Thought for December 19, 2024

•  1686: Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years according to the book
• 1732: Ben Franklin begins publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac"
• 1776: Thomas Paine publishes "American Crisis" beginning with the line, "These are the times that try men's souls."
• 1843: Charles Dickens publishes "A Christmas Carol"
• 1910: Rayon first commercially produced
• 1942: Robert Stroud transferred to Alcatraz--The Birdman of Alcatraz
• 1955: Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes."
• 1998: House votes to impeach Bill Clinton
• Born: Leonid Brezhnev, W. A. Criswell, Edith Piaf, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Cicely Tyson, Al Kaline, Janie Fricke, Reggie White, Warren Sapp, Jake Gyllenhaal
• Died: Emily Bronte, Desmond Llewelyn [Q on the Bond movies], Hope Lange, Robert Bork, Katharina Luther [wife of Martin Luther]

Thought:

Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 this morning. As you read chapter 5, notice the number of times Paul says "therefore." [5:6, 9, 11, 16, 17, 20] He uses that word three times in the 8 verses I am reading today. 

First, the premise or foundation on which Paul builds. [5:14-15] We, those who are saved, are controlled by the love of Christ. I see two aspects to this statement. First, my actions and attitudes are subject to Christ because I love Him. When we love our spouses or our children, our actions are often controlled by our love for them. We sacrifice our wants to theirs. So, if I love Jesus, I am controlled by my desire to demonstrate my love for him. Second, when the love of Christ controls me, that love pours out on those around me. I become a conduit of His love.

This presents a problem. The old Larry, pre-Christ Larry, is totally incapable of being controlled by the love of Christ. But, when Christ saved me, I became a new Larry [5:17]. The old Larry is dying away and the new Larry is now living in and through Jesus. So, now controlled by the love of Christ, what do I do?

We have a ministry of reconciliation. [5:18] Just as Christ reconciled us to God, He wants to reconcile everyone. And that is what He calls the new Larry to do, be an ambassador for Christ, carrying the message of reconciliation. [5:20] And what is that message--5:21--He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. 

What a simple passage. We were enemies of God. Christ through the cross reconciled us to God by bearing the penalty we deserved. Now, we are controlled by the same love that took Him to Calvary and are ambassadors carrying His message to the world--be reconciled with God. I have a friend who was contacted by the Trump transition team about being an ambassador. We talked about the honor of representing the United States to a foreign government. Reading this makes me understand that we have so much greater honor because we are ambassadors for the King of kings and Lord of lords--greater than any earthly authority. Praying that the Lord finds us faithful ambassadors beginning today.

Blessings

Larry