2 Corinthians 5:16-21 A New Creation
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 28, 2020 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(Understanding the Text) Paul says not to look at people’s outward appearance. Don’t judge people based on worldly standards. Paul says that he used to look on Jesus as just a man, but that his eyes were opened to see that Jesus is much more than a man; Jesus is God saving men. As such, Jesus can transform us from who we were to spiritual creatures. On the outside, we look human, the same as every other human, but on the inside, we are being transformed to spiritual creatures. We are a different and new creation than the humans who have not accepted Jesus into their lives.
(Revelation of God) God is now at work within us, aligning us to Himself. God is working a new creation in us. In this process, our sins do not stop the forward motion because God has already dealt with them. In the process, God has made us His representatives on earth. Jesus is the bridge between divinity and humanity, and as the divine grows in us, we are conduits of God’s love and representatives of His kingdom to the people of earth. Humans have a choice of where their citizenship will lie, and we are God’s representatives that they can go to for understanding of what that means.
“entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” God trusts us to represent Him to others. We don’t deserve His trust. He knows our limitations, but he still trusts us. He knows that we are as distractible as Dory, as prickly as porcupines, and we do not match up to His beauty in any way, yet He trusts us to be His representatives to the world. We bear a message of reconciliation. I guess we demonstrate the message more than carry it. If God can be reconciled to us, then there is hope for the people we are giving the message to. We are the message if we remain in relationship with God. It’s not so much what we say, although that is part of it. It’s who we are when we are with Jesus.
(Application / Prayer) Paul begs the Corinthians to always remain connected to God by remembering that Jesus became sin for us in order to bring us into harmony with the goodness and glory of God. We serve God because He served us. We live a new life because He died. We are His ambassadors who demonstrate the power of His love in our lives. I pray that Your love working in me will be reflected out to those around. I pray to never bring dishonor on Your name.