faith.
Probably, accomplishments may cause anyone to be proud. But work done wholeheartedly by faith in the Lord would certainly be commended.
Anyway, we should always bear in mind that believers or not, we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Any accomplishment we have, whether good or bad, there’ll be appropriate eternal consequences.
That should remind us to always pray for God’s inspiration and be mindful to prioritize things commendable before him. How do we prioritize things that are commendable to the Lord as we live in this material world? We pray that the Lord inspires our decisions. It advises in Proverbs 3:5-8,
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Back to School
It’s faster to run straight than in zigzag. If you are sure which career path can help you excel, you’ll succeed faster. Pray seriously to identify the career path the Lord designed for you to excel. Someone went to work after graduation from college to help his family financially. But then, he realized that he has to save for his personal expenses. So, he went to upgrade his studies and hoped to be employed in a job that offers better benefits.
This is general mindset. Students want to quickly complete university studies and work to earn money. However, job opportunities offer benefits at different level. Higher salary has advantages financially but enjoyable work environment is not necessarily guaranteed. Do you enjoy your work?
Any career we choose should be our tool to testify of God’s grace and love. Financial benefits should just be bonus of hard work and diligence. We should never forget that this material world is temporary. Work or study should be integrated with practice of faith in the Lord. Seriously, how do we explain what it declares in Colossians 3:1-4, 1Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
When Christ returns, believers who died will be raised to life, and we will meet Christ in the air. Christ will give us glorious body just like him. He will transform us into immortality. Are you confident it will happen to you?
Confidence in Christ should compel us to actively practice of faith in him. The love of Christ compels us to prioritize everything that pleases him.
3. Compel
13If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
The love of Christ compels us to share his good news of salvation. When we persevere, oppositions may assume that we are out of our mind. We should not be bothered by what others say behind our backs. Instead, we desire commendation from God rather than what people think of us.
We believed that Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins, and we accepted him as our Lord and Savior. Therefore, publicly testify of our faith. To testify that we also died to our old selves, we follow Christ in water baptism.
Reflect on what Romans 6:3-5 declares, 3Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
During water baptism, we are submerged into the water. It symbolizes that our old self was buried with Christ. it symbolizes that we resurrected to new life in Christ when get out of the water. Water baptism is personal public testimony that we follow Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection.
Water baptism is one requirement for church membership. If the Lord has inspired you to join the church membership, then, inform our church leaders. Schedule your water baptism, if have not gone through it yet.
Water baptism cannot save anyone from eternal torture. But Christ our Lord commanded water baptism as church ordinance and as personal testimony of our obedience to him. We accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, and we follow him into his death and hope to be resurrected into heaven.
Many individuals went to water baptism because their peers were baptized. They wanted to be counted as baptized believers. Be prayerful before you agree or decide to be baptized. It should not be because your friend is about to be baptized. Baptism is personal decision not coercion.
Reflect. Do you want to be baptized even if you’re the only candidate for water baptism? If without pressure from others you sense joyful peace to be baptized, the Holy Spirit compels you to decide and be baptized.
It narrated in Acts 8:36-38, 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 37Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Philip explained the gospel of Christ, and the eunuch believed it, and he wanted to be baptized without hesitation. Water baptism is our personal public testimony that we follow Christ in his death and resurrection.
When divine appointment presents itself, the Lord compels us to tell others about our faith in Christ. We talk about our personal adventure with Christ. We gladly convince loved ones to consider their eternal destiny.
It’s plain to the Lord if we follow him with all our heart, mind and soul.
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